Popstar Taylor Swift is coming to Arizona in March. She’ll be playing at the home of the Arizona Cardinals, with over 60,000 in attendance. As I write this, the cheapest tickets (before fees) I can find are just under $400. You’ll need to bring binoculars to make out the tiny form of Swift on stage and your Kleenex to dab the blood from your nose. To sit near the front row, it will set you back $5,775 a ticket. I couldn’t find meet and greet or backstage tour tickets, although I know they are offered. I can’t imagine what these tickets cost. $8,000? $10,000? The same stadium just hosted the Super Bowl where the average ticket cost to see the Chiefs and Eagles square off set the fan back $5,596.[i]
Why do we pay such exorbitant prices? Because Swift’s artistry and persona move us. Because we want to wring everything we can out of the experience. Because we want to get as close as we can to our heroes. Because we don’t want to miss out on any of the excitement. Because we want to take in every detail.
Maybe Taylor Swift isn’t your jam, but I bet, if you had the money, there would be a handful of artists or sports teams you would gladly pay big money to be able to watch.
Isn’t it odd that we’re willing to pay extravagant sums to sit up front at a concert, but find ourselves sliding in late and sitting near the back at church?
What if we attended services at church with the same expectations and excitement we brought to a show featuring our favorite artist or stadium hosting our team? I bet if we prepared our hearts for a church service in a similar fashion, we would impact the culture of our church families.
Here are eleven ways to get a backstage pass to church:
1) Invite someone.
Once the tour is announced, you excitedly rush to ask your friends if they want to go. And why wouldn’t you? It’s always more fun to enjoy an experience together. Studies tell us that many of our unchurched friends will likely say yes to join us for a church service if we invite them.[ii]
2) Prepare the night before.
The days leading up to the concert, you get pumped listening to the band’s music. Before the big game, you watch highlight reels and study stats. Prepare for church likewise. If you know what passage will be preached on, read it the night before. If you know what songs will be sung, listen to them. At New Life, we have a weekly prayer that is sent to the congregation sharing what passage will be preached on and guiding the community on how to pray. We share the worship set list on social media. And, of course, pray. Pray for your own heart and the hearts of others attending.
3) Arrive early.
I took my son, Soren, to our first NFL game this season and watched our two favorite teams (the Cardinals and Chiefs) square off. We deliberately arrived three hours early so we could enjoy the pre-game excitement. Showing up early to a church service allows you to meet new people, reconnect with friends, and prepare your heart for worship.
4) Greet someone new.
When Soren and I went to our first NFL game, we were decked out in both Chiefs and Cardinals gear. We bantered with both Chiefs and Cardinals fans about our double allegiance and heard lots of fun stories from the motley crew. The fans amplified the enjoyment of our first experience. If you are intentional about meeting two new people every Sunday, you will bless them, and you will be able to meet a hundred new people over a year. You can’t help but feel more connected.
5) Sit up front.
With the game out of hand in the fourth quarter, Soren and I got a text from one of his friends that they were headed home, and invited us to take their seats for the rest of the game. We jumped at the opportunity to head down from our nosebleed seats to seats in the thick of the action. Even though back-ups were in, it was by far the best part of the game. We could hear the quarterback bellow the snap count and the smack of tackles. I recognize there may be reasons for not sitting up front in church (maybe you have to leave early to serve in a ministry, or the music might be too loud near the speakers), but in general, you are more likely to be engaged in the sermon and drawn into worship. You will also bless your worship team and pastor.
6) Sing loud and proud.
What’s a concert without fans singing the #1 hit at the top of their lungs Or sports fans belting out Queen’s “We Will Rock You”? Sing out of tune, mess up the words, but sing joyfully and loudly!
7) Talk back to the preacher.
You clap for your favorite artist, you high five when your team scores: you participate. Different traditions have varied expectations of congregational response during a sermon, but in general, your pastor would love a few more “amens!” Let him know you agree with his sermon. A verbal “amen!” expresses publicly that God is moving in your heart. Your pastor will be blessed, and you likely will be a little more invested.
8) Thank your pastor.
Angel and I love going to off-Broadway shows here in Tucson. Crowds linger afterward to express their gratitude to the actors. Linger a few extra moments after the sermon and share a meaningful word of appreciation for a conviction that God brought to your heart through the sermon, or a place where your eyes were opened to truth. Gift your pastor with these expressions of gratitude. It will also cause you to reflect upon: how God might use this sermon to change you. And remember to thank your worship team for choosing a song that was impactful to you, or for a prayer they offered.
9) Serve.
Alright, there isn’t a tie-in to a concert or a game here, but we weren’t made just to receive. Take ownership of the work God is doing through your church. Consider how God has gifted you to strengthen your church family, assess what needs your church has, and jump in as you feel led.
10) Share the good news.
If you went to Taylor Swift’s concert and took a selfie with her, you would proudly blast it out to all your friends and share it on social media, wouldn’t you? If we’re that excited about your favorite artist, how much more excited should we be to share about Jesus? Don’t miss out on sharing how God met and impacted you through your local church. There is someone you know who probably has a negative view of Christ or his church who might reconsider, or someone who has been disengaged from church who might be drawn in.
11) Apply the sermon.
It’s unlikely that a concert or game will change your life. But encountering God in worship and having the Word applied to your heart through the power of the Spirit can! Be willing to receive what God has for you. What is he calling you to this week?
We have the opportunity to have a backstage pass to one of the most transformative ongoing events in human history. Don’t miss out on the chance to experience what God has for you and to bless others around you.
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[i] Zac Al-Khateeb, “How Much Super Bowl Tickets 2023,”Sporting News, Feb 12, 2023, https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/how-much-super-bowl-tickets-2023-prices/ec6oikbmbbkoqq1hqynyzoek.
[ii] “Poll: You’re Probably Inviting Friends to Church,” Christianity Today, July 2018, https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2018/july/inviting-friends-church-lifeway-research.html.
Photo by Sam Moghadam Khamseh on Unsplash