As I speak and minister at churches and conferences, I am often asked what are some of the trends I see in churches.
One of the big trends I see is churches working through the after effects of covid 19.
Many churches are still trying to recover from a drop in attendance and volunteers.
One thing that is interesting is this - many churches saw their giving remain constant or even increase during the pandemic. This shows that giving online has become one of the primary ways people give.
When it comes to attendance, many churches are struggling to regain their pre-covid numbers. Families that were faithful attendees have simply not returned. It seems that Covid 19 was the excuse they were waiting on to drop out of church. This will obviously have a negative effect on the next generation who is watching this happen.
As parents, our actions speak louder than our words. When parents don't make church attendance a priority, it sends a message to the next generation that attending and being a part of a church is not essential to growing in our faith and advancing the kingdom of God.
We must continue to emphasize to parents that it is critical to have their children in church faithfully. We must continue to encourage families who have dropped out to come back. Hebrews 10:25 is still in the Bible.
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the day approaching.
Notice some key words we find in this verse.
- "Let us not give up meeting together" - don't give up going to church - it's one of the key ways we grow in our faith
- "as some are in the habit of doing" - habits dictate actions - when families get in the habit of missing church, it can be difficult to return
- "let us encourage one another" - we should encourage each other to return to church
- "all the more" - now is not the time to pull back - but rather to raise our level of commitment
My new book "Fertile Soil...see kids' faith grow and flourish for a lifetime" is a great resource to get in the hands of the parents in your ministry. One of the chapters talks to parents about the crucial importance of having your child in church faithfully. You can get the book at this link.
What about volunteers? Covid definitely has had an impact on volunteers. We know that volunteers are the life blood of every ministry. Without them, ministry can't happen. Many volunteers stepped out of serving and many of them have not returned. For some it was an exit opportunity. This is not to say some volunteers did have a valid reason for quitting due to their health situation.
It takes a lot of work to build a solid volunteer team (and to rebuild one). But it can be done. You simply need the right strategy and a commitment to building a team. In the church I attend, we recently recruited 10 new volunteers to serve in a new ministry environment we are opening. Yes, you can still build and rebuild volunteer teams. If you are struggling in this area, get my book "The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams." It is available at this link.
These are the two big issues I see. What about you? What are some challenges you are facing post-covid? What are some steps you are taking to rebuild and refocus? Share your thoughts and insight in the comment section below.
