Here are three high-value tasks for church leaders to undertake in summer — in and around your highest priority: taking a vacation!

Get your data systems in order

 
You need a tracking system to shepherd people through your membership development process. This is how you avoid losing contact with people. I suggest you use the system I lined out in recent reports. But whether you use my system or another, you need to get accurate contact information on all people who are remotely connected to your church. Not just members, but people in the early, early stages of moving toward affiliation.

I have become a big fan of Insightly (www.insightly.com) you can start with a free plan, explore its tools for managing contacts, setting tasks, and managing projects. Upgrade to various levels of paid plans, depending on your needs.

You also will need a spreadsheet to track basic data like Sunday visitors, Sunday attendance, pastoral calls, participation in classes, and such.

Setting up these systems takes some time and learning, but once they are set up, you can enter data each week in just a few minutes of effort, and begin to build an invaluable record of performance and membership development.

Begin the next round of leadership development

 
Summer is a good time to visit with people you’d like to recruit for leadership in future years. No pressure, just getting to know them. Ask them to help you think through congregational priorities for the next, say, three years. See how their minds work. Glean ideas. You might consider inviting three or four of them to work with you as a council of advice in the upcoming year.

Focus on younger and newer constituents. Help them to feel connected to you,

Refresh church communications

 
All web site designs, blog templates, newsletter templates and worship templates need to be refreshed at least once a year, preferably once a quarter. (Remember: web site content should be updated every week.)

Consider using a design app like Squarespace, WordPress or Wix, for rapid and stylish design. Web site design standards are changing. Don’t get stuck in a stale design paradigm. I recommend Squarespace, because all page content can be updated in the church office without requiring the services of a web professional. (Look, for example, at www.freshday.org)>)

Working on these three projects now will pay important dividends once the fall schedule ramps up.
 

About the Author

 
Tom Ehrich is a writer, church consultant and Episcopal priest based in New York. He is the publisher of Fresh Day online magazine, author of On a Journey and two national newspaper columns. His website is Church Wellness – Morning Walk Media