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There was once a pastor who served a very active congregation; that is to say, they were active most of the year. Throughout the fall, winter and spring, the church was full every Sunday. There were several choirs which sang on a regular basis. There were many children, youth and adults in Sunday School, and their mission organization was the envy of all of the surrounding churches. They had programs to feed the hungry, house the homeless, comfort the bereaved, visit the sick, and a special prayer ministry with prisoners in the local jail. There was just one thing lacking in this seemingly vital congregation - only a few hearty souls came to worship in the summer. And those who did come were there quite irregularly. Many of the young families stayed away all summer. On most Sundays, only one or two small children came up to the chancel during the Children's Moment.

This troubled the pastor, because the church seemed to die after Memorial Day; and every year it took longer and longer for it to come alive again after Labor Day. When he asked the leaders why worship attendance was so sparse in the summertime, they told him that it had always been that way. "Our church doesn't do much in the summer. People are traveling or at their cottages up at the lake. The kids have been in school all winter, so parents like to give them a break in the summertime. Don't worry, everyone will be back in the fall." But the pastor did worry. He knew that when members of the body of Christ are absent from worship for more than one or two weeks, the ministry of the whole church is greatly diminished. Jesus' words in John's Gospel came into his mind, "Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing."

The pastor felt he had a responsibility to do something, but he didn't know what. Then one spring, after much prayer and several sleepless nights, he had an inspiration. He would recommend to the board that they have worship just once a month in the summer, and that the service be held on Wednesday evenings so that weekends would be free for family outings. Then no one would have to feel guilty about missing worship. About a week before the board meeting, the pastor sent a letter to all of the members outlining his plan. When it came time for the meeting, the church was packed. They had to move the proceedings into the sanctuary. After the pastor moved his recommendation for the new summer worship schedule, several irate members got up, one after the other, to speak against the plan. Why, they had never heard of such a thing! Not have worship on Sundays? It was positively unchristian! When the vote was taken, the pastor's proposal was unanimously defeated.

The pastor didn't comment, but when they asked him to pray at the end of the meeting he stood up and said, "How many of you plan to be in worship this summer?" The startled members of the congregation looked at each other with surprise in their eyes. Slowly, one by one, they raised their hands. Then the pastor bowed his head and prayed, "O Lord, thank you for the faithfulness of this congregation."

That summer, and each summer after, the church was full every Sunday.