WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Dr. Thom Rainer and others have reported that one of the largest influences on the drop in average Sunday School attendance is the irregularity of class members. Absence makes disciple-making efforts more challenging. It impacts children and teens by making them believe that following Jesus and church involvement are optional. It can reduce relational connections and make dropping out more likely.
WHAT DO I DO? How can we intentionally encourage member faithfulness? Here are several ideas:
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follow up every time persons are absent;
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when they miss, express your genuine care and that they were missed;
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ask key members to invest in those whose attendance patterns are declining;
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contact, pray together, and remind them of the next fellowship/project;
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plan regular class fellowships and ensure absentees get written and phone invitations;
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plan outreach and ministry projects where participants can get to know one another while meeting needs;
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give every member a class responsibility;
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develop prayer partners (maybe regular with absentee) who pray together weekly by phone;
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communicate how upcoming lessons will help them to live out their Christian lives in the world;
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explain the benefits of regular attendance for themselves and their children;
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have an attendance and/or contact contest with another class during a quarter;
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use lesson icebreakers to help members get to know one another in fresh ways (for affinity discovery); and
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divide the group during the Bible study into small groups (3-5 persons) for discussion.
Pray. Care. Contact. Listen. Help. Never give up. Never!
