Ideas for Using January Down Time

By Jena Barber

After Advent, Christmas Eve worship, caroling, cookies, new visitors, old friends, cards, gifts of appreciation, and all the busyness of Christmas, it can feel as if a church might collectively breathe a sigh of relief beginning the day after Epiphany, and then take a long, well-deserved break.

After that break, January is often a time of - wellboredom. Going through the motions. Getting your “mojo” back. Oh, and exercising more, eating better, and all those things you resolved to do on the first day of the year.

Luckily, the January lull can also be an opportunity. The blessing of a little down time is that congregations can really focus in on long-range goals, since there’s (usually) no pressing deadline or taxing worship schedule - that is, until Easter time, of course.

What should churches do during this down time? We’ve put together a list of ideas to get your congregation thinking of how to use these lovely, less-stressful days.

Reach Out to Visitors

January is the perfect time to reach out to people who visited your church for Christmas Eve service. Send a card, drop off a gift, or make a phone call, thanking them for coming and asking what they’re looking for in a church family. This can be done by a committee, a Sunday School class, or even a cardsigning event after worship one Sunday. This is the prime time to turn those visitors into regulars!

Have a Pop-Up Leadership Retreat

With the word retreat, you might think, “Yikes, we’d need to plan for that months in advance!” And, ideally, you would. Fortunately, we don’t have to wait for ideal conditions to have a retreat. You can host a retreat right in your own church. Multiple resources are available to you. We’ve included one to get you started. And next year, consider a retreat at one of our three gorgeous camps!

Do a Church Clean-Up

This may sound boring, but it’s often necessary. Have you ever checked out the toy selection at your church nursery? How about the pots and pans in the kitchen? It may be time to go through things and get rid of anything that is broken or unusable. Just please, please don’t do this without talking to your ministry volunteers first!

Start a New Group

Consider starting a new study or affinity group at your church. You never know what people will respond to, so January is a good time to experiment! Are some of your members planning to read the entire Bible in 2025? That’s a group! What about people who sew or knit or bake or ride bikes? These - and more - could be groups who would love to meet at your church to practice and discuss their hobbies. It’s also a great way for others to explore new hobbies in a safe and nurturing environment.

Throw Spaghetti At the Wall

OK, not literally. But January is a great time to try new things! Like the saying, “Let’s throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks,” consider empowering your members - especially the ones with big ideasto experiment with cool ideas. Does someone want to start a community garden or clothing closet? Did someone suggest a yard sale or a hula hoop dance class? Make January “Spaghetti Month!” Oh, and maybe serve a community spaghetti dinner while you’re at it.