What should we do about everyone having cell phones in Church? Have you heard anyone saying that? It’s a modern day invention, and some people are very attached to their mobile device. They depend upon it every day. They use it at work, school. Well, why not use it at Church?

Some might complain that the mobile device is a distraction during worship. It certainly would be annoying if someone let their cell phone ring during the sermon – or worse yet, took a phone call! However, most people know better than that. (You might add a slide to your pre-service roll to remind them if this becomes a problem.) But sometimes people will look at their cell phones, rather than the preacher. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing.

You should consider ways to encourage people to use their mobile device to engage more with the sermon. Let people look up the Bible verse that you just referenced. “If you’ve got your Bible or your cell phone, look up ….” And be sure to encourage them to check out the context later. All too often, there is only time to read a few verses. However, every verse has a context that adds a great deal to its meaning. With modern day Bible apps, people can easily mark a verse for further reading, and that only encourages more Bible study – a great thing. Or ask people to get on social media and let their friends know about the message, as in the movie “God Is Not Dead.”

Being distracted in worship is nothing new. It goes back to Eutychus in Acts 20. However, instead of fighting the mobile devices that people depend upon, we should leverage them to get people more engaged.