Churches battle the “summer slump”

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- Like many organizations, churches struggle with attendance during the summer months.

Statistics show that pastors of both smaller and larger churches face the challenges of lower attendance and lower giving during the summer, when families are traveling and are engaging in extra activities with their children.

According to the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, the "summer slump" churches face an average of a 20-30% decrease in attendance. This often means a decline in giving or tithing during the summer, as well.

Longtime Pastor Doug Walter, of Ashland United Methodist Church, said that for all the challenges that came with the COVID-19 pandemic, one potential positive was that individuals and churches got into the habit of tithing electronically.

"Churches of all sizes have made a major shift about how giving takes place," Walter said. "So most of our giving now comes from online giving, and that includes both younger and older attenders."

Walter added that a wide range of online giving apps and programs are now available for churches of all sizes and budgets, and the technology is usable for all members of the congregation, regardless of age.

For Ashland, the teens who are involved in their youth group's e-sports program set aside time each month where congregants can come in and learn about apps for online giving.

"For us, we have an offering plate in the back of the church," Walter said. "People give in that traditional way, but the overwhelming percentage of our giving is done through our app, which includes planned giving where people set aside a certain amount each month that is electronically transferred to the church."

Even so, larger churches like Ashland still experience the so-called "summer slump" when it comes to attendance.

However, another lesson that churches seem to be learning, according to Walter, is to provide alternate ways to connect through online services and services during the week.

"Families have ball games, activities and travel that will draw them away during the summer," Walter said. "As the church, if we say that the only 'correct' thing is to be here on Sunday as some sort of ultimatum, they will likely not be in church."

Walter said, maintaining a sense of community, even during times of travel through the creative means available, is essential for churches of all sizes.

Tim Doyle, who pastors Restoration Church, a congregation that's been around for 11 years in Downtown St. Joseph, said that the impact of summer is especially noticeable due to his congregation's smaller size.

"The challenge in times when there is a lull is staying positive about what the church is about," Doyle said. "It is a challenge to ask for money without sounding like you're a 'money grubber.'"

However, Doyle said, the church's main goal is not simply to collect money, regardless of whether giving is up and down. He said the key is to teach the overall principle of giving, so that whether people are present or absent on any given Sunday, they remember to give.

"You have those swings that every congregation goes through," Doyle said. "But if people appreciate what the church provides for the community, it is the giving that allows that to continue. The church's job, though, is not to collect money, but to teach people the importance of giving: Generosity is the overall principle."

Since Restoration Church's building Downtown is around 150 years old, Doyle said that it's difficult to keep cool for any service beyond Sunday morning. Like many older and smaller churches, they find creative ways.

"In the summer, we shift around our classroom spaces to provide comfortable settings," Doyle said. "We meet off campus at times during the summer, as well."

Regardless of church size, both pastors said the summer slump can be overcome with creativity and with the use of online giving opportunities that congregants can now use to plan their tithing. Providing that inconsistent in-person attendance issues don't have to become times of disconnection or financial hardship for churches.