What is the meaning of the holidays in your church? When you approach your annual calendar, does the month of December fill you with good cheer, or does your staff share a combined cold sweat knowing that longer hours are on the horizon? Maybe you see it as a time to ramp up involvement, or perhaps your church is better suited to ramp down at the end of the year.

In more traditional churches that follow a liturgical calendar, there is a natural ebb and flow to the yearlong life of the church. But for non-liturgical expressions of faith, that pace is often manufactured. While some churches go all out with charity drives and office parties, other churches don’t.

Should churches be gearing up for more services, events and outreach during the holiday months? Or should they downshift into a more relaxed schedule of events? Both sides of this question have their pluses and minuses. In this issue’s Perspectives, we’ll look at both sides of this argument so you can decide what’s best for you.

Ramp Up

Outside of Easter, Christmas is the most-attended service of the year. The holidays attract guests; that’s just the way it is. Church attendance on Christmas Day is a time-honored tradition for many Americans. Why wouldn’t we want to capitalize on that?

Prioritizing the holidays sends the right message to your staff, your church and your community. With visitors from out of town and new guests who are looking for a church home, lots of people will hear the gospel and experience your vision. Putting your best foot forward will require a full-court press. That’s why I always think it’s better to ramp up at the holidays rather than taking a break.

A great December could lead to higher attendance in January, a time when some churches see a decline in numbers. When you go all in at the holidays, it can lead to repeat visitors. Plus, those who made a fresh commitment to follow Christ will want to start their discipleship journey in the new year. Ramping up for Christmas can mean avoiding lagging attendance in January.

While some churches go all out with charity drives and office parties, other churches don’t.

When you do ramp up and get more of the staff involved, you can maximize on some great opportunities. Leverage your community’s school break with a Christmas movie night or children’s activities during the day, which may help working parents. The holidays are also a perfect time to do charity drives, like Toys for Tots, that tell your city you’re serious about meeting their needs, both tangible and spiritual. But to do these things with excellence, you need adequate staffing.

Your staff needs to know that family is important. They shouldn’t have to decide between optimizing service opportunities and spending time with relatives. However, they should also understand the importance of fulfilling the mission and vision you’ve carefully laid out for them. What better time to celebrate with all hands on deck than at Jesus’ birthday?

I understand the need to give your staff a much-needed rest. And I’m not suggesting that no one can take a Sunday off. But as a leader, you must decide which times of the year and spaces on the calendar are the most important for reaching your community for Christ. We all need a vacation now and then, but vision never takes a holiday. Ramping up at the end of the calendar year can set you on the right path for the next year.

Ramp Down

I’ve long believed and lived my ministry by the motto of “people over programs.” That’s no more evident than at the holidays. Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year are when we spend more time with family. Kids gather with their parents, brothers and sisters get together, and grandmothers and grandfathers visit their youngest loved ones. Why should the church stand in the way of that? By ramping down at the holidays, you’ll be ensuring that everyone has the chance to celebrate family the way they want to celebrate.

Ministry jobs often require a more transient lifestyle. Many pastors find themselves moving far away from home to accept a position. What better time to go back home than during the holidays? And slowing down at the holidays sends a positive message to your community and all those watching. You’re telling them that you care about families, starting with your own.

By overscheduling and overstaffing at the holidays, you end up cluttering everyone’s calendar. And the benefits are usually minimal. The expected attendance increase at Christmas is generally from out-of-town guests or family who already have a church home. It’s important to approach any ministry opportunity with excellence, but if the cost is separation from family and a more hectic month, is it worth it?

Take the chance to think outside the box to maximize the holidays and respect your staff. Have you ever considered an online service? Streaming a service online on Christmas Day is a great way to stay connected with your church and still allow them to spend quality time with family at their own pace. Also, it requires only a scaled-down staff to pull off. Or maybe you can plan a holiday service earlier in the month or partner with other churches in the area for a combined service, sharing resources and staff.

No one can run at full speed the whole year. When do you plan to take a break? View a ramped-down holiday schedule as a reward to your staff, a gift for the hard work they’ve done all year. It will also be a way to respect your members’ time and schedules when they already have so much going on, from office parties and family in town to the feeling that they’re missing out if they don’t add just one more event.

This article originally appeared in the October/November/December 2017 edition of Influence magazine.