We are about to enter the unofficial season of church known as the “summer slump.” School will be out soon. Families will go on vacation. Teenagers refuse to set alarms. It’s not that church isn’t a priority, but there is a different rhythm to summer. Attendance usually dips a bit but rebounds once school starts back. You might think that summer wouldn’t be a season of church growth but many people are more open to visiting a church in summer than other times of year. Why? Because the rhythm is different! The days are longer. There are less sports activities. The kids can be off their schedule because they can sleep in a bit.
Not only is it a time when people are more likely to visit, but people are also more open to an invitation than ever. While only 5% of Americans have received a personal invitation to church, 80% reported they would be open to attending if invited by a friend.
What does it look like to invest in someone so that an invitation is natural and not forced? Thom Rainer has a great article where he stated:
Often, it begins over a meal, a cup of coffee, or shared time in everyday life. Trust is already forming. Stories are exchanged. Faith conversations emerge naturally. When an invitation is finally extended, it feels less like an ask and more like a next step.
https://churchanswers.com/blog/what-types-of-invitations-are-most-effective-to-get-people-to-come-to-church/
If there’s someone you’re investing in, let me know! I’d love to be praying for them and for you as you reach out to them and love them to Christ.
P.S. – If you’re looking for some summer activities to invite people to, check out
- VBS: https://trinityumccartersville.org/vbs/, June 22-26
- our Survivor-based sermon series in June (how four Bible characters “outwit, outplay and outlast” and how you can too), or
- our Dine to Donate night at Texas Roadhouse on July 22.