Get Involved or Get Out

April 14, 2005 by

The Meeting House, a multi-site church in Canada, has a unique approach to encouraging congregation involvement: Purge Sundays. That’s the tongue-in-cheek name the staff uses, but it gets to the point.

Teaching pastor Bruxy Cavey admits “purge Sundays” were his idea. “Evangelical Christians can be a trendy bunch, always looking for the good deal and where the action is,” he explains. “The more we have grown as a church, the more we have attracted tourists who come to check us out and will attend for some time, but never consider The Meeting House their home church. We don’t think that’s healthy for them—to be a voyeur on church life, rather than a healthy, active, committed participant in church life.

“So we started to ask them to leave.”

It’s a bold idea—asking passive congregants to get involved or go find a different church where they can do that—and I like it. They have the necessary exception for people still seeking but not yet committed, and they challenge their people to do what they’re supposed to do.

It sounds kind of abrasive, but it also sounds like they take the right approach. After all, if they lose people as a result of purge Sundays, that’s the idea. It’s refreshing to hear about a church that cares about more than increased numbers.

Post By:

Kevin D. Hendricks


When Kevin isn't busy as the editor of Church Marketing Sucks, he runs his own writing and editing company, Monkey Outta Nowhere. Kevin has been blogging since 1998, runs the hyperlocal site West St. Paul Reader, and has published several books, including 137 Books in One Year: How to Fall in Love With Reading, The Stephanies and all of our church communication books.
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3 Responses to “Get Involved or Get Out”

  • Mick
    April 14, 2005

    great site. i’m a seminary student and frequently find myself incredibly frustrated by the way we “do” church. i’ll be coming around frequently for a little refreshment from a fellow freak.


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  • blogan
    April 14, 2005

    Canadian podcasting macho church

    Ever have a few days when everything seems related? Call it convergence.
    While cruising by my regular blogs yesterday, I noticed that Church Martketing Sucks asks why men don’t like church. Short answer? It’s not macho.
    According to David Mur…


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  • Robert Brewer
    April 14, 2005

    Bah. Beaten to the punch again. I was just mulling that very idea over in my mind as I stepped off the plane yesterday. Only I was considering a six-month “probation”. :) Once you’ve served for a year or two (?), you can take another six months off.


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