<\/p>\n
Be open-handed with people.<\/strong><\/em> Some pastors get proprietary and frustrated with their congregations and it shows in their preaching. Instead, do unto others what you would have them do unto you if you were in a vacation mood and\u2014lighten up. Tim Keller once commented that people were much more likely to come to his church if he didn\u2019t make them feel like they \u201chad to.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Change up your program.<\/strong> <\/em>When we were at three Sunday services and noticed the seasonal slump, we combined our gatherings and met outside for the summer. It changed our expectation level for attendance and invigorated the entire group. You may not have the outside option, but you could consider changing your meetings in some other way, even suspending some gatherings or combining others for the vacation season. Leaving the land fallow every few years was a law in the Old Testament.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Let less be more.<\/strong> <\/em>In sizable churches one of the main problems is getting people into smaller groups for real connection. If you have smaller Sunday gatherings during the summer, consider using these as opportunities for more flexibility. One thing we do is have people get coffee and stay after church for a Q&A with me as the lead teacher. I let them ask anything they want about any aspect of the teaching or discipleship. This can only be done in a relatively small group. A friend of mine who pastors a small, rural church has changed his entire Sunday format to an open (but guided) discussion, led by him, on the passage of scripture they are studying. Again, this can only be done in small settings, so when the setting gets small, use it to the body\u2019s advantage.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n L<\/strong><\/em>ook through the turn.<\/strong><\/em> In motorcycle safety courses they teach riders to \u201clook through the turn\u201d as they apply counter-steering and lean. It means to keep your eye on where you\u2019re going to come out of this corner even as you enter it. If you focus too closely on just what\u2019s in front of you and don\u2019t look at your <\/p>\n So, take the SAD truth in stride and stay at the task, Pastor.<\/p>\n Just a Thought, As I write this it\u2019s almost Father\u2019s Day, a day traditionally distinguished by being one of the least attended Sundays in the pastoral calendar. We need to diagnose a new condition for churches\u2014Seasonal Attendance Disorder (SAD). It seems to me that two things contribute to this annual congregational malaise often exemplified by Father\u2019s Day. First, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14664,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[2307,4135,405,4136,4145],"tags":[1385,2186,1047],"class_list":{"0":"post-14663","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-christian-lifestyle","8":"category-church-leadership","9":"category-pastor-how-to","10":"category-pastoral-leadership","11":"category-church-resources","12":"tag-church-attendance","13":"tag-church-seasons","14":"tag-pastor-tips"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogrouting.sharefaith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/65002b6c-dcf7-4fe6-bc74-4b83401fa516.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"freely-10132-preview-973x797\"](\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/freely-10132-preview-973x797-150x150.jpg\")
long-term exit strategy, you will either be too tight or too wide in the corner. Summer gatherings may fluctuate for various reasons but fall is almost here. Costco orders turkeys for Thanksgiving \u2026 in March. They order toys for Christmas in April. Now that\u2019s looking through the turn! The body of Christ will not succumb this summer. You will have more to do in this next season. Pray and plan for it.<\/p>\n
\nPastor Rick<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"