Churches around the world are trying to revitalize their church services. There is almost nothing they will not try. Some embark on multi-million dollar building campaigns while others sell their buildings to plant home churches. Some hire celebrity pastors to attract crowds of people, while others hire no clergy so that there can be open sharing in the service. Yet despite everything churches have tried, few focus much time, money, or energy on the one thing that churches are supposed to be doing: loving and serving others like Jesus. Put Service Back into the Church Service challenges readers to follow a few simple principles and put a few ideas into practice which will help churches of all types and sizes make serving others the primary emphasis of a church service. This revised and updated book now includes discussion questions, perfect for a small group setting. Books in the “Close Your Church for Good” series: Preface: Skeleton Church Volume 1: The Death and Resurrection of the Church Volume 2: Put Service Back into the Church Service Volume 3: Dying to Religion and Empire Volume 4: Church is More than Bodies, Bucks, & Bricks Volume 5: Cruciform Pastoral Leadership "This book is well-written, challenging, and a book that really can make a difference not only in our churches, but also and especially in our neighborhoods and communities." -Charles Epworth "This book ... presents a convincing argument for why today's church services are mostly ineffective and inefficient. You will read concepts explained that you've not fully heard before. And you will get hints as to how it could, or should, work." -MikeM When I was a pastor, I always struggled with how to encourage the people who showed up on Sunday morning to get out into the community to love and serve others more regularly and faithfully.  I had read somewhere that the pastor needs to lead his congregation in these ways, and so for several years, I tried to model for my church how to love and serve the community. We planned outreach events and community service projects. We mowed lawns. Passed out flyers. Did a free car wash. Cut wood for single mothers. Brought food to shut-ins. Helped neighbors fix leaky roofs.  But no matter what, only about 10% of the congregation ever showed up for anything beyond the Sunday service. A few years after I left the pastorate, it dawned on me that the real way to lead a congregation into service is make actual service a part of the Sunday service! We traditionally think that the Sunday service is only for singing songs and listening to a sermon, but what would happen if a church actually did community service for their Sunday service?  I approach that question in this book, and suggest some ways that churches can move in this direction. I have seen in done in various churches, and have put this idea into practice in my own life. Jeremy Myers is a popular blogger and has authored numerous books, including Why You have Not Committed the Unforgivable Sin and The Atonement of God . Jeremy can be contacted through his primary blog at RedeemingGod.com. Jeremy lives in Oregon with his wife, Wendy, and their three daughters.