According to Thom Rainer‘s research, the 10 Sundays each year when church attendance is most noticably down are:

1. Father’s Day.

2. The Sunday after Thanksgiving day.

3. Memorial Day weekend Sunday.

4. Labor Day weekend Sunday.

5. The Sundays before and after Christmas.

6. The Sunday nearest the Fourth of July.

7. The Sunday nearest to New Year’s Day.

8. Time changes: spring forward.

9. Spring and fall break Sundays.

10. Summer Sundays, particularly in July.

Of course, as Rainer also points out, each church and every community has their own peculiarities. Younger congregations, especially in more affluent areas, are likely to be more effected by youth soccer and baseball/softball seasons. Some more rural congregations may see increased absensces during deer hunting season. When I was in college, I remember reading of a study that showed church attendance across Knxoville decreased signifcantly the day following a loss by the Tennessee Volunteers football team. When I surved as a pastor in Pittsburgh, we saw a dip in attendance on a Sunday the Steelers were playing in the Super Bowl – even thoiugh kickoff was not until 6:30 in the evening! And, of course, there are always the weather factors…

Certainly there are a number of plausible reasons that might hinder or prevent even the most ardent church-goers from participating in corporate worship on any given Lord’s Day. Still, the urging from the author if the Book of Hebrews rings out:

“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not neglecting meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10.24-25)