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Attendance drives help give your church a boost in attendance. This article presents a four week plan for such an emphasis.
Quantum Leap
(Jumping Attendance With A Unique Sunday School Campaign)
By: Danny Von Kanel
The morning was like none other. First church had put its Sunday school campaign to action with amazing results. We sat on the edge of our seats waiting for our attendance numbers to be announced. We knew the previous weeks’ goals had been met. Now, the anticipation of reaching the final goal was almost too much to bear.Then the attendance was revealed: 256. Two more than our final goal. The congregation broke out in applause.
The 256 was more people in Sunday school than the previous 20 years.How did it happen? What motivated people to pursue such goals? What is involved in making attendance take dramatic leaps? I have discovered answers come when attendance efforts are: (1) Thematic, (2) Targeted, and (3) Tiered.
Thematic
Choose a theme that ties together everything you do. The above attendance campaign had a theme of “October Encounters”. We sought to help people encounter Christ in Sunday school during the month of October.In choosing a theme, we envisioned it being catchy, coordinated, and climatic.
- Catchy - The two word phrase, October Encounters” was easy to say, caught the essence of our campaign, and identified the time of outreach. After promoting the theme prior to the emphasis, it was not uncommon to hear people ask, “Are you coming to the October Encounters”? The theme was in their hearts and minds. Once caught, the theme took on new meaning.
- Coordinated - Each Sunday had a sub-theme to support the overall thrust. The first Sunday was the “Adult Encounter”, next came the “Youth Encounter”, then “Children”, and finally the “Church Encounter”. Specific activities were coordinated on each Sunday to help our people encounter Christ in Bible study.
- Climactic - As the attendance built from Sunday to Sunday, so did the amount of activity. Something added new each week gave added incentive to reaching a greater goal. The “Church Encounter” was built to a feverish pitch by having a Saturday telephone blitz, jointassembly with a special guest, recognition of classes with the highest attendance and highest percentage of attendance, a children’s activity following the morning service with an emphasis on being in Sunday school, and a combined choir of all the choirs at First church duringworship.
Targeted
A “ya’ll come” approach won’t work. You must target your goals, groups to be reached, and your special guest.Goals - We allowed our Sunday school classes to set goals for the four Sundays with incremental increases. Adding together the goals set by classes, we came to 200 the first Sunday, 218 the second, 236 the third, and 254 the fourth.
Any goal you set should be specific, measurable, and reachable. Firmly plant the numbers in people’s minds by placing the goals on a banner in a prominent place.Groups - Target age groups. The adult, youth, and children were treated with love and care, designating a special Sunday just to focus on them. Each age group was encouraged to help the other age groups reach their goal. Specific activities and events zeroed in on the needs and interest of that age group.
Guests - All guest were brought in (local I might add) that had something specific to say to the age group we targeted. Whether a southern gospel entertainer with the adults or a relational youth minister for the teens, each knew what we wanted, how it was to be done, and the ultimate desired outcome.
Tiered
Stack what you do. Build in commitments. We accomplished this by having arranged events,a ccumulated commitments, and added outreach.
Arranged Events - Each Sunday had stacked incentives to encourage people to come. A personal invitation (telephone blitz on Saturday), special guest or activity (to further entice), a recognition of classes (highest & largest percentage of attendance), and barrage of publicitycreated a compelling desire to check out what was happening.
Accumulated Commitments - Following the enlistment of teachers and officers, we mobilized classes by allowing them to set their own attendance goals -- embracing the entire campaign. By targeting specific age groups, we solidified specific support for their given Sunday.Through pulpit re-enforcement, we painted a picture of each age group helping other age groups reach their assigned Sundays’ goal. The final Sunday, the “Church Encounter”, we had all of our choir members from six choirs committed to be present. We did so by having them sing in a mass choir to celebrate the success of the October Encounters.
Added Outreach - Outreach was done weekly through a “telephone blitz” to the church membership each Saturday in October. In addition, weekly announcements in our newsletter, bulletin, and from the pulpit during the month of September further informed our people. Outside contact was made with news releases to radios and newspapers in our area. A promotional flyer was placed in all local businesses.
Real leaps in Sunday school, as you can see, require hard work. Yet, the end result is well worth the effort. As you design campaigns that are thematic, targeted, and tiered, attendance can’t help but rise significantly. Try it. Your Sunday school is waiting to take a leap!
Sidebar
Key Attendance Campaign Tools
Inside The Mind Of Unchurched Harry & Mary by Lee Strobel
This book is an action plan to help Christians relate the message of Christ to the people they work around, live with, and call their friends. Any attendance campaign must not reach numbers for numbers sake but to reach people to expose them to Bible teaching -- to reach them for Christ.
You Can Double Your Class In Two Years Or Less by Josh Hunt
This book radiates with principles that can be applied to any attendance campaign. It affirms the purpose of attendance campaigns (doubling a class) is not just numbers or to have a bigger Sunday school. Hunt appeals to the New testament purpose of evangelism and outreach.
Going ...One On One (A Comprehensive Guide For Making Personal Visits) Compiled By Harry M. Piland
This is a major work on personal visitation. Over sixty Southern Baptists, including pastors, church staff ministers, denominational workers, seminary professors, chaplains, and laypersons have contributed articles on the “whys” and “hows” of personal visitation. The countless ways of going one on one will wet your appetite to implementing many of these ideas in any attendancecampaign you plan.
How To Break Growth Barriers By Carl F. George
Win Arn, President of Life International, best sums up this book when he says it is, “A power source to “jump start” your ministry and re-capture growth and outreach.”
Sidebar
Successful Campaign Features
1. Detailed Plan - Every aspect of your campaign must be outlined in intricate detail. One oversight can wreck havoc.
2. Maximized Involvement - The more people involved in implementing the plan the greater the ownership. Once owned, people will do what it takes to bring success.
3. Telephone Blitz - Experts tell us we can increase our attendance by 20% on any given Sunday simply by calling our members. It would behoove us to call.
4. Varied Publicity - Use every conceivable means to publicize your campaign. Most are free. All are effective.
5. Pastoral Leadership - The pastor must be highly visible in promoting the campaign. Without his prominence, no attendance drive will succeed.
6. Conflict Avoidance - Some months are better than others in having campaigns. Avoid months with major holidays or school breaks.
7. Scriptural Tie-ins - If possible, tie your theme to scripture. Friend Days, Resurrection Sunday, and Heart To Heart Sundays all link well to scripture.
8. Wow Factor - Do something or bring in a guest that you know will leave the congregation spell-bound. The more “wow moments” you can have the greater return on your efforts.
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