Len DenBraber | Assistant District Superintendent for Multiplication
I love the “lazy, hazy days of summer” which provide the opportunity for unstructured time with family and friends. But as September gets closer, the itch to return to comfortable rhythms of going back to school and getting back to weekly ministries gets more insistent.
We often rented inflatable games and planned for a barbeque following the service, all in an attempt to welcome everyone back. So, I remember the feeling when we prepared for the predicted return on the second Sunday of September… and they didn’t come back (at least, not in force). After we stored the extra uncooked hamburgers and hotdogs in the freezer and watched the truck with the deflated inflatables drive away, I wondered what happened. I felt like Charlie Brown after Lucy pulls the football away at the last minute: we gave it our best try only to fall flat on our backs.
One of the things I loved most about the fall season was the return to church of all the people who had been away over the summer. Not only did Sunday morning attendance swell, but it was good to reconnect relationally. Every year, my anticipation grew for the Sunday after the Labour Day long weekend when the church would be abuzz with renewed energy and the arrival of some new families. Being conscientious leaders, our team would plan for “Comeback Sunday” or “Kickoff” by doing our best to get volunteers in place, ministry calendars set and promotion prepared. We would also set out extra chairs, make sure our worship team was well rehearsed and the message was engaging.
Most people eventually did return, but not with the explosive 4
