Churches (so I have been taught for years to believe) go through a major slump in the summer.
Attendance goes down.
The offering plummets.
Interest in the church dissipates.
If you can just survive the summer, everything will be fine.
While this is just my first summer as pastor of Courageous Church, we haven’t experienced anything like a slump. We have grown every week this summer in attendance and in depth of committment. Last week was our biggest week ever and we’ve maxed out our space and will add a second service the Sunday after Labor Day.
Wanna know the bottom line? We didn’t believe the hype. We worked harder than we ever have. We offered new and challenging opportunities to serve God in our city. I prepared harder than ever to deliver solid messages every Sunday. We keep trying to improve the little things every week, etc., etc.
I believe that some churches may experience a slump in the summer, but it really does seem like a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you prepare for failure, you’ll probably get it. We decided that failure, in a very real way, just wasn’t a viable option for us and worked twice as hard to make sure it didn’t happen.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you thank you thank you thank you, can I say it again thank you
This has bothered me for a very long time. Everywhere I go people tell me not to worry it is the summer slump and we are putting all of our plans on hold for the summer and hit it big in the fall.
I never understood this mindset.
Unless you serve in a retirement community or with a bunch of old people and they migrate for the summer, this is a terrible excuse.
I was talking to a minister the other day and I was asking him what he had on his plate right now, he told me that he is really not doing anything. He is waiting for the end of August, then he will start to do some work and get started. I was tempted to ask him to pay back his salary for the last 3 months.
I am glad that you are not buying into the hype. Maybe it is the fact that ministers want a break and so they take a summer break. I know a lot of ministers take a study break over the summer. But man, are we turning the church into a school and giving the summer off. I guess we only work when it is cold outside. At least it is easier to find more depressed people during that time.
Awesome-stay courageous!
Good word man! This was our first summer too, and we had new folks every week that have decided to stick around. We actually grew over the summer months. I love what God is up to at the Courageous Church. We are praying for you guys!
GOD IS GREAT!
Same with us. We're in the Chicago western suburbs, the church began 1 year ago, and we just moved to a new temporary location. Since the move, our attendance has gone from 45 to 80 average. I, like you, refuse to believe the summer slump hype. There are plenty of people searching for a solid, bible-teaching church, as well as unbelieving "seekers" who just need to know that our churches are out there!
Here's the thing man – I believe that our church would have had a "summer slump" too if we didn't work and pray so hard against it.
Thanks for the prayers Josh! Keep pushing hard man!
Thanks for the prayers Josh! Keep pushing hard man!
That's good news Demetrius. Keep thinking big and pushing/praying harder than ever bro!