Brittany recently wrote a post that gave us some really practical and helpful suggestions on how we can engage our children in Church. One of the requests we received was to write a post covering this topic for adults. To be honest, I’m thankful we got this request because it was a great reminder of the many challenges present in BOTH children and adults. In fact, some of these issues we face as adults are because we may not have dealt with the challenge as a child.
So, how can adults stay focused in Church? Here are 6 things you can start working on at church this weekend!
- Turn your phone on “Airplane” mode. Here is my confession… my biggest distraction on Sundays is because of fantasy football and the early Sunday game. Without even thinking about It I find myself checking the scores and how my fantasy team is doing and then I get the elbow from my wife. We all have our “go to” distractions whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Google+. The best way to get started is to disconnect from these distractions!
ProTip
Some of you are wondering why I said “Airplane mode” instead of turning the mobile device off. If you are like me, you may read your Bible on your mobile device. I’d recommend that you grab both the Faithlife Study Bible (for personal and devotional Bible reading) and the Logos Bible App (for more in depth study). In both of these free app’s you can download the Bible for offline use!
- Be intentional where you sit – My mom always told me to make sure I sit in the front row in school. I hate the front row. The back row is even worse because I get distracted by what everyone else in front of me is doing. I found out that the 2nd or 3rd row was the best for me to stay focused. The same principle applies to where we sit in Church. If possible, sit in a place that positions you to be more focused.
- Take notes – Do your best to take some notes. I typically have a notes document in my phone via Logos that is specifically for church services. By taking notes on things that were insightful or questions you may have you are engaging your mind in an assertive way which helps us in our memory recollection. When we just sit and listen, its a passive type of learning. Download my Church Notes Worksheet
ProTip
Leverage your notes within the context of your family. Go over them and ask questions at lunch when you sit down together or during your family Bible study time. If you are not currently doing a family Bible study, join us for our Monday Devotional: Ephesians Study. You can grab a free family guide and dialogue Ephesians with your family.
- Be intentional about follow up conversations – Sometimes we need accountability. Accountability is good for a variety of reasons including building solid relationships with other believers. Grab some friends or even couples at the church and schedule some time to grab coffee or dessert. Be intentional to discuss and cover what was covered at church. This will create a sense of responsibility for us and will directly impact our engagement in church.
- Pray – The best help you have is the Holy Spirit. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to help stay focused and to learn from the depth and beauty of God’s Word. Make this prayer a habit, in fact, pray it with your family on the drive to church in the morning.
- Remind yourself of the Gospel – All of the points I provided before this are all meaningless if we don’t remember the Gospel. The recollection of the goodness of God and his great love, mercy, and grace reminds us how who we were apart from Christ and how great a salvation we have in Christ. It’s this source of remembrance that will stir up our affections for Christ and remind us of our need for the Gospel which in turn will motivate and fix our attention on Christ.
I love this because I really do tend to get distracted. My favorite is the one where you say we should get together after and discuss what was talked about, I definitely think my hubby and I will probably start doing this! It will really make you pay attention.
Awesome! It really causes us to engage in a different way which is very helpful!
I think my favorite tip on here is be intentional about follow up conversation. So often with take in what we get and it stays in our head. I think a follow up conversation is great for solidifying what we learned and making it more than just notes in our minds or in our notebooks.
Alonda, Absolutely. Talking through what I learned always helped me in my retention and application!
I like sitting in the front. I’m not a note taker but I used to be. I think I will give that a shot! Thanks!
Mikki, Check out the outline download in the post. Let us know how that works for you!
Great tips. Taking notes always helps me.
i gotta get that #1 – put my ipod on airplane mode – a great idea 🙂
Our church has small groups that discuss the sermon later in the week with follow up questions…its a great motivator to pay attention….but thankfully they also provide online sermons afterwords at church online so that we can catch something we may have missed!