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Church has changed. Gathering has become a challenge more than ever. This is true in churches of all sizes and denominations. I have talked with a lot of pastors, and most of them are asking the same question. How do we get our church people back to in-person attendance? Sure, there are some people who are high risk and should not attend in-person. But what about those who are simply not attending because they have fallen out of habit?  Before the pandemic, the focus for churches was always reaching unchurched people (and it still should be, by the way). However, churches that have re-opened are struggling to get their pre-pandemic attenders back in the building.  Christians have found a new rhythm. Many have spent the last several months watching church online. They have the luxury of watching on Sundays or a different day that’s more convenient. In some ways, people almost feel like they have a permission to stay home and not gather as a church. Since about every church in the coun

One of my favorite movies is  Blast from the Past  starring Brendan Fraser. The movie follows the Webber family, and is set in the 1960’s, when everyone thought that a nuclear war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union was possible. The father spends months building a fallout shelter in preparation. Eventually, a plane crashes into the Webber’s home, causing him to believe the end has arrived. In his mind, it’s the beginning of a nuclear war, so he takes his pregnant wife to the fallout shelter. The massive steel doors to the shelter are armed with time locks that, once engaged, could not be unlocked for thirty-five years. No worries of anyone getting in…or out. The family is secured in their shelter while the world above continued as normal. During the first year, the mom gives birth to their son Adam. While sheltered for safety, the world above drastically changes without the Webber’s knowledge. Then finally in 1997, the timer releases and unlocks the doors. Adam finds himself