It’s summertime, where did everybody go?

Mike-Klockenbrink-bloggerBy Mike Klockenbrink

The hazy days of summer can be a strange thing. It’s a time when kids get out of school, people go on vacation, and some ministries seem to slow down or take the summer off. The office during the week can at times seem like a ghost town. Am I the only one working here? Hello?

While this may be true in many churches, it doesn’t have to be so lonely, or appear that we’ve taken the summer off. I think some churches expect people to stay away during the summer. You get what you expect. I have a couple of different thoughts here.

First, let’s talk about the church. Many churches host a summer Bible club, middle school or high school retreats, or even a family camp. These are great activities and, as a parent, it gives me something to do with the kids during the summer. These activities, however, take people away from the church and may be cost-prohibitive for some. This is especially true if you have more than one child trying to attend one of these camps. So, what are some ideas to keep people excited about church during the summer months?

Let’s be realistic – to try and do something every weekend is both physically and financially impossible. Let’s look at some different things your church can do.

  • Host an ice cream social after church on the weekend. Pipe in some music and let people hang out and mingle.
  • Host a “Hot August” summer night’s car show. You don’t need a ton of cars to make this a success. A few cool cars, trucks or motorcycles will do just fine. Throw a couple of grills out there and viola, what a night.
  • Host a family movie night at the church. This can be done several times throughout the summer. Make it a family night, teen night, guy’s night (action movie). You get the picture.
  • Meet after church for some music on the patio or somewhere on your church property. Serve some water, tea or lemonade, along with some finger snacks; then, sit back and enjoy the music.
  • Host a family night. Put up some inflatables and let the kids go. Throw in a few pizzas and you’ve hit another home run.

Now what about the staff? Many of the staff get depressed and feel out of touch during the summer months. Not much going on, office seems empty much of the time. How can you fix this? It all comes down to communication. Communicate, communicate, and communicate. And then communicate some more.

Here are a few ideas you can try over the next several months.

  • Gather the staff together each morning at a set time, usually when the majority of them are in. Even if it’s just the two of you. Then take five minutes to let everyone know what’s going on in your area of responsibility. Share encouraging stories of how God has revealed himself in the process.
  • Take one day a week or every other week and brown bag it together as a staff. This gives those who have been gone the opportunity to catch up and to share about their time away.
  • Have a once-a-month birthday celebration day. Get some of your staff bakers to whip up some treats and sing a
  • Happy Birthday song for those individuals with birthdays.

Doing all of this doesn’t take away some of the feeling of loss or separation from seeing people over a period of time. It does, however, help to keep everyone in touch with what’s going on and feeling connected during a disconnecting time.

So, enjoy your summer; slow down if you must. The fall will be here soon enough.

Mike Klockenbrink is chief of staff at Lakeside Church in Folsom, CA. Mike worked for W.W. Grainger Industrial Supply for 16 years in many different capacities. In January 2000, Mike quit climbing the corporate ladder and started climbing the Kingdom ladder. Klockenbrink can be reached at mikeklockenbrink@lakesidechurch.com.

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