Stop the Summer Slump Before It Starts

Every church feels it: attendance dips, energy fades, and ministry momentum stalls somewhere between Memorial Day and Labor Day. But the summer slump isn't inevitable. It's the result of low expectations and no plan. In this episode, Scott and A.J. make the case that April is exactly the right time to get ahead of summer, and they give you three practical categories of action to help your church stay healthy and even grow through the slower months.

Scott Ball and A.J. Mathieu are the hosts of the Church Revitalization Podcast, produced by The Malphurs Group, a church health and strategic planning consultancy with decades of experience helping churches of all sizes move toward health and missional effectiveness. Each week, they bring practical, actionable conversations to help church leaders lead well.

In this episode:

• [04:00] Why the "everybody's gone" mindset is a self-fulfilling prophecy and how to break the cycle
• [07:00] Point 1: Reset your expectations. Summer is a less-cluttered season, not a lost one
• [09:44] Point 2: Make a plan now. Three categories to act on before summer arrives: outreach, discipleship, and planning
• [18:43] Point 3: Protect your people's momentum. Practical ways to stay connected so the fall re-launch isn't starting from zero
• [20:30] The simple challenge to give your small group leaders right now

Resources & Links:

Free 7-Day Trial of the Healthy Churches Toolkit: https://healthychurchestoolkit.com

Episode article & resources: https://malphursgroup.com/335

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