The great value of being on time to church
The weekly Sunday worship service at my church starts at 10am. Often about 30% of the congregation is actually there by 10am, rising to about 80% by 10:20. Some stragglers turn up as late as 10:45 on most Sunday mornings.
Speaking to friends from other churches, I learnt that this kind of tardiness is not simply an issue with our church. It is a wider church cultural issue. This is not something that we should dismiss as something annoying but unimportant; regularly arriving late at church has negative effects and means you miss out on making Sunday mornings as effective as they can be.
The negative impacts of being late to church
- It shows disrespect and is disruptive
Church services are designed with a structure in mind, usually focussing us on God and his works and character, then moving into a time of confession and assurance of pardon, and then moving onto praise and personal response to the gospel. Coming partway through that structure means you may well be distracting those who are concentrating on God’s grace to them and being encouraged by the gospel.
It is hard to concentrate, even as a leader or preacher, when there is a constant stream of people coming into the service. It is disrespectful to those who came on time and to the leader to make a habit of this.
- It reveals a lack of priority on church
All of us have many things to do in a week, and for all the ones that are important we come on time and prepared. We make it to work, school drop off or university lectures when we need to be there. We successfully make it to sports events or medical appointments. Church seems to be the thing we can turn up late for and it is OK. After all, if we are not rostered on anything, what does it matter?
This reveals our heart more than we intend. It reveals that sleeping in and relaxing on Sunday morning is more important than being at church on time. We make time for what we value.
- You miss important information
Some weeks, the person leading the church service has a decision to make they should not be faced with. Should they put an element later in the service as many of the congregation are not here yet? Last Sunday we interviewed our theological student, a man whom we voted to employ from next year and for whom we have been raising support. Yet half of the congregation was too late to hear the interview or be updated.
Positive reasons to get to church not only on time but early
Let’s not focus on the negatives; there are wonderfully positive reasons to be at church early next Sunday!
- You’re mentally ready to worship
I have young children, so I know what it is like. You rush around finding shoes and making sure everyone has brushed their teeth. After leaving late, you cannot find a parking spot close to the door. You rush into church late, flustered, perhaps even angry, and you are not even listening to the words of the songs you are singing. You are physically there but mentally not engaged.
There is a better way. Coming early removes that stress. You have time to settle, to pray, to be mentally rested and ready to participate and learn. If you do this, you will find that you get more out of the service. The service will be the same, but you will approach it differently.
- You are in a good position to welcome newcomers
When people come to a new church for the first time, they are always early. They have looked it up and allowed extra time to make sure they are there. They sit somewhat nervously in their seats wondering that this church will be like. What a wonderful opportunity to be an encouragement! If you are early, you can greet them, put them at ease, and help them to understand the church family.
- You create good opportunities to build others up
Being early means you are relaxed and have the chance to talk to others who are early. After all, church is not all about you. It is when the family meet together, and therefore you should be using your gifts to build others up. Many of my most productive conversations happen in the quietness of the time before the service. If you have never experienced this, you are missing out on a chance to serve others.
Conclusion: it’s a faithfulness issue, not a time management one
Some people have told me that being on time is a personality thing. Some care about time; others do not. Some people are just “late people” who are late for everything, not just church.
I disagree. I think being on time is a faithfulness issue. If the church is your family which you value and love, it matters that you get to church early. Coming late means not only that you don’t benefit as much as you should from the service, but that you miss out on opportunities to welcome and serve others that you could have taken.
We only meet all in one place once a week. Let’s make the most of this precious time.