Joe Smith, pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church (Lakewood, WA), recently blogged about one common approach to dealing with drops in attendance and giving in local congregations during the summer months: sending a "summer slump letter" (a letter sent to members encouraging them to keep their giving regular during the summer months). This unhelpful and unhealthy approach "corrodes community" and reaches the wrong audience, since those who are most active are most likely Read More …