I came across an interesting statistic in relation to
Mother’s Day and Father’s Day in a recent USA
Today article. The article was based on a recent survey
conducted by Lifeway Research. The
survey had to do with the highest attendance days in churches in America.
Ninety-three percent of pastors surveyed said that Easter was one of the top
three high attendance days. Eighty-four
percent of pastors surveyed said that Christmas was one of the top three high
attendance days. Fifty-nine percent of pastors said that Mother’s Day was one
of the top three high attendance days in the life of the church.
Now what about Father’s Day? Only four percent of pastors
surveyed said that Father’s Day was one of the top three attendance days in the
life of the church each year. Scott
McConnell, director of LifeWay Research, said, "Clearly, mothers want to be present for the
affirmation that is typically offered in most churches, but families also are
present knowing their attendance
will honor their mother. Many families make church attendance on Mother's Day
nearly obligatory. The attendance
difference between Mother's Day
and Father's Day is telling.
Either churches are less effective in affirming fathers, or families believe
Christian fathers don't value their participation in worship services."
Ed Stetzer, President of Lifeway Research wrote, "It
seems that on Mother's Day, moms
say, 'Let's all go to church.' But on Father's Day, dads say, 'I'm going to go play golf,' " I think the
research possibly says something pretty revealing about the difference in the
spiritual health of mothers and fathers.
Mothers generally want to be in church on Sunday, with their children.
Fathers on the other hand, for the most part, don’t want to be in church with
their children on Father’s Day.
Therefore, I want to encourage you as Fathers and
Grandfathers to stop that trend this Father’s Day. Dads, Granddads, would your children or
grandchildren pass out if you picked up the phone and said, “Hey, I’d love it
if you and your family would come and go with me to church this Sunday?” Children and Grandchildren,
would your Dads and Granddads, pass out if you picked up the phone and said,
“Hey, I’d love to have you join me at church this Father’s Day morning?”
Why don’t you call them and find out? See you on Father’s Day!
