The last two weeks of December wear us out. Parties, road trips and presents keep us busy and moving. January stops all the fun like a brick wall stops a Ferrari. All the fun and excitement of December slams right into the unforgiving cold and responsibility of January. In December, people miss church and in January churches can miss their people. It’s hard to survive that post-holiday slump.
Some things to remember:
- About the second week in January, people’s schedules settle into a routine.
- People are still busy in January, but not with fun. They are working on things they put off in December.
- People have just spent a lot of money. They don’t want to, or can’t, spend more.
- Cold weather limits people’s options when they’re looking for things to do.
- People are trying to lose weight because they’ve eaten non-stop since Thanksgiving.
Here are some ideas to try to increase engagement during the month of January.
Fitness Focus: People are ready to lose weight. Help them. Form a group that encourages people to eat well and get active. Maybe someone in your church has the fitness thing figured out, and they can lead a class. If not, find a willing leader, and a good program, or bring in someone from the outside. If you have a gym or open space, people will fill it up because, throughout much of the country, it’s too cold for outside activity.
Ski Trips: If you’re church can afford it, get a group to go skiing together. It’s a great way to have fun, get exercise, and make the most of the cold.
February Activities: Cold weather, low budgets and a slow January makes February one of the best months for church activities. People want to get out, they now have little extra money and it’s still too cold to for a park visit. Try something in your building. People will come in February.
Plan for Easter. Easter is right around the corner and people will be going churches that day. Will they go to yours? Pull the right people to the table and get things moving forward.
Other ideas could include:
- Potlucks
- Super Bowl Parties
- Bounce House Parties
- Family Game Nights
- Worship Nights
- Indoor Yard Sales
- Video Game Competitions
Are there other ways you can think of which aren’t include? If so, you can leave them in the comments section below.
