Category / Church

The church term “Summer Slump” has been around for decades and I think it’s time to retire the phrase.

The idea of an anticipated attendance “slump” will deliver on its promise every time.

This is more than a numbers thing; it’s about how you perceive your church in the summer.

I certainly acknowledge a change in the rhythms of life during the summer, mostly centered on family. The kids are out of school and vacations kick in!

But there are equally large rhythms that remain steady, like the adults still go to work most of the summer and continue to go about their normal daily routine.

The church is very similar.

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People visit your church prompted by a variety of reasons such as:

1. A positive message on social media.
2. There’s a crisis in their family.
3. The Holy Spirit stirred them to attend.
4. A mailer to their home.
5. The reputation of your pastor’s messages.
6. They want a Christian influence for their kids.

But for at least the last fifty years, there is still nothing that beats

   7. Invited by a friend.

Because that is true, it’s vitally important to pay attention to the reasons people do and don’t invite their friends to your church.

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One of the best investments of your time is to intentionally break away from your routine.

A well-executed staff planning retreat can become a turning point for you and your church.

It can feel difficult to break away from the demands of ministry, but it’s necessary and highly valuable.

There are many styles, formats and places for a retreat. But I recommend you keep it simple. It’s good to get “out of town” but not so far that it makes the trip complicated and overly expensive, because you are then less likely to go again.

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The foundation of any building is the most critical element. The foundation is what everything rests upon.

Your home likely has a foundation consisting of a continuous concrete footing, foundation walls of poured concrete and a concrete floor slab. Other components from soil compaction to waterproofing are crucial.

If any of these things are faulty, no matter how beautiful your home is above the foundation, you can experience major problems.

Leadership development is similar because the foundation is essential to the process and the outcomes. What is underneath the surface makes all the difference.

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