Every year, the trend of attendance in worship service moves something like this: From January to Resurrection Sunday, there tends to be a steady increase. Then a slight fall off. Then there is usually a slight upswing right before summer. The summer months provide some of the lowest attendance for worship all year. Usually, this begins to pick back up in September and we see a steady increase until Christmas. I’ve seen this happen generally, in the same way, every year. Summertime is almost always the worst.
The summer months provide some of the lowest attendance for worship all year.
These trends make sense in a way, as they tend to mark how most of us navigate our annual calendars (i.e. around major holidays and school breaks). But I want to encourage you this year to not allow the summer “vacation” season to cause you to make a habit of taking a vacation from worship on the Lord’s Day. There is such a wonderful blessing which is missed when we choose not to be together for worship on Sunday.
Certainly, there are sometimes situations of necessity which keep us from worship. Some of you have jobs which demand you work on Sunday, and some have plans which necessitate being gone a few weekends during the year. Like our family this year will be taking two weeks to visit Cody when he graduates from Air Force Basic Training. We will be away from worship, and we will miss you all very much. But while away, we will do our best to visit other churches and encourage them by being present in their worship services.
My point is simple. Over the summer, we often plan to take breaks from our normal routines and this is good. We all need a break from the busy-ness of life. But weekly worship is not just a “routine”, it is something we need to engage in as believers. Every time we are away, we take our unique gifts and voice with us and we leave a hole in the body which God intended for us to fill.
Every time we are away, we take our unique gifts and voice with us and we leave a hole in the body which God intended for us to fill.
Yes, the summer has come. But the sanctuary’s cool, and your seat is waiting for you.
Take a break this summer, but not from worship. God deserves that all year long!
You are all in my constant prayers,
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