Staying the Course When the Pews are Empty
By Glenna Marshall
Does your church experience low attendance during the summer?
I often joke with my husband that we know summer break is officially here when Memorial Day rolls around. That last Sunday in May seems to be the kickoff for vacations and weekend camping trips and traveling sports teams, and it’s always reflected in our church attendance. I’ve talked with enough ministry families to know that this is par for the course for many churches. While there are plenty of reasons that church members (ministry families included) shouldn’t take a whole summer off from church*, those of us in ministry may have to reckon with some resentment when the church seems empty for the summer.
Whenever we talk about church attendance, we want to be careful to avoid legalism or condemnation. If our only concern for our church members is that we’re present more than they are, we need to step back and examine our motives. One-upmanship isn’t love; it’s pride. When we notice a church member’s continual absence, our response should be concern for their spiritual health. God has given us the church to help uphold our faithfulness to Him (see Heb. 3:12-14, 10: 24-25). So, when members start to slide in attendance, it might be a sign that they are struggling spiritually. And they may not even know it!
If you’re like me, you might feel frustrated when you show up to church on Sunday and find that attendance is down 40%. Perhaps you’ve labored over Sunday school lessons that you’ll now teach to only a couple of women. Maybe you wrangled the kids and gotten them ready for church by yourself so your husband could prepare and pray before his sermon. Or, maybe you hoped to sit in the service but found that the scheduled nursery worker didn’t show up and you have to fill in (again). Perhaps you saw the look on your husband’s face when he stood before an empty sanctuary after hours of study and preparation. Whatever the fallout, poor church attendance can be deeply discouraging to the pastor’s family. As a result, we must guard against bitterness and resentment. We must seek to love our church family as Christ has loved us.
Thank God for Your Church.
In 1 Corinthians 1:4, Paul expresses deep gratitude for the Corinthian church. His letter to them was written for the purpose of correction; they were a troubled church with serious internal problems. At times, he comes down hard on the Corinthians for their divisions and disobedience. Yet, Paul begins his letter with thankfulness for them. He is thankful for their salvation and their sanctification, and though he will offer strong correction for their sin, he is certain that Christ will keep them until the end.
There is no perfect church because there are no perfect people. But, identifying a potential problem in a church member doesn’t mean we give up on them or resolve to be mad at them until they “shape up.” We can do as Paul did and thank the Lord for our congregation because He has called them to follow Jesus and will help them persevere to the end. When we begin to feel frustrated with half-heartedness or a lapse in attendance, our first step to fight bitterness or resentment might be simply to pause and thank God for the person or people with whom we feel frustrated. We are all co-heirs with Christ, and there is no hierarchy within His body. While some form of connection or correction might be necessary, we must begin with an acknowledgment of God’s grace in their life and ours. He has united us in Christ and made us family through the power of the gospel. Remembering who we all were before Christ can douse the fires of indignation that threaten to burn us up.
Reach Out.
It’s challenging when summer trips and weekends away might induce some church members to miss more services than they attend. At this juncture, correction from the leadership and encouragement from us might be the next right step. However, we must be quick to reach out with care rather than to rush in with a rebuke. I’ve learned in my years of ministry that I don’t always know what is going on behind the scenes in a church member’s life. Rather than assuming they are missing church because they’re lazy or too dedicated to the lake, I must seek to give people the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes people miss church because they’ve battled a prolonged illness you didn’t know about. Sometimes depression makes it difficult to get out of bed. Sometimes grief makes it challenging to be around large groups of people. Sometimes a few missed Sundays makes the return feel impossible because of shame. A word of encouragement from us can go a long way in rectifying some of these feelings.
While prolonged absences should be concerning, we can love our church family by assuming the best about them and reaching out with care. A text or a phone call might be the way to connect. Perhaps a handwritten card can provide a gentle nudge of encouragement without putting a lot of face-to-face pressure on someone. The point here is to communicate care and concern. Let them know you’ve missed them! Knowing they are loved and missed can go a long way in encouraging someone to come back to church. Don’t look around an empty sanctuary on Sunday and refuse to connect with the missing members. While some folks may in fact be negligent in their commitment to corporate worship, you will never regret reaching out first with kindness and concern. Even if your call or text isn’t received well, you can know that you were obedient to exhort with love and diligence.
Remember Your Calling.
Your calling in ministry is ultimately to Jesus. Every Christian is called to follow Christ faithfully until the end, and that doesn’t change simply because you head up the women’s ministry at your church or because you’re married to the pastor. It doesn’t change if there are two people in attendance or two hundred. In the end, it’s God’s name you are making known to those around you, not your own. You can obey Him in whatever work He has put before you because He has given you what you need to obey whether or not church attendance is good (see 2 Peter 1: 3-11). The number of people at church on Sunday doesn’t change your calling to Jesus. With the help of the Spirit, you can obey and love and serve no matter who is present.
While it’s tempting to focus on the ones who have disconnected from the church (because they do require attention for reconnection and even correction, if necessary), seek to be wholly present for the ones who remain plugged in. They are worth your attention and care, and they are valuable within the body of Christ. They might not demand a lot of your attention and could slip through the cracks as a result. Circle back to step one and thank God for the people who have committed to worship in season and out. The church, even with her faults and flaws, is God’s gift to us. We need one another.
If you’re feeling discouraged today over what is likely a season of low attendance and involvement, stay the course. Resolve to regularly thank the Lord for your church, to pray and reach out to them, and to remember that whatever you do in life and ministry, you do for the glory of God, not man. You are never more like Jesus than when you persevere with faithfulness through the trials and sufferings of this life. He has promised to aid you in that faithfulness, and He will help you stay the course.
Note: I am an advocate for summer vacations, especially for ministry families. After the last 16 months, we’re all looking forward to getting out of town and relaxing in a new setting. Our church members aren’t quite as tied to Sunday mornings as the ministry families are (this is our job and calling after all!), so prolonged absences from church are probably something we’ll see in church members rather than ministry families. None of us are above correction, however, so heart motives really matter in this issue.
Glenna Marshall is married to her pastor, William, and lives in rural Southeast Missouri where she tries and fails to keep up with her two energetic sons. She is the author of The Promise is His Presence: Why God is Always Enough (P&R) and Everyday Faithfulness: The Beauty of Ordinary Perseverance in a Demanding World (Crossway, June 2020).