I'm sure you've noticed. Families are attending church less frequently. In most churches, the average family attends once or twice a month or even less.
You are not alone in this pattern. This is happening across the country.
As a kid growing up in church, we had an attendance chart in our Sunday school room. Each Sunday we were there, we got a star put on the attendance chart. The goal was to have perfect attendance. Most kids in the class would only miss perfect attendance by a star or two and many would have perfect attendance for the year.
If you had an attendance board today, there would probably be lots of missing stars.
There are lots of contributing factors for this. But I believe it all boils down to one thing.
Priorities.
Some thoughts about this.
If something is a priority for your family, you will make time for it.
Your calendar reveals your priorities.
Where you are on Sunday morning reveals your priorities.
The solution for misdirected priorities?
Help families make church attendance a priority.
How are you going to make this happen?
By making them feel guilty?
By teaching against playing sports on Sunday mornings?
By calling them out?
Not so sure this will work in a healthy manner.
Instead, how about encouraging them to take the long look. Where do they want their children to be spiritually in 5 years?
Instead, how about casting vision for the positive spiritual impact consistent church attendance can have?
Instead, how about calling them up instead of calling them out. In other words, replace guilt with the opportunity they have to help their kids' faith grow and flourish.
Another thought...if you are going to see this happen, then you have to influence parents. You must shift from seeing your ministry being all about kids to being all about kids and parents.
How can you influence parents? One key time you can influence parents is during milestone opportunities.
Here's an example. Parent and Child Dedication. What if you attached a class to the dedication that parents attended? In this class, you spent 15 minutes explaining the why and what of the dedication and then spent 30 minutes on helping them look down the road spiritually and setting their priorities based on that (you can get more information about this class and order it at this link).
I have found from experience that if you can help young parents catch this vision, it will help them have the right priorities when their kids get older and sports and other extra curricula activities on Sunday morning come calling.
You can also help families be more consistent in their church attendance by making church an irresistible environment for kids. Create experiences for kids that have them dragging their parents to church. Kids often have a lot of influence on their parents when it comes to church attendance.
Encourage your pastor to preach about priorities and church attendance on a regular basis. Help him see the impact it can have on families getting their priorities lined up with God's plan for families. Matthew 6:33 is a great place to start when it comes to family priorities.
Get families involved in serving. The most consistent attendees in your church are people who are serving. Serving is essential in helping families line up their priorities in the right order. Provide opportunities for families to serve together. Here's an example. Have parents and their children serve together as greeters.
Help parents seize the short window of opportunity. Help them see that they only have so many weeks to see their kids discipled before they are grown and on their own.
They only have a newborn for 52 weeks.
They only have a toddler for 104 weeks.
They only have a preschooler for 104 weeks.
They only have a school age child for 364 weeks.
They only have a teenager for 312 weeks.
Who knows...maybe we need to bring back the attendance board with stars on it.
Whatever it takes and however you do it, help families make church attendance a priority.
p.s. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this subject. You can share in the comment section below.
