The end-of-year holiday season is a busy time for ministries across America. Christmas Eve worship attendance tends to be 32% higher than average weekend worship crowds. Toss in the fact that Easter 2025 saw record-breaking attendance, and church leaders can expect to see some very full buildings this November and December.
As you get your volunteer lineup in order and plan out the fastest ways to turn over the parking lot between services, you want to think bigger than managing holiday crowds. Here are three steps you can take to encourage guests in December to come back in January.
You can’t expect someone to come back to your church if they feel unwelcome or overwhelmed on their first visit. That’s why capacity planning is important.
Make sure you’re approaching your short-term capacity planning with more than a hunch. Use data to get a better understanding of what you can expect this year. Here are a few data sets worth analyzing before you open up your doors this holiday season:
Reviewing this information helps you create attendance estimates and ensure you have the right volunteers, signage, and support services in place when people show up.
One of our mantras at Ministry Solutions Group is that the easiest way to get more square footage is to use the same square footage more. This includes multiple services (which is why we suggest getting to at least three services before you consider going multisite).
The “more services” approach doesn’t answer every problem, but it can help you manage short-term holiday crowds as well as long-term multisite plans. If you had two Christmas Eve services last year, but you grew 25% this year, you may want to schedule a third one.
A lot of ministries also have a Thanksgiving church service. If you add a service on Thursday as well as Sunday, use that data again. For a Thanksgiving Day service, choose your service time carefully. 36% of Americans have Thanksgiving dinner between noon and 3 p.m., while 38% overindulge between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. If you’re going to have a service on that day, make sure it’s in the morning or evening.
Also, if you plan a service that isn’t normally an option, promote it well. Get the word out on Sunday mornings leading up to the day. Share on Facebook. Send email reminders.
The point here? If you know you’re going to struggle to manage larger services, spread things out so you can make everyone feel welcome. That sets the stage for the third and most important piece of the long-term planning puzzle.
Once you’ve set the stage for a smooth, inspiring holiday church experience, you need to think big picture. Look for low-friction ways to collect guest information so you can follow up with them after the fact and encourage them to plug into your church as a regular attendee. A few effective options include:
As you reach out after the fact, highlight more than Sunday services. Talk up relevant midweek gatherings. Invite them to community events, too. If you’re activating underused spaces to double as a coffee shop, child care center, or something similar, make sure they’re aware of those things, too.
Management strategy for holiday crowds may feel practical, but it has a much bigger purpose. The last thing you want is for someone to come during a big church holiday event and get lost in the foyer or struggle to find the exit on the way out. Even worse, you don’t want them driving around the parking lot and then leaving because they can’t find a spot.
Proper crowd management ensures that everyone has a positive experience. It opens up the door for meaningful connections and encourages people to come back for other non-holiday services.
If you struggle to get the most out of your church building around the holidays or you want support managing your facility expansions and operations, our team at Ministry Solutions can help. Reach out for a FREE Analysis. We’ll review your numbers and sit down with you to see how you can turn your building into something that supports your ministry — not the other way around.