4 Reasons Our Services Seem Too Slick

At what point is a church service too slick? That's a question I've been pondering lately. Most of the time too slick means that the service doesn't feel authentic...the preaching, or the performers on the team seem to be over-doing it.

When I see a church service that is “over-the-top,” I've come to these four conclusions:

1. The message is overshadowed by the method

The principle message we must convey during our services each week is the Gospel of Jesus, found in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...” In an earlier passage from 1 Corinthians, chapter 5, Paul speaks of our new life in Christ: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:The old has gone, the new is here! (vs. 17)”

When too much attention is put on the performance--to the point where our cool arrangements, staging, band and singers, are a higher priority than the message of Christ--we're heading away from our true purpose. If our congregation walks away each week talking about the method and not the message, our services are too slick.

2. In the desire to create a quality product, the performance seems “over-produced”

It's a good thing to have high standards. We must give our best to God by using production and performance skills to help deliver the Gospel. But through our desire to excel, we may lose touch with our audience. Sometimes we try too hard to deliver a simple but profound message, one that can be complicated by gadgets, glitz, disco balls and fireworks. Sometimes our overuse of technology diminishes the human connection with our congregation. Our technology, regardless of its “coolness,” must serve the message.

3. The stage setting, lighting and backdrop don't match the emotion of the performance

Our audience will disengage if they sense a disconnect between the emotion of a performance and the feel of the stage. If the song we are using in worship is down-to-earth, with an acoustic feel, conveying an intimate mood, the performance is best supported by a warm, inviting and intimate stage setting.

A proper stage setting is much like music in a movie: the feel of the soundtrack will give emotional clues to the audience. If a Jaws-like cue warns of a circling shark, the audience is given a clue that there's immanent danger awaiting the actor. If there's a happy-sounding music cue, we have no worries for the actor at all.

When we plan our staging, even for regular worship services, it's important to match the emotion of what's happening onstage at any given time: high-energy lighting for high-energy points of the service; intimate and warm when the mood is more somber. Again, it's tempting to overuse technology. When the emotion of the stage and the song or sermon match, it helps connect the audience with the message.

4. The performer, while trying to connect with the audience, tries too hard and “over-sells” through exaggerated facial movements and hand gestures

When I started performing professionally in a secular setting, we were taught to “sell ourselves” to the audience. In church, we must still do all we can to connect with our congregations, but because many churches are using video screens, we must make use of more subtle facial expressions and gestures. We don't have to “overdo” our performances to connect with the audience. It's much more important to be authentic...real and approachable. When a performer, preacher or musician tries to “over-sell,” fake-ness corrupts the delivery and the service will seem too slick—too impersonal.

People want what's real; they want to relate to whomever is onstage at any given time. When a performer is comfortable, they can loosen up, slow down and deliver an authentic, from-the-heart performance.

I once toured with an artist who every night, just after he was introduced, would purposely tap the microphone and say, “Is this thing on?” He would then check his piano by hitting a few keys, adjust his chair, and chat with the audience before the first song was even played. As a result, people felt that his performance was just for them--almost like they were invited into his living room--and in return, the audience gave him their complete love, devotion and attention.

Our challenge in planning our services, and to avoid being too slick, is to: be authentic in our delivery, invite the congregation into our world to share the Gospel in word and in song, so that the wonder of Jesus follows them from the sanctuary, to their car and into their daily lives.