What does your pastor do about people who sleep in church?

Amen! I served as the senior pastor of a church for almost six years and I never saw so much as a nod in my congregation. But, of course, I never preached all night like Paul did. I believe that 90 minutes was my limit (well, maybe 95 minutes now and then) without taking a break, and I tried not to go over 60 minutes. I believe that when sermons go on much past an hour that the average person in the congregation begins to need a break of ten minutes or so before the sermon is continued. A cup of coffee for the adults and a can of cola for the kids during the intermission are very helpful when the sermons must be exceptionally long to properly present ones message to the congregation.

 

My Husband sleeps all the way through. ...
but then he sleeps through just about everything anyway.
I take notes, that keeps me paying attention

 

I think comfort, peace and safety all play a role in folks who sleep. OTOH, there might also be the person who could care less what is being preached. As with so many things, this is a case by case thing. Some folks just can't help it while other folks don't even try. I admit, it has happened to me. I get so embarrsed and SOMETIMES I get bruised ribs.
My wife...

In HIS service;
Jim

 

I used to laugh at my grandpa who always fell asleep in church. He had diabetes, high blood pressure, heart trouble, emphazema (sp?), among other things. Now that I am much older and see the affects of these diseases and the medications for them, I better understand that many people just cannot help it. Man judges by outward appearance, but God knows the heart. BTY, I do not laugh at those people anymore.

 

When I was in seminary, I worked 7 nights a week as a motel clerk and all day on Saturday helping a man install furnaces. Needless to say, when Sunday Morning came I had been without sleep for 36+ hours. My wife kept me awake mostly, but it was a struggle. Sleeping in church was never my intention, but I can certainly understand the plight of those who do sleep in church. Leave them alone. At least they're there.

 

I'm new here, but had to reply to this post. This actually happened to me for the first time in my life last Sunday. I was very tired, went to sunday school and church. During the last part of the Pastor's sermon, I felt incredibly sleepy. I did not actually fall asleep...just bowed my head and closed my eyes for what I thought was about 30 seconds. All of a sudden, I hear the Pastor asking himself during the sermon if anyone really listens or was he boring to listen to. He said he felt sometimes that he put some people to sleep. My sister was sitting next to me and she started chuckling because she knew he was talking about me. I sat up straight, put a big smile on my face and stared up at the pulpit for the rest of the service. This man has known me since I was a child...so it's no huge deal, but I got his message loud and clear!

 

Should we be better than our most famous mentor?
The Apostle Paul put Eutychus to sleep by his long preaching and he fell out of a upper story window. As mentioned above there are many contributing factors. If you want them to all stay awake, make them stand up while you preach!

I thought about using my ushers to have a feather on the end of a pole to touch the nose of sleeping deacons, put the ushers were asleep too!

 

Tell the people they are dismissed and see the ones sleeping get up to walk out only to find the service is still going on!

 

As a general rule of thumb, I let them sleep. I am sometimes loud, sometimes soft spoken. The Chairman of the Deacons is now falling asleep, but that is due to the meds he is taking. Pray for him and his family, he has terminal cancer.

I have fallen asleep once or twice during a sermon, lecture, tv program etc... we all get tired from time to time.

God Bless