Part 2: The pro's and con's of the "seeker" style service ~ Daniel Thornton

First I want to be clear of what I am calling a seeker style of worship. I take this definition from the Shawnee Park Christian Reformed Church’s description of a seeker service,

The seeker service is committed first and foremost to calling people to Jesus Christ, not so much by means of persuasion as through allowing them to hear, see, think, and decide about their relationship to Christ. Every aspect of the service is directed toward that goal. 

A seeker style of worship is being acutely intentional about every aspect of a worship service, and making sure that those seeking God would feel comfortable. This includes the design of a building, the music played upon entering, the music played during the service, the clothes people are wearing, how greeting is done, etc. Every aspect of the design and implantation of a service is done to make those seeking feel comfortable, rather than making them feel out of place and uncomfortable. The biggest pro for a seeker style of worship is that it can bring people to faith in God. As a result of the efforts that are made, those seeking can find God. It is an evangelism tool in which people are brought to an ultimate encounter with God. Maybe for the first time or maybe several times and finally it sinks in for the seeker. 

This pro can quickly be taken into a con of the seeker service. Everything is done to make certain people feel comfortable, that the services becomes about making people feel comfortable and less about taking people into an encounter with God. The worship service is about God and for God, not about people and for people. I think the seeker service can easily become all about the people and about God second. 

Another pro is that through the seeker service people begin to think intentionally. They start thinking about their service through the lens of an unbeliever or a guest. When this happens, you can make changes that will make those people feel more welcome. We can make changes or explain things in a way that someone seeking will appreciate. When people begin to think intentionally about how they can better reach the lost, I think this is always a plus. 

A con of the seeker style of worship is that it can easily neglect those in your congregation that are looking for solid food. While some churches are not making this the main worship service, some are. If it is the only worship service that the church has, your members may be lacking spiritual depth. 

With all of these things, a healthy balance must be found. I am not going to say which style a church should have. All decisions must look at the pros and the cons and determine how a style can be incorporate so that the pros are utilized and the cons minimized.