By Aaron Earls
Everyone knows Christmas and Easter are the times when churches see higher than normal attendance, but another Sunday also draws a crowd for some churches—Mother’s Day.
In a Lifeway Research study, U.S. Protestant pastors were asked what day typically has the highest, second highest, and third highest attendance for worship services.
Unsurprisingly, 90% of pastors chose Easter as one of the top attendance days, with 52% saying it was their top day. More than 4 in 5 pastors (81%) said Christmas was a big draw, including 28% who said it was their highest time.
While only 6% said Mother’s Day was their highest attendance day, close to half (51%) picked that Sunday as part of their top three. It was the only day besides Easter and Christmas a majority of pastors chose as one of their best attended.
When asked to choose their highest attendance Sundays, U.S. Protestant pastors pointed to Easter (93%), Christmas (84%), and Mother's Day (59%). Share on XFewer pastors pointed to a designated “Friend Day” (20%), a homecoming Sunday (18%), Fourth of July (3%), or Father’s Day (3%) as a high attendance Sunday. Around 1 in 5 (22%) chose “other” with the most common days mentioned being two Sundays connected to Christmas and Easter—Christmas Eve and Palm Sunday—along with Thanksgiving, a baptism service, confirmation Sunday, Reformation Day, and All Saints DAy.
Some congregations are more likely to see a Mother’s Day attendance bump. African American pastors are more likely than white pastors to say they have their highest attendance for a Mother’s Day service (12% v. 5%). They are also more likely than white pastors to rank the holiday in their top three (66% v. 49%). Additionally, pastors 65 and older (55%) are among the most likely to say Mother’s Day is one of their three highest attendance services.
In general, more familial and traditional congregations are the ones most likely to see a jump on Mother’s Day or other Sundays that draw people back to where they grew up.
In general, more familial and traditional congregations are those most likely to see an attendance jump on Mother’s Day, but any church could see a boost that day. Share on XThat doesn’t mean, however, that other churches should not expect or plan for a boost on Mother’s Day. Any church that has mothers in the congregation could see an attendance bump that day. So how can you capitalize on this potentially unexpected high attendance Sunday?
Celebrate moms
Many people come to church on Mother’s Day to see their mom and expect her to be recognized in some form. This can be done in a myriad of contextually appropriate ways.
Find a way to honor mothers that fits with your congregation but doesn’t go overboard. Share on XFor some churches, that may mean giving moms a flower. For others, it may be a simple recognition from the stage and an encouragement for husbands and children to honor them in a unique way after the service. Find a way that fits with your congregation but doesn’t go overboard.
Don’t worship moms
There’s the old stereotype about Mother’s Day and Father’s Day church services: the first is always about how great the moms are and the latter is always about how dads aren’t doing enough.
Moms, like all the rest of us, make mistakes. They need the grace of God just as much as the dads, singles, students, and childless women in the congregation. Mothers have a unique and special calling, but their greatest calling, like everyone else, is to be a faithful follower of Christ.
Involve moms
Encourage the moms of adult children to invite their grown-up kids to church, especially any who are unchurched. Print out postcards. Whatever it takes to make it as simple as possible for moms to send a quick invitation to their children who live outside of the home.
Encourage moms to build off of Mother's Day by inviting others in their lives to church on that day. Involve those moms in guest follow up as well. Share on XHelp moms of younger children invite other moms they know. Provide them with small gifts or cards to give to their mom friends as they ask them about visiting church on Mother’s Day.
In the follow up to guests, involve moms again. If a guest came because of them, have them send a note, make a call, or go visit. If those moms can encourage someone to show up one Sunday, they may can do the same again.
Don’t overwhelm moms (or others)
Mother’s Day is a day of celebration for many, and churches should recognize that. But they should also understand the day brings different emotions for many, including some moms.
Think through some of the possible complicated situations within your church and what emotions may surface by asking all the mothers to stand. What about stepmothers or foster moms? Those who have recently miscarried a child? A woman dealing with infertility? Moms with estranged children? Or simply moms who don’t feel honored by having attention forced on them?
Our biblical principle should be to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Churches should recognize that Mother’s Day provides an opportunity to do both. Share on XOur biblical principle should be to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15). Churches should recognize that Mother’s Day provides an opportunity to do both. There are some ideas that seek to serve well everyone in attendance that day. That may be as simple as acknowledging through prayer or other means that different situations exist to let individuals know that they are seen and valued in your church.
However you decide to acknowledge Mother’s Day, remember you may have a few new or forgotten faces in the pews on that day. Try to capitalize so those faces will be familiar ones next Mother’s Day.
