Should We Hype Sundays?
This Sunday, we have a special guest! This Sunday, free coffee and food! This Sunday, you don’t want to miss it!
I used to be the guy hyping Sundays. Big promotions, big energy, big expectations. But at some point, I started asking—was it really making a difference?
Reinhard Bonnke, the famous evangelist, once said, “The less Holy Spirit we have, the more cake and coffee we need to keep the church going.” Nothing against cake or coffee (I like both), but let’s be honest—there is no substitute for the Holy Spirit.
So, should we hype Sunday?
Why I Didn’t (And What I Learned)
I’m not against people who do, and I don’t think it’s wrong or bad. But I want to share why I wasn’t a fan of it and why we should be mindful.
It’s become standard practice to build anticipation for Sundays—hyping who’s speaking, what’s happening, or what new series is kicking off. I get it. We want people to show up, to be excited, and to move from online spectators to in-person participants. And I’m all for that. But I intentionally chose a different approach, and here’s why.
1. The Hamster Wheel of Hype
I’d been on it, and I wanted off.
Early on in my pastoring years, we promoted Sundays like our lives depended on it. But over time, it started feeling like a never-ending cycle—constantly trying to pull another rabbit out of the hat. Another big moment. Another can’t-miss Sunday.
But here’s the thing: isn’t church already special? And don’t the “normal” weeks make the special ones even more meaningful? Even the church calendar includes ‘Ordinary Time’—a stretch of weeks where there’s no major holiday or festival, just the steady rhythm of faith. It’s not all high festivals and grand celebrations.
The pressure to keep things fresh, exciting, and new every week wasn’t just tiring—it made me wonder if we were missing the point. So, I hopped off the hamster wheel. We still had plenty of special Sundays—you just had to show up and see.
2. What Are We Training People to Expect?
My concern wasn’t just about the effort—it was about the long-term impact on discipleship. If people are trained to show up because of a guest speaker, a theme, or free food, what happens when there’s nothing special? Will they still come? Or have we subtly created an expectation that church should always feel like an event?
I wanted our people to show up for deeper reasons:
To worship God, not just hear a guest speaker.
To encourage each other, not just grab free food.
To nurture their souls—and their children’s—not just follow a theme.
Faithfulness matters. Showing up matters. And I worried that too much hype might undermine those values.
3. Did It Even Make a Difference?
Here’s my honest question: did all the hype actually work?
Did the people who were going to show up…show up anyway? And did those who weren’t coming suddenly change their minds because we said it was going to be amazing?
Maybe for some churches, it really does make a difference. But for us, I wasn’t convinced.
When a Little Hype Makes Sense
Now, before I sound like I’m just complaining about everything, let me say this: there is a time for intentional Sunday promotion. Case in point—Easter.
Right now, churches are rolling out their Easter promos. And I’m all for it. Why? Because Easter is a unique moment when people are more likely to say yes to an invitation. And we should be ready, prayerful, and expectant.
This is where hype (or let’s call it intentional communication) can be a powerful tool—not just to fill seats, but to equip believers to invite people who don’t know Christ. Sometimes, a well-communicated opportunity helps people extend an invitation in a way they wouldn’t otherwise. And when that happens? It’s exciting. A single invite can change someone’s eternity.
Cut a Different Path
There’s a lot of “normal” in modern church practice. I’m grateful for much of it. But it’s okay to do things differently. Think outside the box. Learn from the best. But still—become yourself.
So no, I’m not against a little Sunday hype. But I do advocate for a more thoughtful approach.
Sunday is already special. It’s sacred. It should be a normal part of a believer’s rhythm of putting God first.
What do you think? Have you seen Sunday hype make a difference, or does it sometimes feel like a distraction? Let’s have the conversation.
If believers need a special reason to be there, maybe there’s a deeper issue we need to address.
