Come As You Are?

I read an article in The Birmingham News, my local paper, yesterday about area churches going casual for Sunday services...not just the contemporary mega-churches around town, but the more traditional worship facilties, as well. (You can read the full article here.)

One section, in particular, stuck out to me:

The "come as you are" message is a recurring theme in American religious history. One example of a time when that message was well received was during the mid-1800s, said Theodore Trost, chairman of the religious studies department at the University of Alabama.

He said data from the Pew Research Center has shown that church membership in the last 15 to 20 years is on the decline. Whenever confronted with the problem of decline, groups try new techniques to encourage membership, he said.

One of the ways that churches equalize relationships among members is by being less formal, he said. But it's being done in more than dress. It spills over into the music, the musical instruments being used and even changing from traditional pews to theater or auditorium-type seating.

What new techniques are you employing to encourage membership?