The Faithful Few: Your Most Committed People Are Ready for More

In this episode of the Healthy Church Staff Podcast, Todd Rhoades discusses the concept of a 'summer slump' in ministry, where volunteer attendance drops during June and July. However, he emphasizes that summer also reveals those who are truly committed and suggests utilizing this time for leadership development and giving additional responsibilities to those faithful few who remain engaged. Rather than viewing summer as a period of slowdown, Todd encourages church leaders to use it as an opportunity for deeper connections and developing future leaders. • The 'summer slump' in ministry sees decreased volunteer attendance due to vacations and other commitments. • Despite the slump, some volunteers remain committed and present. • These committed volunteers are potential candidates for leadership development. • Summer should be used as an opportunity for training and granting new responsibilities. • The podcast encourages a shift from maintenance mode to using summer for strategic leadership development.

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Transcript

Summer Slump And The Faithful Few

SPEAKER_00 0:07

June and July roll around like they do every year, and as usual, half your volunteers disappear, it seems like. They're just not around anymore. You've got soccer tournaments, baseball tournaments, family vacations, lake houses. But if you look around, and we don't think about this, that's what we're talking about this week on the podcast. When you look around, some people, believe it or not, are still here. Same seats, same serving spots, same commitment. Those aren't your seasonal Christians, those are your faithful few. And they're probably ready for way more than you're giving them. And they deserve a lot more credit than what you give them as well. If any of this sounds familiar, if any of this seems like something that maybe you need to think through or talk through, you're in the right place because we're doing that all this week, right here on the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. My name's Todd Rhodes, one of the co-founders of Chemistry Staffing, and I'm so glad you're here today. Today is Wednesday, if you're listening to this on the day that it's released, Monday and Tuesday of this week, we already started to unpack this whole idea of summer slump in ministry and what that means. And today I want to take it from a little bit of a different perspective than even we did yesterday and on Monday.

Summer Reveals Who Is Invested

SPEAKER_00 1:24

Because here's what a lot of leaders miss about summer. Summer just doesn't show you who's missing. It obviously does that. It's fairly apparent. It also shows you who's truly invested. These people didn't volunteer because it was convenient. They serve because they're called. And right now, it could be that they're probably bored. They've you've got their attention, but maybe not their full capacity. And here's where it gets really interesting, I think. We spend summer in maintenance mode. Smaller teams, lighter programming. We have this, we're gonna coast until fall when everybody comes back mentality. Meanwhile, at the very same time we're pulling back, our most convictions people are sitting right there, waiting for someone to notice their hunger. They're ready for some of those deeper connections. That's why they're there. They're ready for some real responsibility a lot of times, and we're giving them maybe the same old tasks that we always do. And let me tell you this: there's

Trade Maintenance Mode For Investment

SPEAKER_00 2:30

nothing wrong with slowing down in the summer. I used to think there was, but I think there's a broader rhythm now that that makes sense a lot of times. So I'm not saying you can't slow down at all during the summer, but what if you use this season not as just a slowdown? What if you use the summer season maybe a little bit differently? A little bit different strategy. Maybe a summer investment strategy, actually. This is succession planning season. Identify who stayed when the staying got harder. Give them the training that you've been postponing because you've got a little bit of extra time on your hands. Teach them the skills that they'll need for the fall. And let them lead something that they've never led before. The stakes are lower, right? Give them some additional responsibility. Have those development conversations

Succession Planning While Stakes Are Low

SPEAKER_00 3:20

that honestly you don't have time to have. When things are busy and every seat is filled. The summer space summer pace gives you that space for some real depth. If you take it. If you take it. Now, Todd, what in the world is I'm not sure I get what you're talking about. What's this look like practically? Okay. Let me give you some ideas, okay? Look at your June and July attendance and volunteer roster. Okay? Who's showing up without being

Practical Steps To Develop Leaders

SPEAKER_00 3:52

asked? Those are your people. Okay? Sit down with those people. Sit down individually with some of those people. Ask them, what would you like to learn this summer? Then actually teach them. Don't wait for September to develop leaders. Your best people are available right now and they're here. Here's your bottom line. Summer doesn't just reveal who's faithful, summer reveals who's ready, possibly ready, for some additional responsibility. Your most committed people aren't looking for a break. They're looking for a breakthrough. Don't make them wait until fall. That's my encouragement for you today. As I said, we're talking about this all week. I've called it the Faithful Few, talking about the summer slump in ministry here on the podcast. I hope it's been helpful to you. Reach out to me anytime with any kind of request, any way that I can help you and your church, podcast at chemistry staffing.com. And I hope you'll join us again tomorrow right here on the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. We got two more episodes. We're going to talk and continue to unpack this summer slump

Breakthrough Mindset And Next Steps

SPEAKER_00 4:55

and how to survive it, how to get through it, and how to actually prosper in your ministry during this summer. Hope you'll join.