Summer Attendance - perception vs reality

Summer Attendance - There is always a perception that summers at church are a downtime.  This is a perception even I have and fight.  So, bare with me as I talk to myself here for a bit...

There is a perception that people are gone.  Reality is that most people are NOT gone.  Most people are here.  Yes, there are SOME who are gone and people are gone more frequently - but MOST are here.  I am not putting a guilt trip on those who are gone.  Summer is a time for vacations and spending time outside having a ton of fun - I plan on a lot of fun this summer.

My point is that while summer is a time when people get away (and they need to) - MOST people are NOT gone on weekends.  There are more people who are here - coming to Meadow seeking God and looking to build their faith - than there are people who are gone.

When someone says, "Where is everybody?" or "Everybody is gone." - What they are really saying is, "The few people I know personally and hang out with are not here."  But everybody is not gone.

The tempation is to program and plan around those who will be gone and so we cut back on ministry to the point that those who do come and are here - get something with less energy, less focus, less quality.  I refuse to do that at Meadow.

Okay...so the Smith's won't be here this weekend or maybe not for most of the summer.  But it just turns my crank the wrong way if we would say to all the other kids and their families - and the NEW kids and their families... "Hi.  Because the Smith's are gone, we are cutting back.  You see, we don't come right out and say it, but what we really mean is that the Smith's and the Smith's kids are more important than your kids so when they come back we will do more and get back into real ministry."

Let me be perfectly clear...We will NOT shift into some "scaled down" ministry for all the kids and teens and adults who WILL be here.  We will NOT shift into some "scaled down" outreach emphasis in the community for all those who ARE here.

Now...someone might say, "But we are cutting back this summer.  There are things we are not doing."  And you are right.  We are not doing VBS.  We are not doing the Derby Days parade.  We are not doing Taste of Shakopee.  BUT...we are not doing these NOT because people will be gone but because these are all "side ways energy" where we spend energy and resources and it doesn't move us forward in our vision and purpose (that is another post sometime.)

We are planning our Sundays this summer with those who will be here in mind.  Every Sunday at Meadow there will be 200+ people here.  And we are going to pump energy and focus and intent and purpose into what we do because those who are here - deserve it and need it.  And with the new series starting this Sunday, I expect this summer to see and meet a lot of new people.

We will have a full band playing rockin music.  We will have a full and energetic kids ministry staffed with awesome and willing people who love kids.  (Check out this awesome and transparent post by Rachel our new Director of Children's ministry "A Willing Heart").  We will actually be picking up the pace in taking advantage of opportunities to use the summer and summer events to create buzz about Meadow and Jesus.

• Free t-shirts to everyone who comes to Meadow.  By the end of the summer, it is my prayer that there will be hundreds of people wearing these shirts around.  Wouldn't it be great if people start seeing Free Ride t-shirts or kids wearing MeadowKIDS t-shirts everytime they go to Cub or Target or downtown or wherever?
• Bike Run to raise funds for our Christmas Food Drop.  Already there are men and women who do not attend Meadow that are planning on being a part of this.
• Community concert by our band at the new Huber Park.  This park ROCKS with the new stage and band shell.
• Outdoor worship service - possibly - on Sunday, August 5 during Derby Days...again - at the Huber Park venue which is right in the middle of downtown.
• Outdoor baptism at the lake on July 29
• MeadowKIDS with "The Lodge"
• Teen bonfires, small group picnics, men's paintball wars...

No...we are NOT scaling back this summer.  I believe God is going to change a lot of lives this summer at Meadow.  There are people right now who are NOT living a refreshing relationship with Christ that will be by the end of this summer.

Tomorrow..."When New Staff Comes on Board"