If you’re reading this the week it is originally published (this article is originally released June 21, 2017), you may be wondering, “Why is he writing about a high attendance Sunday in the middle of the summer?” Because this is the time to start planning for one if you’re going to do it in the fall.
In my (nearly) decade of serving as a senior pastor, high attendance Sundays have proven over and over again to be one of the most effective outreach tools I’ve seen. The best way to execute a high attendance Sunday at a high level is to use my friend Thom Rainer’s program, “Invite Your One.” We did it last year at Church of the Highlands and will do another one in mid-August this year.
Why should your church have a high attendance Sunday? Here are six reasons…
- It rallies the troops to come on the same day
I don’t know about your church, but of all the people who attend Church of the Highlands, most come just once every four to six weeks. It is frustrating, but from what I’ve gathered by talking to other pastor friends, this is becoming more and more common.
A high attendance day rallies the troops. People mark it on their calendar to unite together for a big day like this.
- It gives you a target.
When you have a goal at which you’re aiming, it moves you forward. This is a uniting process. The entire church is aiming at the same date, has the same goal of inviting people, and the has same desire to see a mighty harvest.
- It nearly always emphasizes people inviting people.
It has been proven over and over again that churches primarily grow via people inviting people. As much as marketing matters (and it does), word of mouth matters more.
- It is a great way to build momentum.
Churches are organisms that grow off of momentum. Few things can help build this momentum more than a Sunday where the church is packed. It shows life and energy.
- It keeps you focused on the importance of reaching lost people.
Churches’ natural inclinations are to focus on themselves. This is true with individuals as well. It requires intentionality to focus on others. Instead of “my four and no more,” you can focus on “inviting four and maybe more.”
- It works.
This is more than anecdotal; this is factual. Churches that focus on high attendance Sundays reach more people and grow more than churches that don’t. I learned this from the aforementioned Rainer program. Since we know it works, we should do it.
What is stopping you? Begin planning your high attendance Sunday soon. Have you ever been a part of one of these special days? Let me hear about it in the comment section below.
