Zip up your ugly Christmas sweater and cozy up to tradition this season. When it comes to the holidays, people crave the classic – timeless tunes, candles aglow, familiar phrases from Luke. So embrace what they expect. There’s power in keeping things simple. Don’t reinvent the manger scene – let Linus recite again. Bake nostalgic cookies, sing cherished carols, relish the candlelight. A new song sprinkled in is fine, but keep it mostly old-school. Like Coca-Cola rolling out vintage Santa, lean into nostalgia. Play with tradition if you must, get silly with the glowsticks. But this Christmas, give people the familiar festivities they yearn for – it’s the greatest gift your church can offer.
Deeper Worship With Christmas Hymns
Christmas means tradition. This year, gift your congregation the nostalgic, soul-stirring worship experience they crave by embracing classic Christmas hymns. Reintroduce timeless carols that connect generations and tap into warm holiday memories. Modernize the melodies if you’d like, but retain the familiar lyrics that tell the Christmas story in a powerful way.
Regardless of your personal musical tastes, remember that Christmas worship is about the miracle of Christ’s birth. Through these enduring songs that focus eyes on the manger, guide your people into a shared spirit of wonder and reverence.
[PODCAST] Christmas Eve is on a Sunday in 2023. What Should My Church Do?
The calendar offers churches a great opportunity to reach more people on Christmas Eve in 2023. On this episode of the Church Answers Podcast, Thom Rainer discusses how the church can make a few great decisions to make it evangelistically effective this year.
The Importance of Christmas Eve
Imagine this scene: It’s after another praise team rehearsal, and we’re winding down with our favorite after rehearsal snack – sushi at the local sushi joint! As we gather around the table, one of our fellow worship leaders starts weaving a tale that captures the heart of why I believe Christmas Eve is so important to every ministry.
A Remarkable Redemption Story
It’s a classic redemption story. A few years ago he was far from God, leading a broken life, when he happened to be driving by the church on Christmas Eve and felt a pull he couldn’t resist (this is a megachurch is positioned on the exit of a major highway – he noticed a line of cars on the exit ramp!) He attended the service, ended up crying through the whole thing and gave his life back to the Lord. His world amazingly changed and he eventually ended up leading worship in rotation on the team. He even married one of the prettiest girls in the praise choir!
After I heard all this, I felt God saying to me “He’s a direct answer to your prayers!”
The Heartfelt Prayer Tradition
You see, when all the hectic preparation for my Christmas services were done through the years, my final touch would be to specifically pray that people would literally be drawn off the street to the church and meet Jesus. I’d usually pray this prayer the night before Christmas Eve as I’d be in the auditorium tidying up the stage, rearranging a music stand or moving a keyboard. Sometimes on my way out of the parking lot I’d even drive around the building a few times while I prayed over the building LOL!
For years, I’d been preaching about the importance of Christmas Eve here at Worshipideas, fueled by stories like the one I had just heard. But now, with a firsthand account in front of me, I knew without a doubt that Christmas Eve is hands down THE best time of year for people to have a meaningful encounter with Jesus. This is especially true for visitors, many of whom come with open and tender hearts.
Prayer and Preparation: A Winning Formula
As we approach this year’s Christmas Eve services, I urge you to do the same. Say a heartfelt prayer before your service(s), asking God to draw people to Himself. And when you see lives changed by His amazing power, remember that combining preparation and prayer is a winning formula for advancing His Kingdom.
Update 2023: This worship leader is still going strong, leading worship with his wife at church and at various church functions. Every time I see him post on Facebook about the wonderful, redeemed life he’s leading I think of this article 🙂
5 Surprising Ways Churches Are Increasing Attendance
While most churches have seen declines since the pandemic, a few outlier congregations are bucking the trend with surprising practices that are increasing attendance. Find five unorthodox methods these churches are using to grow against the current.
From strategically subtracting and adding ministries, to consistent invitation campaigns, to starting new groups, the highlighted approaches are outliers that don’t match current trends. But they provide examples of innovation and Great Commission focus that is leading to fruitful growth. Though not silver bullets, these outlier stories offer sparks of inspiration for congregations seeking new ways to reach people.
Streaming Christmas Programs and Worship Services
Explore the best streaming license options for churches this Christmas season. Streaming your holiday events and services can help maximize your reach and impact at this special time of year.
The article looks at a variety of factors to help you share your message as broadly as possible. With the right coverage, your Christmas programs can shine for both in-person and online audiences!
10 Ways To Improve Your Worship Team (2/4)
Worship bands rely heavily on great charts to aid their musicians and singers during rehearsals and services. This article explores the importance of high-quality charts and arranging for worship music.
Find pros and cons of different charting formats, from basic lyric and chord sheets to fully notated arrangements. Excellent charts and arrangements are vital for worship bands to excel. Though it requires time and effort, creating detailed, well-crafted charts elevates the musicianship and sound of any praise team. Go on: lead worshippers into deeper engagement with God through music!
Worship Leader’s Guide to Christmas Planning
The Christmas season will be here before we know it, which means it’s time for worship leaders to start planning meaningful Advent and Christmas worship sets. Getting a head start on song selection, special musical elements, team schedules, and Christmas Eve services is a wise way to go.
This article equips worship leaders with practical wisdom that leads to Christmas worship services that are spiritually enriching. Whether it’s selecting impactful songs, planning logistics, or anchoring Christmas Eve, the author gives valuable advice for worship leaders. Naturally, he encourages bathing it all in prayer and seeking God’s purposes first.
The more time you take to prayerfully prepare for Christmas, the more memorable your Christmas service will be. So what are you waiting for?
About Blog
This page is an example of trendy Personal Blog. It has the different header and specific Grid layout of posts. You can import it for your site based on Impreza.