Ah, summertime. The season begs people to go out, have fun, relax, enjoy, take a break, go on vacation, and leave their troubles behind, even if it’s just for a little while. With longer days, warmer weather, and kids getting out of school, it’s the perfect time to escape somewhere cooler, usually near an ocean, lake, or poolside. For many, planning their summer activities, like vacations, began months before the start of summer.
While everyone is out enjoying their summer plans and activities, churches tend to experience a different experience during summer – decreased attendance, which can lead to a dip in donations. According to Thom Rainer, founder and CEO of Church Answers, on average, churches can see a 20% drop in attendance during the summer. Rainer also found that the percentage goes up for churches that put their groups on summer break or in college towns. But it doesn’t have to be a recipe for disaster. There are ways to overcome this seasonal slump.
Strategies
Armed with this knowledge, here are six strategies to help overcome the summer dip:
Live Stream Church Service: The pandemic was a great motivator for many churches to leverage technology in new ways, like live streaming their worship services. Providing a live stream of the worship experience allows those on vacation to participate wherever they are, keeping them engaged, informed, and connected. Churches without a live stream must consider investing resources to provide this as an option for the church. It’s not just a convenience for those traveling; it’s a ministry for those in the church unable to go out and an excellent way for guests to check out the church before they venture onto the campus.
Post PodCasts: When time zone or streaming issues make a live stream unrealistic, providing a podcast of the worship service allows the church to catch up when it’s most convenient for them. It’s a wonderful option for those taking long road trips.
Plan Fun Events: Not everyone has the financial resources or time off to take a vacation, but everyone likes to have fun during the summer. Plan events with little to no cost, like park days, beach days, or activities on the church campus for children and students to play games together. Inviting the community to these events is an excellent way to turn the summer attendance slump into an opportunity for growth.
Prioritize Financial Planning (Save for Summer): Proverbs 21:20 provides sage advice for all churches that experience a decline in attendance and giving during the summer months, “There is precious treasure and oil in the home of the wise, But a foolish person swallows it up.” Leading up to summer, churches often experience their highest attendance and giving quarters due to Christmas and Easter. Churches that do not understand or plan for these seasonal trends may fall into the trap of the foolish and swallow up their treasure, leaving the church in a financial bind during summer. Wise leadership saves the increase from prosperous months to cover the lean months.
Provide Digital Giving: Churchgoers younger than Gen X have most likely never written a check. They are digital natives and have utilized safe and secure digital payment options like Venmo and Zelle for online transactions for quite some time. Providing digital giving is a great way to remove barriers, allowing more people to support the church’s mission – especially during the summer months. Churches without digital giving options need to find a church-based giving platform that meets their needs.
Offer Recurring Giving: Research shows that donations are higher among churches offering recurring digital giving options. Recurring giving encourages the spiritual discipline of giving. It automates giving to God first and then budgeting the rest of their income. Since recurring giving happens automatically, whether they are on vacation or sitting in the worship center doesn’t matter.
These simple strategies can make summer a great season, even for those overseeing the church budget.
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