Every church leader knows there are several different numbers when talking about the congregation. For instance…
- The Christmas and Easter crowd (twice a year — includes ‘out of town’ guests)
- The Unchurched and Occasional Attendees (3 – 10 times a year)
- The Crowd (twice a month?)
- The Members (2–4 times a month)
- The Core or Ministry leaders (volunteers, etc). These people attend whenever they are in town—come what may. They wouldn’t miss it!
And the difference in attendance for these groups is all over the place at a typical, evangelical church. Let’s use Southbrook as an example so you can see what I mean.
- The Christmas and Easter crowd for us is somewhere in the neighborhood of 9,000
- Unchurched and Occasional Attendees (3 – 10 times a year), about 6000
- The Crowd is between 3,000 and 4,000 (men, women and children)
- Members…around 2,000 (This is where most churches average attendance is)
- The Core? Drum roll please…(dadalut, dadalut…)
About 800!!
Isn’t that awesome?
Of course not—it’s sad—pitiful really. But it’s also the status quo. And not for an anemic church on life support—these are categories first used by Rick Warren of Saddleback church! In other words, this is how it is at the most alive, thriving, get’er done churches in…the world, oops, I mean America.
You see, it’s really not like that anywhere else on the planet—even in places where assembling in the name of Jesus is illegal. No, as Don King, the great fight promoter would say, “Only in America!”
Sad but true.
BUT! I have an idea! What if one church started turning this around? No more only joining with your church family on good hair days, no more attending only when you feel like it or…
- If it’s convenient
- That particular church is on your rotation that week.
- You’ve decided to stop dating the church and actually commit to one.
- You realize that Church Shopping is probably not what God actually desires of His people
- “Christians” didn’t always flock to the ‘check out’ the latest church plant and left those for who they are set up to reach—the unchurched.
And on and on.
What if?
Tell you what, “Brookies” think about this over the Summer—better yet, pray about it and ask the Lord if maybe I’m right on this one. Seriously, don’t take my Word for it. God and I have already talked about this one, but if you need to hear from Him loud and clear, I’m confident His answer to you will be the same—go ahead and ask. He loves to talk!
Then be ready Saturday evening, August 21st for the kick off of our back to school series, “Diary of a Wimpy Christian.” No more wimpiness at Southbrook. We’re seeking Christ followers who are serious about living all out for God! And we’re looking to reach those who are far from God and do not know Him at all.
Oh, and one more group…
All of those who call Southbrook Church home!
What if everyone actually showed up?
Now that would be awesome!