From Lifeway Research:
How can pastors and church leaders help their members establish rhythms of church attendance in the new year?
By Mark Dance
Why do so many of our members habitually neglect gathering together (Hebrews 10:25)? More importantly, how can we help them get into better rhythms in the new year? Thinking of my own experience of being a lead pastor for 30 years, I have to admit that church members’ attendance rhythms have changed dramatically. And so should our response. Here are a few ways we should change our approach to church member attendance.
1. Take member attendance personally
It is impossible for a pastor to not take worship attendance—or lack thereof—personally. It is personal in part because a good shepherd aspires to know well the condition of their flock (Proverbs 27:23). And it is our passion and mission to see our respective faith families gather for worship and discipleship then leave with a renewed sense of mission to love our neighbors and change the world.
2. Get a new scorecard
Even before COVID, our faithful members started attending less often, thereby skewing the number of actual regular attendees. We need to look at how many are attending, not just how often they attend. The only way to do that accurately is to consistently ask guests to share whatever information they are willing to share. Make it easy without applying too much pressure. Texting guest information is a fairly quick and easy way for guests to introduce themselves, especially those who are not ready to introduce themselves at a guest registration or to fill out a card. More Here
