Church is not just family, it is also an event and irreducibly so. I'll say it that starkly because I know how popular it is to speak of church as ongoing-missional-community in opposition to chuch as event.

Church has its being in becoming. It ever becomes what it is as it hears God's word. In this way church is the community called out (ekklesia) to listen to its risen Lord in the proclamation of word and sacrament. This is the centre of the life of the community

Many churches are over-programmed and event-driven. Generally, the thought behind all the events is that if we want people to take a next step, we need to get them in a certain place at a certain time and teach them. Then when people don’t show up to our events, we assume they are unspiritual or uncommitted. The truth is, by loading up our event calendars, we are asking people to make their lives more busy.

Don’t continue scheduling events just because you’ve always done them. You will help more people take next steps without pulling them in too many directions.

If you haven’t in the past, it may be time to reevaluate the events your church offers in a given calendar year. I recommend listing every event, and then as a team, assessing whether each event is healthy or not..

Church has its being in becoming. It ever becomes what it is as it hears God's word. In this way church is the community called out (ekklesia) to listen to its risen Lord in the proclamation of word and sacrament. This is the centre of the life of the community

Many churches are over-programmed and event-driven. Generally, the thought behind all the events is that if we want people to take a next step, we need to get them in a certain place at a certain time and teach them. Then when people don’t show up to our events, we assume they are unspiritual or uncommitted. The truth is, by loading up our event calendars, we are asking people to make their lives more busy.

Many churches are over-programmed and event-driven...