By Mike Glenn

Most of us have heard of the 80/20 rule. You know—twenty percent of your effort accomplishes eighty percent of your success. The odd thing about this rule is that it tends to be true across the board. Twenty percent of customers produce eighty percent of a company’s profit. Twenty percent of church members do most of the volunteering and give eighty percent of the budget.

Everyone knows the 80/20 rule, but after you have been in local church ministry for a few years, you will learn another rule. I call this one the 95 percent rule. This rule recognizes that in most local churches, a pastor will only see about 95 percent of the congregation on Sunday morning.

During the week, pastors meet with committees and leadership teams, different staff members, and members who are going through hard times. Hospitals must be visited, and—if it is one of those weeks—you will also need to stop by the funeral home.

When you add it all up, a pastor will have seen only a small percentage of the congregation before the next Sunday morning arrives. In some churches, if a member never experiences a crisis during a pastor’s tenure, they may never even have a personal conversation with the pastor. This lack of personal connection limits the pastor’s impact and influence.

Things used to be different. When I first started in ministry, I could see one group on Sunday morning, another on Sunday night, and still another on Wednesday night. But here is the new reality: most church members are only going to give their church Sunday morning. Sunday morning has increased significantly in importance. Not only is it when we preach—it is the moment we care for 95 percent of our people.

Pastors need to place a new priority on Sunday morning. It is the one morning our people will give us, so we must be ready to make the most of it. Of course, the sermon needs to be prepared, but the pastor must be prepared as well.

What do I mean? For one thing, the pastor must be rested. It takes energy to preach well, but it also takes energy to listen well. Before and after the service, the pastor should be talking with the congregation—going pew to pew, greeting people, welcoming them, and listening. In those few minutes, people will share what is going on in their lives: upcoming surgeries, job changes, concerns about family members or friends.

Always keep a notepad with you so you can write these things down. I do not know about you, but after I preach my mind is mush. You will never remember everything your congregation tells you unless you write it down.

During the week, use that list to make phone calls or send a few cards, letting your members know you are praying for them. It sounds like a small thing, but it will make a huge difference.

Initiate conversations with guests and with people who are returning after being gone for a while. Let them know they were missed.

And when you preach, hammer home the gospel and the vision of your church. Do not assume your people have heard all of this before—they have not. Every time surveys ask church members about their Bible knowledge, the results show that few can even name the four Gospels. Keep the message simple and clear. This is your only real opportunity with 95 percent of your congregation.

Yes, things have changed. Church is different now. Families are busy and overwhelmed. They come to church looking for something that will help them make it through the week. They come hoping someone truly loves them. This Sunday, you will have a chance to communicate those truths. Do not waste time grieving what used to be. Make the most of the moment you have.

Mike Glenn is Senior Pastor of Brentwood Baptist Church in suburban Nashville, Tennessee, and a contributing editor of Preaching.