If you look at the entire year at-a-glance you can probably predict when your attendance numbers will jump up. At Milestone, we see this around Christmas and the new year, during Easter, Mother’s Day, and then again starting in August as people are coming off summer vacations and getting back into a routine. These are natural seasons you’ll find people are more open to attending church. As we head into the fall, here are a few ways we are leveraging the natural momentum to re-engage our church and get people connected:
1. Rally and promote Small Groups.
Small Groups are one of the best ways people reconnect after a long summer. It’s the perfect on-ramp for people looking to build new relationships and get back into a rhythm. One of the best things about launching new Small Groups? New Small Group leaders. It’s awesome to see people newer to our environment get a chance to lead.
2. Cast vision to the Serve Team.
Something I have always enjoyed doing is making an investment in the people that are making the vision a reality week in and week out. We take an evening to bring together our core leaders, have some fun, and give vision for where we are headed as a church.
3. Gather and invest in our staff
To coach and equip our team, we gather weekly for Staff Chapel. Once a quarter we add spouses and use that time to cast vision for where we are headed. Then, every year in September, we have our annual Staff Gathering—a three-day “staycation retreat” where we set aside time to remove distractions, have some fun, and intentionally invest in the team.
It’s all about capitalizing on the natural momentum a new season brings, to make engagement easier for people. I hope some of these ideas help as you look for strategies to help the people you pastor take steps.