A New Take on “Rally” Sunday

Back in 2015 I shared this observation: “What got me thinking was the ‘RALLY’ Sunday sign I saw in front of a church this weekend. It was a call to the church community to come together, with hopes, I suppose, that non-members would respond as well. Sometimes the church hangs a ‘Homecoming’ sign with the same intent and hopes. I wonder what these signs say to non-churched people. How can I come home if I never belonged? If I come to Rally Sunday, am I enlisting in some kind of army because I’m hearing rally the ‘troops?’ For the active church member who attends all summer and finds a church to attend while on vacation, have they not been at ‘Home’ all summer? If our business is growing Disciples, how does the practice of taking the summer off deepen my relationship with Jesus? What other relationship do we treat this way? But we have been doing this for so long it has become the norm. We even tout that one of the benefits of electronic giving is having your money show up even when you are on the beach.”

So here is a new take on the “Rally” Sunday. Many of the churches that I have interacted with this summer have shared that only half the people have returned to church after pandemic lockdown. Sadly, this is not the usual taking the summer off behavior, it happened at Easter as well. This year Rally or Homecoming Sunday needs more than a sign on the church front door. Personal visits, either in-person or on the phone are necessary.

And let me be clear and offer a cautionary note. The invitation to attend Rally Sunday cannot include an invitation to catch up on pledges. With church budget deficits mounting, the temptation to ask for money is great. But more than ever people have a need for community, friendship, and acceptance. This effort to reconnect with friends is the stewardship of disciples, not balancing the budget. People need a relationship with Christ and to be a member of his body – the church. Now is the time to be generous with God’s love and trust that those efforts will bear fruit.