Summertime in many churches is often viewed as a season for rest and vacations. However, instead of simply disengaging, church leadership can use this period to reset and renew the ministry’s vision. By staying active during these months, leadership can evaluate how current offerings impact both the congregation and the local community while learning how to overcome summer stagnation.
The assumption that ministry must pause during the warmer months is a limiting mindset. Instead, let this season be a transition from inactivity to rejuvenation by planning strategically for the year ahead. To help your team stay focused, here are five ways the church can overcome summer stagnation.
Allow the slower months in the church to be a time when members and leaders alike review the effectiveness of programs and positions inside the church. As the church has entered the mid-year mark, it is an opportune time to review what is working and what may need to be tweaked or eliminated. The idea is that just because something has started six months before does not mean it cannot be concluded if it does not meet the needs of the current reality the church finds itself. By reviewing all significant areas in the church, you provide a fresh perspective on the current needs and framework of the church.
Reevaluate
With two quarters under the church’s belt, it is a good time to reevaluate the budget and the priorities that drive the church budget. As you evaluate the needs, review overages in the budget or areas that might need additional dollars as you gear up for the remainder of the year. Evaluate line items that have yet to be spent and see if areas could be reallocated to other line items in the budget or even put into savings for a rainy day. If your income through tithes is down from projections after the first two quarters, adjust and reduce spending or at least become watchful of future expenditures.
Recognize
As you move through reviewing and evaluating the first half of the year, begin to recognize the ways in which the church should be adapting to the current and future needs of the community around them. The church cannot sit and wait on the future, it must be actively embracing the change mandate. Use micro steps to achieve the new updated goals. Micro steps are small action steps that advance toward the larger outcome. The summer is a prime time to reflect on where God has been and where he is leading the church for the latter half of the year.
Reenergize
What things in the first half of the year did you let slide as a church? Where was the area of the campus neglected because someone or something got the attention? It does not always have to be that way. You can reverse the decline of inattention by focusing on what has been set aside during the summer months. You can reenergize the program to reach new people by redeeming what was lost. See the summer as a prime time to prepare to engage the kingdom through ministry by exposing people to what is to come. It can be an exciting time to lay the foundation for a renewal of programs and ideas to take hold in the fall. Do not allow summer stagnation to hold your church back from dreaming again.
Reconnect
Summer is primarily a time when many slow down and focus on family. While family is important, do not forsake the assembly of your church family. There is a tendency to trade in church attendance for family vacations and sports leagues and forget about investing in the local church through attendance and tithes. Encourage members in the church to reconnect to the church family throughout the summer through regular attendance, BBQs, and other special church gatherings. The people must see the church as a special place to gather, not just another item on their weekly to-do list. The church is as important as the home. It is a place where people gather, share, laugh, love, and, more importantly, live Jesus. Use the off months to gather in more intimate ways outside traditional services. Be creative and host a service at a park or by the lake. Allow the summer to enhance services, not take it away.
Overcoming summer stagnation is about engaging areas that have been put aside, have not worked, or need enhancement. Use the summer months to prepare the church for a worthwhile end-of-the-year run to expand the kingdom.