How Churches Deal with the Challenge of Latecomers to Worship Services

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By Thom S. Rainer

The attendance will really be low today. 

I looked around the worship center two minutes before the service was to begin. The number of people seemed to be about half of the usual attendance. Really strange, I thought.

Then it happened. In about fifteen minutes, the number of people present was triple the number of on-time attendees. The worship attendance ended up being higher than usual.

A similar discussion took place at Church Answers, where we have 1,600 church leaders in a constant exchange of questions and ideas. The responses were great. Here is one of my favorites: “We lock the doors at service time so no one can come in late. Everyone has learned their lesson, so we are packed out when service begins.” 

He then added, “Just kidding.” 

Outside of locking people out, how have churches responded to this challenge? Here are some of the more common responses from the Church Answers’ community:

  • Have a countdown clock. It serves as a reminder of a definitive beginning time. Many churches put the clock on their screens somewhere between five and fifteen minutes before the service begins.
  • Start on time. If the service does not start on time, you can’t expect members to be there on time. 
  • Ask leaders to set the example. Have an honest conversation with many of your leaders. Let them know your church has the common problem of latecomers. Ask these leaders to be in your worship services ten minutes early. Others will notice.