Seven reasons we should encourage our members not to use their smartphones or tablets in worship services

Thom Rainer Oct. 18, 2024

my saved content

VIEW AS
A PDF

adobe

Several years ago, I decided to become a real church member. Let me explain.

For over 30 years, I was the preacher each Sunday at whatever church I attended. I preached as the pastor, the interim pastor, or guest preacher. I never viewed the church on Sunday mornings from the pews or the chairs. I wrote a book called I Am a Church Member, but I did not have the view of the church member, at least on Sunday morning worship services.

I decided eight years ago to decline almost every invitation to preach. I wanted to be active in my local church as a church member, not away on Sundays as a preacher in another church. It has been an incredible blessing. And it has been eye-opening. Let me give you one example.

I noticed several people in the church using their smartphones or tablets, presumably as a digital Bible or a digital notetaker. For those I could see from my vantage point, I also noticed that many of those with digital devices would click on the notifications they received. They were obviously distracted, and they obviously distracted me. As a point of confession, I looked over the shoulder of a church member last fall as he was looking at the college football rankings for the week. I am ashamed to say I looked longer than I should.

Recently, I went to a movie theater in my hometown. I noticed the previews stressed that everyone must turn off their phones and other digital devices.

I guess theaters have higher standards than churches in that regard.

Have I become a legalistic and grumpy old man? Maybe. But hear me out. Frankly, I have good reasons to ask church leaders to encourage their members to turn off their electronic devices. Here are seven of the reasons.

#1 Smartphones and tablets often distract the person looking at them.

I see it every week. Rarely do I see church members looking at their smartphones without some kind of notification popping up. Of course, they can't wait to read the notification.

#2Smartphones and tablets often distract others.

I wish I were not one of those prone to distraction, but I am. When that light on someone's phone catches my eye, I immediately turn to it.

#3Smartphones have addictive content that is contributing to a mental health crisis among young people.

If you doubt the veracity of my claim, just do some research. For example, read The Anxious Generationby Jonathan Haidt. Look at his research on how social media on smartphones is rewiring the minds of our children and youth. Look at the dramatic increase in anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicide among Gen Z once they begin using a smartphone with social media access and other harmful sites. Frankly, I don't want to give my tacit approval to the habitual use of smartphones by reading my own smartphone in church.

#4Most churches have many options for reading the Bible or taking notes in a worship service without needing a smartphone or tablet.

I encourage pastors to get pew Bibles in the translation from which they preach most frequently. The biblical text can be put on a screen. It's easy to place a sermon outline in the bulletin. Most churches have pens in their worship centers as well. You don't have to have a digital device even if you didn't bring a print Bible.

#5Writing increases retention more than using a keyboard.

I was surprised again at the number of studies that proved this statement. When you take handwritten notes, you are more engaged in the sermon and retain the content more effectively. By the way, your pastor will be encouraged when several church members become notetakers.

#6Smartphones create a sense of isolation.

Again, there are several good pieces of research on this topic. Gathering for worship services is meant to be a communal experience because we are involved in shared community activities like reading our Bibles, taking notes, listening to the sermon, or singing and praising God together. The smartphone sends us into isolation rather than community.

#7Church members communicate the wrong priorities when they use their smartphones in worship services.

Even if we stay focused on the biblical text and the sermon, we could implicitly communicate to other church members that we are more focused on the phone than the God we worship.

I know we can't mandate that members turn off phones during worship services. I also know that many churches have permitted or even encouraged it so long that reversing it will be difficult. Still, I hope you hear my concerns. I think they are real and pervasive.

my saved content

VIEW AS
A PDF

Thom S. Rainer is the founder and CEO of Church Answers, and online community and resource for church leaders. Prior to founding Church Answers, Rainer served as president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources. Before coming to LifeWay, he served at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for twelve years where he was the founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism. He is a 1977 graduate of the University of Alabama and earned his Master of Divinity and Ph.D. degrees from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Learn More »

• They tried to quiet Charlie Kirk—but the gospel still speaks (by Bob Russell)
• What can Christian leaders learn from a 20-something YouTuber? Quite a lot… (by Zac McGowen)
• Steps to Launching Your Personal Workplace Ministry (by )
• Perpetual disappointment (by Richard Blackaby)

Free eBook

Success Unlocked: The Transformative Power of Questions

This isn’t just another leadership book—it’s your invitation to discover how Christ-centered questions can transform the way you lead and live. Packed with real stories and timeless wisdom, it shows you how to grow your influence, deepen your faith, and lead with the same life-changing impact Jesus did.

Download Now