Gary Durbin helps us give focus to our congregations in January:
As a worship leader, I have felt the effects of the Christmas hangover. This is the time that church leaders and worship leaders need to rise up and help people refocus on worshiping God for the next 12 months. By the way…this is an amazing privilege and responsibility.
So to help, here’s some worship leading remedies for those in your church that are coming in with the dreaded Christmas hangover:
1. PROVIDE A WAKE-UP CALL – Coffee is a known remedy for hangovers and also a great way to wake up. Sometimes, churches need a wake-up call. I’m a huge believer in the idea of a “call to worship” in our services. If we don’t practice this, we’re just assuming everyone knows why we’re at church. This can take on different forms. Sometimes it’s appropriate to greet everyone and chat a little bit. Sometimes it’s appropriate to pray or read scripture. Psalm 95:6 says, “Oh come, let us worship and bow down.” Sometimes, all you need to do is count off 1, 2, 3, 4 and kick in the first song. No matter what it looks like, our churches need a call to worship, because we need to be reminded of why we’re gathering together. After Christmas, your church may need more of a wake-up call to worship. It’s an announcement that the holiday season is over, but worship is just getting started. Be prayerful about how you can call your church to worship after the Christmas season.
2. GIVE THEM SOMETHING FAMILIAR – As you’re calling your church to come and worship, make sure to give them something they know. Give them something familiar to worship with. It’s hard for anyone to sing a song with enthusiasm if they don’t know it yet. Familiarity can be a great tool to help you engage with your congregation and lead them past the holiday season and into a new season of worship.