But now it\u2019s 10 minutes <\/strong>until service begins and . . . well, you notice your room is a little emptier than usual. 5 minutes,<\/strong> and you\u2019re wondering if maybe today is a national holiday you\u2019d forgotten about? Now it\u2019s time for service to begin and you\u2019re trying really hard not to notice everyone who’s missing. Sound familiar?<\/p>\n Whether your children’s ministry averages 5 or 500 kids each week, we\u2019re guessing you know what this feels like:<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve ever struggled with low attendance, you\u2019re not alone. We\u2019ve been there and, actually, just about every ministry leader we\u2019ve ever met has been there.\u00a0You don’t need to be in ministry very long before you begin to hear the stories of church leaders who are feeling discouraged, frustrated, and under pressure to grow their ministries. Worrying about numbers and attendance kind of comes with the territory.<\/p>\n But just because drops in attendance are to be expected doesn\u2019t mean we shouldn’t do anything about them, and just because number fluctuations are usually normal doesn\u2019t mean there\u2019s not sometimes a deeper problem that needs to be solved.\u00a0So what, exactly, should you do about declines in attendance?<\/strong> (You know, besides bribing children with candy so they invite their friends?)<\/p>\n Well, that’s something our team at Stuff You Can Use has been talking about for a while. If we could sit down with every church leader who\u2019s feeling discouraged about their numbers, we’ve wondered, “What would we say? How could we help, or encourage, or maybe even challenge our children’s ministry pals?\u201d<\/p>\n Well, here\u2019s what we came up with. We may not have all the answers, but we\u2019ve spent a lot of years doing ministry, volunteering in ministry, and learning from some pretty incredible ministry people. So the next time your numbers are discouraging you, here are 6 steps to staying sane, moving forward, and maybe even growing your attendance numbers.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Here\u2019s the thing. Fluctuations in your attendance patterns are completely normal. <\/strong>Sometimes, those patterns are universal, like:<\/p>\n The point is, attendance will fluctuate. So don\u2019t panic. Instead, pay attention to those patterns and try to figure out when, and why, they happen. Because if you can predict it, you won\u2019t be so surprised or discouraged when it happens next time \u2013 plus, you\u2019ll be able to provide context to your numbers if anyone asks. So expect fluctuations, and prepare for them too.<\/p>\n And remember, where attendance is concerned, you\u2019re probably not as awesome as your best attendance day and you\u2019re definitely not as bad as your worst attendance day.<\/strong><\/p>\n We’re all tempted sometimes to compare our numbers to the numbers of other ministries. But maybe today you need a quick reminder of something you already know: comparison kills joy. So don’t compare yourself to anyone else. Your ministry, your church, and your families, are unique and uniquely resourced.<\/strong> That\u2019s exactly the way God designed it. So be you. And don\u2019t compare yourself to the church down the street or the ministries you see in all the Facebook groups, okay?<\/p>\n When attendance drops, don’t hear us saying numbers don\u2019t matter. Numbers do matter, because every number on that attendance spreadsheet represents a person, a life, and a family you\u2019re caring for.<\/strong> It makes sense to want to include and care for more and more kids. But the number of kids who show up each week doesn\u2019t tell the entire story. Your ministry effectiveness can\u2019t be summarized by your weekly attendance reports alone.<\/p>\n Your attendance can tell you some<\/em> things about your ministry effectiveness, but it can\u2019t tell you everything.<\/em> <\/strong>That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important to clarify what matters most to your church \u2014 you know, besides getting kids to show up each week. Once you know what matters most, you can look for ways other than weekly attendance to measure your success and impact. For example, you probably want kids and families to grow spiritually, right? Then try measuring some numbers that could indicate if they are or not, like:<\/p>\n If spiritual growth is what matters most, then those numbers matter even more than your weekly attendance numbers. And they\u2019re a lot more interesting, too.<\/p>\n Have you ever made the mistake of saying something like this on a low attendance day: “Wow, where is<\/em> everybody?” When you’re visibly disappointed about drops in attendance in front of kids, families, or your volunteer team, it’s a pretty good way to kill the vibe. Imagine how someone in the room might feel if they heard you wondering \u201cwhere everyone is.\u201d Like, \u201cUh, I\u2019m here! Am I not good enough for you?\u201d So when attendance declines unexpectedly, don\u2019t let disappointment distract you from the kids who are right in front of you.<\/strong> You\u2019ve still got ministry to do.<\/p>\n Sure, maybe a drop in attendance means you can\u2019t play that gigantic game of Hungry Hungry Hippos you were looking forward to, but a week with a smaller group is an incredible opportunity to build relationships and spend more focused time with the kids who are there. You\u2019ll have plenty of time to worry later about the kids who aren\u2019t there. But for now, be present with those who are. You never know \u2013 your attention might be exactly what one of those kids or families needed that week.<\/p>\n Now that we\u2019ve spent some time feeling encouraged, and remembering that our identity and success aren\u2019t determined by the number of people who show up each week, we can\u2019t leave things there. We\u2019ve got to talk about some harder things, too.<\/p>\n When your attendance drops, take time to<\/strong> identify the problems in your ministry \u2014\u00a0or maybe even in your leadership. <\/strong>Because, let\u2019s be honest, none of us are actually good at everything <\/em>in ministry, <\/em>so it’s okay to admit you have a weak spot or two. You\u2019re not good at everything, and you don\u2019t have<\/em> to be good at everything. But as a leader, you\u2019ve got to know what you\u2019re not good at so you can put systems (or even other people) in place to help you be better in the areas where you\u2019re weak.<\/p>\n So if you really are seeing drops in attendance that can’t be explained by something obvious, like holidays, weather, community events, or global pandemics, it’s time to start looking deeper.<\/p>\n To help you identify what those deeper problems might be, we broke this down into 7 areas of ministry where problems tend to show up. If your numbers are dropping, start with this list and ask, \u201cWhere are the problems?\u201d Because one, or more, of these areas of ministry could be impacting the drop in your attendance.<\/p>\n Remember, you are not going to be naturally excellent in all seven of these areas, so your job as a leader is to identify the problems <\/strong>\u2014 but to do that, you’re going to need honestly.<\/p>\n Wherever those problem areas are for you, please don\u2019t be discouraged. It means you\u2019re one step closer to diagnosing, and solving, the source of your attendance problems, and making your ministry healthier overall.\u00a0This part of the process requires humility and courage. It’s not always fun, but it’s worth it. If one of your weak spots is causing your numbers to shrink, or is preventing you from growing, a fancy new ministry logo or cool event won\u2019t fix your attendance problems. The only thing that will help is identifying, and addressing, the real problems.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve covered a lot, but there’s one more step you can take when your attendance drops, and it might be the most important one. After you\u2019ve not panicked or compared, clarified what matters, focused on who\u2019s there, and identified your problems, here\u2019s your last step: start dreaming up solutions that address your biggest problems and help pave the way for long-term growth.<\/strong><\/p>\n Maybe you\u2019ve noticed, but you can\u2019t really force<\/em> numerical growth. Not in a healthy way, anyway. If you want real, long-term, sustainable growth, you\u2019re going to have to identify your big-picture problems and put strategies in place to solve them. In other words, if you want your ministry to grow, you need to first decide what kind of growth you want.<\/p>\n We know fluctuating attendance patterns can be hard, and discouraging, and frustrating. But remember: your success as a leader isn’t determined by your weekly attendance. It’s determined by the fruit your ministry produces. <\/strong>So take a breath, hang in there, and keep working to better care for the kids and families you\u2019ve been called to serve.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\n
WHAT TO DO WHEN ATTENDANCE DROPS:<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. DON\u2019T PANIC<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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2. DON\u2019T COMPARE<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. CLARIFY WHAT MATTERS<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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4. FOCUS ON WHO’S THERE<\/strong><\/h3>\n
5. IDENTIFY THE PROBLEMS<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/growcurriculum.org\/go\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/GrowIcon_Environment.png\")
WEEKLY ENVIRONMENT: <\/strong>Is your weekly program a place where kids actually want to be? And do parents see value in what you’re doing each week? If not, what might the problem be?<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/growcurriculum.org\/go\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/GrowIcon_Teaching.png\")
TEACHING:<\/strong> In both your large group teaching and small group discussions, do kids feel they’re hearing something relevant, memorable, and worth listening to? And do they know how to apply what they hear? If not, what might the problem be?<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/growcurriculum.org\/go\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/GrowIcon_Discipleship.png\")
DISCIPLESHIP:<\/strong> Beyond just what happens during your teaching time, do families have the tools they need to help kids grow spiritually? Are they inspired to be more like Jesus? If not, what might the problem be?<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/growcurriculum.org\/go\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/GrowIcon_Events.png\")
EVENTS: <\/strong>Are the special events on your calendar really making a difference, rather than just using up time and resources?\u00a0Do families want to show up to them? If not, what might the problem be?<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/growcurriculum.org\/go\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/GrowIcon_Volunteers.png\")
VOLUNTEERS: <\/strong>Do you have enough volunteers? Do the volunteers you have feel equipped and empowered and released to do significant ministry? Do they like showing up to invest, serve, and lead? If not, what might the problem be?<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/growcurriculum.org\/go\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/GrowIcon_ParentsFamilies.png\")
FAMILIES:<\/strong> Do the parents or caregivers in your church feel supported and cared for by your ministry? Do they believe in what you’re doing? Do they trust you with their kids? If not, what might the problem be?<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/growcurriculum.org\/go\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/GrowIcon_Planning.png\")
LEADERSHIP: <\/strong>Is your ministry known for having a plan, a strategy, and systems that are reliable? Can kids, volunteers, and families trust that your ministry will lead them toward greater growth and health? If not, what might the problem be?<\/p>\n\n
6. DREAM UP SOLUTIONS<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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