Does enrollment really play a factor in our attendance?

Does enrollment really play a factor in our attendance?
“Why worry about enrollment? It is attendance that really matters.” Many Sunday School teachers, Pastors, church staff members, and Sunday School Directors have voiced these or similar sentiments about enrollment. However, there are facts about the correlation of these two aspects of Bible study that need to be brought to light. Throughout the years of Sunday School where attendance and enrollment records have been kept some interesting facts have come to light.

Before I get into those let’s be certain we understand what enrollment is. The enrollment of my Bible study is a group of people that I and the other members of my group agree to minister to. It is not a list of who attends. That is called attendance. Sunday school, small group Bible study, should not be about Bible study alone. Each small group should have: as its mandate the Great Commission; as its purpose, equipping attendees with the ability to carry out the five functions of the church in their daily lives; and an outcome of corporate and individual spiritual maturity, ministry expansion, heightened missions awareness, and through all of these reaching the lost world for Christ. This is accomplished through the life-changing application of the truths found within the Bible.

Now, let’s get to those enrollment facts.
First, churches with healthy, growing Sunday Schools have an average of 50% more people enrolled than attend on any given week. This greater number of enrollment gives an automatic presence for ministry and prospective attendance registry.

I have been in churches and have spoken with many church leaders who have a perspective of “keeping the church roll clean.” Churches who purge their rolls periodically are moving in the wrong direction. I understand there are times when you may need to go through and clean-up your church rolls. But it is my belief that you should never “purge” your church rolls of those who do not attend simply because someone has not attended for a period of time.

I believe there are only three reasons to consider removing a person from your church Bible study roll. 1) The person in question tells you face to face they do not wish to be a part of your church any longer, and they are adamant about their decision. 2) They have moved and are living beyond a reasonable commutable distance and you have his/her acknowledgement. 3) The person in question is deceased.

One and two above have some restrictions placed on them. Number one, Simply because a person tells you or one of your members they are not planning on attending your Bible study any longer, is not reason enough to remove them from the roll. This person may be going through a crisis or may be the full time care-giver for a loved one and unable to attend at the current time. Whatever the reason, many of these people need the church. People have a natural tendency to pull away from church relationships when they need them the most. If you remove these people from your Bible study group enrollment, you are removing the possibility of being able to minister to them now and in the future. The exception to this would be if you know for certain the person is actively involved and attending a Bible study associated with another church.

The second one, Simply because someone has moved is not reason enough to remove he/she from your roll. They may be waiting looking for another church to join and then will correspond with your church for transfer of membership. His/her move may be a temporary or a seasonal move. Be sure to check with people who are moving out of your area or have moved away. You may be better serving to these people by placing them on an inactive roll for a time until you know their wishes and desires.

Many of these healthy, growing churches realize that if you increase your enrollment, you will increase your attendance. Thom Rainer’s research group found that for every two people you enroll, on average one will attend. The same research revealed that for every two (lost) person’s who begin attending Bible study, on average one will accept Christ within one year. Those are pretty good percentages in anyone’s book. However, this does not mean if your goal is to get two new attendees all you need to do is enroll four people. The numbers are averages and therefore you must be intentional about going after the people and enrolling as many as you can through open enrollment.

Before this study was done by the Rainer Research Group, simple studies of growing churches have shown similar results. I have worked with churches whose attendance corresponded with the increase/decrease of their enrollment. One church had a Sunday School enrollment around 600 and averaged a little over 300 in weekly attendance. By employing an open enrollment campaign throughout the Sunday School fifty people were added to the enrollment and in the same period the average attendance climbed to 326. That same church within the next year had increased its enrollment to over 700 and average attendance climbed to 356.

Other churches of various sizes have recorded similar results. Whatever their attendance was, when the church intentionally practiced open enrollment, the margin of increase in attendance was proportionate to the number of new members enrolled. One particular church in Tennessee had an enrollment of 1500 and an average attendance of around 750. They sat out on a course of open enrollment and reached a goal of enrolling 300 new persons over a particular time period. The increase in their average attendance – you guessed it, 150 persons.

Will the numbers always be exact or around 50%? Of course not, but, if you intentionally set out to increase your enrollment with the objective of having people join your Bible study, you will see an increase in close proportion (40-60%) of your enrollment. This of course takes into account that you have an active, caring, and relational Bible study program that people will want to come to more than once.

What is Open Enrollment?
Open enrollment is simply stating – “We will enroll anyone, at any place, any time as long as they agree to be enrolled.

Why use Open Enrollment?
Open enrollment does not guarantee the new enrollee will attend. It does give you and your small group an opportunity to minister to this person. It also gives you permission to contact the enrollee. They receive periodic updates about what your group is doing and invitations to special events and outings. They are placed on a care group list and are contacted frequently for prayer needs and requests.

For more on enrollment and training your Bible study leaders and members in this vital area of healthy church growth contact SonC.A.R.E. Ministries. More information is available on the teaching resource CD Twelve Training Sessions for Bible Study Leaders (available September 2009).