Peanut butter and jelly. Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock. Ham and eggs. Some things just go together! It’s hard to think of one without the other – they are inseparable. This is true of attendance and enrollment. As a group leader, you should always see these two things together – they are also inseparable. If you want to increase the attendance in your group, increase the enrollment.

The 50% Rule

Almost every Bible study group will have half of its enrolled members present when the group gathers for study. A group that has 30 people on its ministry roll will almost always have 14-16 people in attendance. A group that has 60 on roll will invariably have 27-32 people in class. Regardless of the overall enrollment of a group, attendance is almost always 50% of that enrollment.

Increase Enrollment

The group I lead averages 15 people in attendance. Our ministry roll has over 30 people on it. If I want to see my weekly attendance rise 5 people on average, I need to enroll 10 new people (or 5 couples) in my group. That’s why it’s important that I have a prospect file, and why I and my group members should be alert to look for new prospects in our church’s worship service. If you increase enrollment, you will almost always increase attendance because those new people are now on your ministry roll, receiving encouragement from you to attend.