Tag: Church

4 Ways to Win Between Christmas and New Year’s Day

4 Ways to Win Between Christmas and New Year’s Day

4 Ways to Win Between Christmas and New Year’s Day

In the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, consider these four ways to refresh from a hectic ministry year.

Every job has its perks. Netflix doesn’t track vacation hours. Facebook has nap pods. Ben & Jerry’s rewards its employees with three pints of ice cream every day. And if you’re a ministry leader, most likely you get the week off between Christmas and New Year’s Day. (Hey, we’re not drawing comparisons here, just stating facts!)

 

The weeks leading up to Christmas can be some of the most joyful and impactful of our ministry careers. We often get a front-row seat to the radical generosity of our faith communities. We hear and celebrate stories of life change. On the other hand, these weeks are also some of the toughest on our minds, bodies, and families. After all the planning meetings, shopping, decorating, video shoots, rehearsals and services are finally complete, the seven days between Christmas and New Years are a welcome reprieve from the hustle. And while you may immediately begin to feel the urgency of the Spring calendar around the corner, remember that this week offers you some unique opportunities to grow as a leader (and a human) more than any other week throughout the year.

 

After a season of commitments to your ministry, here are four commitments you might consider making to yourself on the morning of December 26th.

 

1. Rest

 

Set your away message. Delete the Mail app from your phone. Disconnect in all the ways you have to and truly rest. Christmas services have likely emptied your tank, so find ways to refuel your mind and body in the ways you need most. Sleep, read fiction, laugh, go on a nature walk, eat three pints of ice cream, build a nap pod and then sleep some more. Find the ways that rejuvenate your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual ecosystem, and make a plan to give those things focused attention this week. As we’ve learned from our friend Candi Shelton, “Our leadership and ministry actually thrive when we are connected to the experience of being human.”

 

Read: Why Rest Matters for Human Leaders

 

2. Play

 

Discover ways to inject some fun into this week. In my own life, I’ve found that the moments I have been most exhausted or weary have also been the moments I’ve been completely disconnected from the unique things that give me life. This week, ask yourself, “What brings me joy?” and commit to making it happen. It might be pursuing something creative like art, dance, or scrapbooking, binge-watching your favorite movies from when you were a kid or planning an outdoor adventure with friends or family. See how much more inspired you’ll be to return to work when you’ve awakened your innate drive for play.

 

3. Learn

 

Leaders are learners. And, if we’re not intentional, ministry has a special way of keeping you working in it instead of on it. Consider carving out one day this particular week to learn about a subject you feel like you never have time for – work-related or non! Read a few chapters from your favorite author on leadership, find that podcast you saved ages ago, or review notes from a conference and create some action steps. You may also want to use this time to research and plan some time for individual or group learning next year. Think through book studies or online courses (like those from Orange Masterclass) that you may want to lead with your team or set new ministry goals based on learning from the past year utilizing tools like the Orange Assessment.

 

Remember

 

Lastly, this week offers the perfect opportunity to practice the art of remembering.

 

“Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced” (1 Chronicles 16:12 NIV).

 

Take the time to reflect on the goodness of God throughout 2022. Note the highs, lows, your greatest lessons, and dream of how you want to grow and move forward as a leader next year. Worship is remembering! Personally, my favorite tool to use is called the Great Annual Examen. It is derived from a 400-year-old method of prayer by St. Ignatius of Loyola. Developed by Stephen W. Smith, it’s a simple question-and-answer exercise that invites you to review five categories of health – physical, emotional, vocational, relational, and spiritual – and then guides you through a process of thinking through how those may be improved or restored in the new year.

 

Win the week between Christmas and New Years and give yourself the greatest chance to enter 2023 with the strength and mental clarity necessary to reach the next generation.

Article written by: Daniel De Jesús

Article taken from here.

Find more blogs at MinistryJobs.com/blog

How to Plan Your Church Calendar A Year in Advance

PLAN AHEAD – 5 ADVANTAGES OF PLANNING IN ADVANCE

How to Plan Your Church Calendar A Year in Advance

New year, new you! Ok, maybe not a completely new you. But January 1st offers a fresh opportunity to set your church calendar up for success in the new year. Building out an entire calendar advance can feel intimidating, but it can help reduce overwhelm and scrambling later on in the year. Looking at your content from a bird’s eye view can also help you avoid obvious holes or redundancies in your focus, so you can have a balanced and holistic array of events and series throughout the year. While I can’t help you plan your calendar, I can provide some helpful tips for getting started in the planning process this new year:

Map out your big events.

While every year is different, calling for fresh vision and ideas, the church calendar follows particular rhythms that repeat year in and year out. Holidays like Easter and Advent occur at the same time each year. Seasonal events like Fall Kick Off and New Years Series do, too. Don’t forget favorite events like women’s or men’s retreats, vacation bible school, or Giving Tuesday. Use these annual events and recurring series to anchor your calendar. Once you have them in place, you can identify the white space around them to fill out the rest of your calendar.

Identify “felt needs”.

With big holidays and seasonal events accounted for, you can begin to fill the rest of the year with additional series. Here is where you have more leeway to customize the content to what is relevant to your particular congregation, right here and right now. If you don’t have this insight already, check the pulse of your people. What things are they struggling with? How do they want to grow? What makes them curious? What themes are emerging in conversations and small groups studies again and again? Use these things to inform the series and events that will populate the rest of your calendar.

Iron out your workload and budget.

With your events and series scheduled in advance, you can begin to identify the workload and budget required to pull them off. If you start with your budget for the entire year, you can allot resources and volunteers to each event accordingly, making sure nothing falls through the cracks. Even though you aren’t at the place to plan each event in detail on January 1st, having an idea of the resources required will help jumpstart your planning when the time arises and ensure you have the things you need in place when it does come around.

The team at Motion Worship is praying for your inspiration and vision as you lead your congregation into this new year. With a little bit of effort and intention, you can set up your calendar to serve and support you during the year so you can spend less time scrambling and more time being present with your people. We pray that God’s spirit will be with you and your staff, guiding you as you craft an intentional and edifying calendar of events for this new year.

Article written by: Emma Tarp

Article taken from here.

Find more blogs at MinistryJobs.com/blog

5 Things Executive Pastors Should Keep in Mind This Christmas

5 Things Executive Pastors Should Keep in Mind This Christmas

5 Things Executive Pastors Should Keep in Mind This Christmas

It’s no secret that Christmas can be a chaotic time for churches. It’s one of the most highly-attended seasons of the year—and you can expect a lot more unchurched people than usual. Christmas services are also a celebration of one of the greatest moments in history: When God made His dwelling among us (John 1:14).

Everyone and everything in your church needs to fire on all cylinders.

You’ve probably spent months preparing for this one weekend. You might’ve even started preparing a year ago! And on some level, you’re probably feeling pressure to out-do last year’s service. (Maybe church members or even staff are “reminiscing” about something awesome you’ve done in the past.)

As the executive pastor, you’re responsible for organizing, budgeting for, and foreseeing the challenges of your church’s biggest events. So there’s a lot on your shoulders during the holidays. We want to be sure your Christmas service goes off without a hitch and builds momentum as you head into the new year—so we put together five things you should keep in mind this Christmas.

1. Tis’ the season for burnout

You’re not the only one feeling the pressure right now. Many of your staff members are working under a lot more stress than usual. They might be wrestling with performance anxiety as their area of responsibility increases, or their routine tasks start affecting more people and other parts of the service. Every person on your paid and volunteer staff is more susceptible to burnout right now—and that means a few things for you.

Your church needs to be prepared for people to take time off when the holidays are over. Your team needs to rest. Even if people aren’t planning to take time off, you should encourage it. Make arrangements to cover roles, shift responsibilities, and potentially stagger time off so that everyone can get the rest they need.

It’s also important that you create (and model) an environment where people can feel comfortable talking about fatigue and stress—not so they can complain, but so that you can give them the prayer and support they need to make it through this time.

You should always affirm people when they do a good job, but now is a good time to make a point of hunting for things you can praise people for. Encourage your staff to do the same, and create a positive atmosphere that brings out the best in each other.

2. A tech failure will cost you more right now

You carefully budgeted for the entire year, taking into account any purchases you would need to make later in the year. But software and hardware don’t always follow our budget plans. Throughout the year it’s easy to take half-measures and “make do” with what you have to get a few more services out of your tech. If something goes wrong during a Christmas service though, it has a much bigger impact.

Your congregation has high hopes for this service, but they’ll be more forgiving when there are technical issues (although they may be a little embarrassed if they brought friends or family). But visitors are seeing your church for the first time. Making a good impression matters.

If you do purchase new tech for Christmas, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to test it out—ideally in an actual service (or several). But at the very least, you need to have backup plans ready for every possibility. As you set up for Christmas, you should constantly ask: “What will we do if this breaks? And who will be in charge of implementing the solution?”

3. This is the best time to start planning for next Christmas

At this point, there are some poor decisions, unforeseen challenges, and organizational issues you may just have to live with this year. But every time you find yourself saying, “I wish we’d thought of that earlier,” make a note of it. Now is the perfect time to build a list of things you want to stay on top of next year—then you can think of those things earlier.

4. Your giving platform is about to have a lot more transactions

During the holidays, generosity isn’t just a Christian mandate—it’s simply part of the “Christmas spirit.” People have been culturally trained to strive to be more open-handed during this time of year. And you’re going to have a lot more people in attendance than usual. So whether you make a big giving push or not, more people are going to give.

Digital giving is the most convenient way for people to give—especially if they didn’t bring cash or their checkbook. But it’s important to keep in mind: just as you had to prepare your facility to handle more people, you need to be sure your giving platform can accommodate more transactions.

Your giving solution might be fine as is. Or you may need to find a more reliable (or faster) online giving platform. Make sure you contact your customer support team to confirm your giving software can handle a sudden increase in activity.

(Pushpay is an enterprise-grade giving solution. Many of the largest churches in the US trust Pushpay for all their online giving needs. So we can support you, too.)

5. Volunteer training matters even more right now

Christmas is one of those seasons where churches desperately need anyone and everyone who’s willing to serve. Even churches that have well-defined volunteer training and onboarding processes may make exceptions at this time of year simply to make sure there are enough bodies on every service team.

But this isn’t an area you can cut corners. Your volunteers are going to be under more pressure than usual. Their familiarity with your procedures, their tasks, and the larger purpose of their role could make the difference between a visitor feeling valued and feeling neglected. Not to mention, flustered or unconfident volunteers in, say, the nursery, will leave parents feeling like they can’t trust your church to adequately care for their children.

Make this your best Christmas yet

As you scramble to make sure everything goes according to plan, it’s easy for little things to fall through the cracks. Take the time to support your staff and check-in on their mental health. Create backup plans. Save your future self some trouble next year with good notes. And make sure everyone and everything is ready to serve your community with excellence.

Article written by: Ryan Nelson

Article taken from here.

Find more blogs like these at MinistryJobs.com/blog

The 4 Boxes Your Christmas Service Must Check Off

The 4 Boxes Your Christmas Service Must Check Off

Christmas services are right around the corner.

The kids’ choirs are practicing their songs. UPS is scheduled to drop off the candles for the candle lighting by the end of the week. The special Christmas songs are already in PCO. Christmas service prep is fully in motion!

As all these special elements come together, I want to draw our attention to the people attending our services.

We must remember, everyone coming to our Christmas services are at different places in their walk with the Lord. Some are seasoned believers, others are brand new to the faith. Some are struggling in their faith while others are completely outside the faith altogether.

We must intentionally think about these 4 different groups of people and ask ourselves, “How is our Christmas service meeting them where they are?”

If everything catered to the seasoned believer, then those who are new to the faith or aren’t Christians at all will feel lost and potentially confused. If the whole service spoke to the on fire believers, then those asking questions and struggling in their faith could leave feeling even more isolated and alone.

Here’s something that we must remember: it’s human nature to cater towards where we are at personally.

Naturally we create things that most resonate with what we are passionate about, what we think, and what best connects to our story. So if you’re an on fire lover of Jesus, that’s the primary lens you’ll think and create through. But great leaders think beyond their lens and seek to reach everyone.

Achieving this, however, is definitely one of those good old-fashioned “easier said than done” kind of things. So today our hope is to connect you with ways your Christmas service can have a significant touchpoint with all 4 of those different groups of people.

1) The Seasoned Believer

Within this group of people are a huge variety of experiences. Those that have been around their faith for a long time and are fired up about celebrating the newborn King. You’ll also find individuals that wouldn’t be classified as struggling in their faith, they’re confident in Jesus Christ as the Messiah, but maybe the fire has subsided a bit.

For these individuals, it’s important that we remind them of the wonder of the Messiah.

The wonder of how we have direct access to Emmanuel, God with us, that has opened the door for us to live and walk in new life. The transformation, the healing, everything present in our lives, is because of the life of Jesus.

For the seasoned believer, let’s create moments of looking behind us at all that God has done throughout our past that can’t keep us from singing out o’come let us adore Him.

2) New Believers

No matter who you are, my point in the first section applies. Let’s fill these people with wonder and gratitude for all the Lord has brought them through to get here. But in addition to this, new believers have this amazing opportunity to be introduced to the depths of the Christmas story. So connect them with the beautiful language that we see in Silent Night, declaring “chains shall he break for the slave is our brother and in his name all oppression shall cease.”

At Christmas we have an amazing opportunity to continue to shape and reshape the understanding of those who are new to Christiantiy.

So take time to share why we are singing so many songs that celebrate the coming of the Messiah. Share how for so long the people of God were waiting on the promised Messiah to arrive. Some had completely lost hope and feared it wasn’t true and then He came in Jesus.

When we take time to explain the meaning and significance of the season, it connects those who are new to the heart of God in an even deeper way.

3) The Unbeliever

To keep in theme with the previous point, all of the above applies here too. Those outside the faith will more than likely be coming in with vague and minimal experiences with the songs, the traditions, and story. So how can you breathe new life and reveal the beauty of what they might already be familiar with?

In addition to these things, how can you connect to their story to make them feel comfortable?

I remember when I was a kid I went and visited my friend’s church for their Christmas service. The church service was extremely different than my church’s typical format. Tons of sitting and standing. At one point we left our seat to go up to the front to take communion out of this massive cup. All the people in front of me were doing different hand motions and saying all these different things. I was so anxious that I was going to do something wrong and stick out like a sore thumb.

And sure enough I did. The pastor turned his head in confusion when I got to the front of the line and then smirked. I felt like everyone around me was starring at me as I wrongly grabbed the cup and shrugged. Needless to say, I spent the service wishing I could climb underneath the pew in front of me and disappear.

We have to remember that we have tons of people coming to our Christmas services that have never been to our churches before. So let’s think through how we can make them comfortable.

Even simple things like letting them know what the service is going to look like. “You might see people raising their hands and getting excited. Well that’s because…” or “Today we’re going to sing a few songs, hear a short encouraging word from our pastor, watch the kids perform a special song, etc. During all that we want you to feel comfortable. So sit if you want to, sing along or not, keep your hat on, whatever allows you to feel comfortable. We are so stoked that you’re here and want you to know that this is your home.”

This might feel excessive, but making accommodations for these individuals to feel comfortable will allow them to have a beautiful experience, free of distraction and filled with uninterrupted encounter.

4) The Struggling Believer

To state it plainly, there will be people in your church services this year who are struggling. Whether it be tragedy, a crisis of faith, some painful things that Christmas brings up in their heart – there are people in real need that don’t want to sing Joy to the World.

The worst thing we can do for those who are struggling is create a service that overlooks where they’re at.

So genuinely, what can you do in your Christmas service to let these people know they’re not alone?

A few years ago, I wrote a song for our Christmas service that explicitly talked about being tired and without hope in the midst of a season that’s supposed to bring joy to the world. It was brutally honest and it didn’t resolve with a nice cute bow. At the end of the Christmas service weekend we were flooded with messages at how much it meant to so many people, who were coming into church that weekend struggling. It expressed to them that there was a place for them in our community.

When we acknowledge the things people are walking through & create space for it to exist in our gatherings, it teaches people that all of who they are is welcomed and safe.

Here’s the thing, they are already struggling. People are already coming in with heavy loads. Failing to acknowledge those things doesn’t make them go away. In some cases it only further isolates people. What sounds more like Jesus than creating a space for people to come into His presence truly as they are?

Now you don’t have to write a song that talks about the struggle.

But what if you took 30-seconds before you go into All Hail King Jesus to say, “For some of you, these words are really hard to sing. Know that God is with you in it, we are with you in it, and you are why the Messiah came. To draw near to you as Emmaunel, God WITH us. Even if He feels further than the moon, know He’s with you today!”

There are so many things you can do to reach these different groups of people at your Christmas service this year.

The point of this post is not to give you a step by step of the best ways to reach these 4 different groups of people. It’s simply for us as leaders to remember all who are coming. So that we can craft a Christmas service that creates significant moments for all.

Worship Leader, last thing to remember as you step into your Christmas services

There are people coming into your services who need what your community is presenting. And so in the midst of all the special planning and things, please know you are changing people’s lives. You are breathing fresh oxygen into weary souls. You are increasing the revelation of the Messiah in the hearts and minds of so many. What you do is significant. So, in the chaos may purpose strengthen your bones as you lead a community of people to adore the King of Israel.

Article written by: Josh Kluge

Article taken from here.

Find more blogs like these at MinistryJobs.com/blog

So You Want to Quit…

So you want to quit.

I get it.

This has been an excruciating crisis to live through and lead through.

While 25% of all workers want to quit their jobs right now, it appears  it may be even worst for church leaders. Apparently, the majority of pastors are at least thinking about it.

In this widely-shared article, Thom Rainer explains that the vast majority of pastors he and his team work with want to quit. The pandemic, division, workload, in-fighting, levels of criticism and loss of momentum in most churches is too discouraging for most pastors.

Thom is right…there has never been a more discouraging season to be a leader. And if your experience is like most pastors, everyone’s angry with you to boot (here’s a post on why everyone’s so mad at you right now).

I recently had a conversation with a top search firm CEO who predicted that next year will be a year of massive turnover in part, because the crisis has made people rethink their options.

I’m writing this post not to convince you to stay where you are, but to think twice before you quit.

Nobody has to stay anywhere forever.

There are good reasons to leave what you’re doing. Over my life, I’ve left fledgling careers in radio and law, exited a  denomination and most recently made another change.

After 25 years of ministry, yesterday I preached my final sermon as part of the teaching team at the church I founded, wrapping up a 5 year succession plan that completes a 25 year ministry.

But there are also bad reasons to leave.

So today, let me be your (free) counsellor/friend. Talk you off the ledge. I’ve needed that conversation more than a few times in my decades of leadership so I could finish instead of quitting.

I’ve been discouraged, defeated, exhausted and pretty much done more than once. But I never left in those seasons.

Looking back, I’m so grateful I didn’t.

So what do you want to do when you want to throw in the towel?

Here are a few things I learned about quitting for the wrong reasons, and a few things about leaving for the right ones.

1. Quitting is Different than Finishing

Quitting is easy. Finishing is hard.

Both quitting and finishing result in the same outcome: you leave. Nobody, after all, stays forever.

But quitting usually involves surrendering to the pain or letting the circumstances control your exit.

By contrast, finishing usually involves pushing through the pain to a moment or season where the circumstances move both you and the mission forward as best you can.

Leaders who quit usually surrender to impulse or unresolved pain. Leaders who finish well don’t.

As a result, leaders who finish well leave far different legacy than leaders who quit.

2. Your Exit Becomes Your Legacy

On that note, your exit determines the legacy you leave behind, both for the organization and for you personally.

People rarely remember how you started in an organization. They always remember how you left.

You can erase years of great leadership in moments with a poor exit. Quitting because you’re frustrated, discouraged, defeated or exhausted rarely creates a great departure.

The way you leave becomes your legacy.

Years or decades of sincere, hard, good work can get reduced to a sentence like “Yeah, he just packed up and left town”, “He got so bitter at the end”, “She burned every bridge” or “His last year left us all scrambling”.

Ouch.

3. Your Problems Follow You

You’ve probably heard the marriage advice (or given it) that all your unresolved issues follow you into your next relationship.

The same is true of leadership.

Relationally, starting over with someone new usually sounds way more promising than it is. Why? Well, you have a pretty realistic (pessimistic) view of the person you’re with which you’re  ready to trade in for an idealistic view of the person you want to be with. In your mind, this new person is perfect, while your present partner is sooooo inferior.

Of course, what you’re forgetting is not only is that picture inaccurate on both counts, but this: You bring yourself with you wherever you go.

Whatever issues you don’t resolve now, you’ll have to resolve in the future.

The same is true in leadership. You have a very realistic view of how hard your current situation is.

But you imagine your new situation with an idealistic view point. They’ll appreciate me. They’ll do what I ask them to do. Their team won’t argue.

That, of course, is also what you thought the last time.

Here’s what I’ve learned: your unresolved issues follow you wherever you go.

We went through a really painful season of leadership about 15 years ago. I wasn’t tempted to leave the church, but we were selling our house around the same time.

I was really tempted to leave the community I was living in and move to a different city nearby. We could start over again, I told myself.

But as my wife and I prayed about it, I became convicted we need to stay. We move ten minutes down the road.

Which meant we’d travel the same roads, shop in the same stories, get groceries at the same supermarket, and run into the same people we had struggled with.

It was exactly the right medicine. That forced me to look at my own failings, to see where I was wrong, and to practice forgiveness.

Escape is poor substitute for personal growth, forgiveness and change.

The challenge with quitting is that your issues and problems come with you. They didn’t quit, you did.

4. Running toward your future is better than running away from your past

So maybe you are called to leave (here are 7 signs it’s time to move on). Maybe your season is legitimately coming to an end.

If you can—and in a carefully discerned departure you usually have time to do this before you go— ask yourself what you’re called to next.

In my current situation, in addition to a sense that the current season was drawing to a close, that a well-executed succession plan was important for all, there was also a budding sense that a new calling or assignment was being birthed: to help leaders thrive.

One of the reasons transitions are so painful (particularly as you get older as a leader) is because all your best days feel like they’re behind you.

Find some wise counsel around you who can help you discern what’s next before you leave what’s now.

Running toward your future is a much better move than running away from your past.

5. A Bad Season Is the Worst Time To Make A Big Decision

So just to frame this season in context, this really is a bad moment. And it’s impacting leaders deeply.

A recent Barna survey has led Barna President David Kinnaman to conclude that the mental health of pastors has reached crisis levels.

Just look at the chart below.

In 2016, only 14% of pastors said they’re mental and emotional health was average to poor.

By April 2020, that number more than doubled, growing to 35%.

In August 2020, fully 50% of pastors now say their mental and emotional health was average to poor.

I wonder where that number will move to as the crisis continues to spiral out of control.

I know when I’m in a discouraging, difficult and depressing season, one of the first things to go is my judgment.

When I’m not in a good place mentally or spiritually, I make emotional decisions and try to back fill them with logic. Or maybe I don’t even bother trying to be logical. I just make (bad) decisions.

As a result, I’ve realized that a bad season is the worst time to make a big decision. This is true for anything from quitting your job, to leaving your spouse to (honestly) even making big financial decisions.

Never quit on a bad day.

Sure, maybe you are called to move on.

Give the decision room to breathe. Pray. Bring in wise counsel. Consult. Hire a coach. Read. Reflect. Think.

Get healthy, and if you can’t do that right now (because it will be a long journey), at least get healthy people around you to make some recommendations.

If you can, make your decision to finish up on a good day.

If it’s a bad day, stick it out or let other people make the decision with your, or if it’s really bad, have them make the decision for you.

This isn’t a good season for most leaders.

Article written by: CAREY NIEUWHOF

Article taken from here.

7 Good Questions Before You Hire For An Open Position

7 Good Questions Before You Hire For An Open Position

7 Good Questions Before You Hire For An Open Position

This has been a crazy year, especially when it comes to leading and managing staff changes.

Very few churches have a staff that looks the same today as it did early in March of 2020. How are you feeling about your team?

Remember, every time you change just one staff member, you change your culture—unless you place intentional effort into cultivating and sustaining the culture you want.

Redesigning staff structure when you weren’t planning on it has brought both positive and negative outcomes in many churches.

Re-deployment of staff members from one position to another is very common among churches right now, and re-deployment of a staff member has, in many cases, turned out to be a surprisingly positive and productive change.

However, a more difficult but understandable reality is also in play; there have been lay-offs, voluntary resignations, and some salary reductions.

Few churches are hiring in general, except for positions they absolutely must-have.

The good that comes from the hiring pressures and complexities in 2020 is that church leaders have learned better how to play chess, not checkers, when it comes to staffing strategy. Think ahead as much as possible.

Decision-making is not always easy, but it has become more focused.

If there is any “sloppy” in your hiring process, it has to be eliminated. There is no room for optional, fast, or casual hires.

Staffing has become more intentional, and hiring for your team must be:

  • Mission-critical
  • Growth directed
  • Clearly focused
  • Quickly productive
  • Option oriented

Here are 7 questions that will help you think through your hiring decisions before you actually start a search and interview process.

7 Helpful Questions before you begin the hiring process.

1) Are you hiring for productivity or relief?

Digging deeper in staffing conversations with churches, I’ve learned that while we all know that the best reason for hiring a new staff member is increased productivity, it is often for some relief.

That’s understandable.

Some of your staff carry very heavy loads, and maybe you do too.

But hiring someone primarily because you or someone on your team is exhausted or needs help is not the right place to start.

It’s better to start solving that problem by reducing their list of responsibilities first. Get tough about what doesn’t need to be done.

The staff member is more important than their tasks. You can always temporarily shorten their list some if they are overloaded.

Let me be really blunt. The parts of an existing job that are often assigned to the new position are the less productive and sometimes more annoying roles. Resist that at all costs. Tighten up the position responsibilities!

When you hire, make it your goal to achieve greater productivity as well as the health of your staff.

2) Do you need vision and creativity or implementation and progress?

Most staff members need to possess some skill in both vision and creativity as well as implementation and making measurable progress.

However, a team of mostly visionaries and ideators and too few who can or will execute is not a good mix for consistent progress.

Knowing what your team needs most, ideas, or execution will help shape the design of the role you want to hire. You can ask this question about nearly any position on your team.

3) Do you need to drive growth or manage critical systems and processes?

Driving toward the vision to realize healthy growth and managing key systems and processes are both vital and necessary, but they are rarely a hiring priority at the same time.

It’s smart to put vision and progress first when hiring. However, if you do that long enough without hiring support staff to keep that growth from creating chaos (reactionary, last-minute leadership, etc.,) you can end up losing the ground you have gained.

In short, people will begin to leave your church because you can’t keep up with the basics of everyday growth and ministry.

Which do you need most right now?

4) Are you hiring for the present or banking on the future?

Typically, you bank on your vision (the future) when you hire, but COVID has made that difficult because you can’t see around the corner as well as you once could.

Therefore, strategy is shorter in duration, and that often affects how you hire.

You probably have some staff needs right now, but unsure if you will need the same roles six to nine months from now.

This is a good example of chess, not checkers.

Obviously, you don’t want to hire someone and have to let them go in six months.

Consider one or two other key roles and responsibilities that are needed and similar in nature to the position you are working on. Then ask yourself if the potential staff member may be able to pivot to a new role if needed.

Yes, this practice is layered, nuanced, and subjective. But you are wise to at least consider this question each time you hire in this crazy season.

Think versatility, adaptability, and resilience with new staff.

5) What level of risk are you willing to take?

No matter how much homework you do when you hire a new staff member, there is always an unknown element. There is always a measure of risk. It’s especially important these days to close that risk gap as much as you can.

COVID has changed the level of margin most church leaders are willing to “gamble” on a risk. I’m not suggesting that before COVID, you could be carefree or even careless in your hiring approach, but you likely had a little more margin for a mistake.

If you can only hire one or two people, for example, maybe for an extended period of time, you have to get it right.

Here’s the point. Make your decision in full recognition of how much risk you can accept.

  • Know what you need.
  • Know what you want.
  • Don’t lower your standards just to complete the hire.

It’s far better to endure the pressure of an unfilled staff position than to hire the wrong person.

6) Is this position the highest priority to hire right now?

Having a solid grasp on which staffing positions are the highest priorities is an issue of your hiring process, team alignment, and decision-making.

Your strategy should be set and agreed upon, but the interpretation of how to accomplish it can be subjective.

If you gather your exec staff at the table, or senior pastor and the board, it is likely that no one in the room would give the exact same list of hiring priorities. That’s not a sign of misalignment; in fact, that’s a healthy difference of opinion that helps make better decisions.

Misalignment on your team occurs when you leave the table,  and you were not able or willing to agree on your hiring priorities.

One of the most healthy and productive conversations you can have amongst your leadership team about staffing starts with a question like this; “If you need three staff members and you can only afford one, how do you make that decision?”

7) What would happen if you did not rehire the position?

If you have a position open and unfilled for six to nine months or longer, there’s a good possibility you don’t need that position.

That’s not always the case, but it’s worth asking the hard question.

COVID makes it more difficult to answer, but that question is more objective than subjective.

Here are a few more questions to help you think it through.

  • What measurable progress will be lost if you don’t rehire that position?
  • Will you be placing undue pressure on other staff members? (Keep in mind your option to thin out your ministry expectations.)
  • What can your budget sustain?
  • Could a volunteer do the work? Part of the work? Temporarily?

Article written by: Dan Reiland – Dr. Dan Reiland serves as Executive Pastor at 12Stone Church in Lawrenceville, Georgia. He previously partnered with John Maxwell for 20 years, first as Executive Pastor at Skyline Wesleyan Church in San Diego, then as Vice President of Leadership and Church Development at INJOY. He and Dr. Maxwell still enjoy partnering on a number of church related projects together.

Article taken from here.

Find more ministry blogs at MinistryJobs.com/blog

Housing Allowance For Pastors – The Ultimate Guide

Housing Allowance For Pastors – The Ultimate Guide

Housing Allowance For Pastors – The Ultimate Guide

Do you know all the ins and outs of the housing allowance for pastors? If not, don’t worry; you’re not alone. Many people don’t fully understand the legal intricacies of this tax benefit for ministers and clergy.

The Ministers’ Compensation & Housing Allowance (as the IRS calls it) is also referred to as a parsonage allowance or rental allowance. Whether you are a pastor or minister who qualifies for the benefit or work in the realm of church finance or human resources, it’s essential to know how this policy affects full-time pastors and clergy.

In this ultimate guide to the housing allowance for pastors, we will cover the basics and answer the major questions related to this subject. We also encourage you to consult a professional accountant or lawyer for questions related to your personal situation. You want to be sure to verify all the details of the tax law in your state as well.

So, let’s dive into the details of the housing allowance for pastors.

What is the Pastors Housing Allowance?

First, let’s lay out the definition of the housing allowance and clarify who can take advantage of it. According to the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 107, a minister may be provided a parsonage or paid housing allowance as part of their salary compensation and exclude the value from their reported taxable income.

Pastors can use this housing allowance to rent or purchase a home and pay utilities, furnishings, and necessary maintenance and repairs. Note that you can exclude the allowance from gross income for federal income tax purposes but not self-employment tax purposes.

According to Christianity Today, 81% of full-time senior pastors take advantage of the housing allowance. In addition, this is saving pastors a total of about $800 million a year.

For example, suppose a minister has an annual salary of $50,000, but their total housing allowance is $25,000. They would be taxed on salary minus living expenses, which is now $25,000, half the original salary.

Instead of owing taxes of $6,000 (a 12% tax rate on $50,000), the minister would owe $3,000 (12% tax rate on $25,000). The tax savings add up to $3,000 in this scenario, which is a significant tax break for many families.

Who Can Take Advantage of the Housing Allowance for Pastors?

The housing allowance is available to ordained, licensed, or commissioned ministers of the gospel. Workers in this category can include missionaries, evangelists, Christian counselors, youth pastors, music ministers, or any minister who performs religious worship or service as their primary job function.

However, this doesn’t apply to everyone who works at a church or for a ministry. For example, administrative staff, maintenance workers, and other support staff are not considered ministers for the purposes of this exemption.

To qualify for the housing allowance, a person must meet the following criteria:

  • Be an ordained, licensed, or commissioned minister of the gospel
  • Serve as a primary religious leader of the congregation as designated by the church and/or denomination
  • Spend a majority of their working hours in religious activities and functions or performing “ministerial services”
  • Receive a salary or housing allowance from the church as part of their compensation

  • If you are a pastor or minister who meets the criteria above, you are eligible to claim the housing allowance.

    Now let’s look at how to calculate and claim the housing allowance on your taxes.

Who Determines the Housing Allowance?

The church’s governing body designates the housing allowance each year. Depending on the church, this may be a board, council, or denominational authority. It’s important to note that the housing allowance cannot be more than the reasonable salary compensation paid to the minister.

The housing allowance should be set up in advance, before the beginning of the tax year or when the pastor is hired. Although the housing allowance resolution can be adopted or amended at any time, it can only be applied prospectively, not retroactively.

If you’re a pastor going through the hiring process, the housing allowance may be part of your total compensation package. It’s one type of benefit along with cash salary, benefits, paid leave, and other reimbursements. The housing allowance may be negotiable, but you should have that conversation with your church leaders before accepting the position.

Calculating the Housing Allowance

The housing allowance is limited to the fair rental value of your home, plus utilities, but limits do exist. The total amount cannot be more than the reasonable salary for your position, as determined by the church.

For the housing allowance, you can exclude the lesser of the following amounts from your gross income:

  • the officially designated housing allowance
  • the amount used to provide or rent a home
  • the fair market rental value of your home which includes utilities, furnishings, etc.

It’s important to note that you cannot choose which of these parameters to use; your exclusion must be the lesser amount.

The definition of “fair rental value” is the amount you could reasonably expect to receive from renting your home on the open market. You can look at local real estate prices or consult a realtor to determine accurate pricing based on comparable listings in your community.

So, even if your expenses are more significant than your allotted housing allowance due to mortgage and home operations, the amount you claim as a housing allowance exclusion cannot exceed the fair rental value of your home.

For example, if your housing allowance is $24,000 per year and the fair rental value of your home is $22,000 per year, you can only exclude $22,000 from your gross income.

In addition, suppose $20,000 of your salary is designated as a housing allowance, but the actual expenses of your home are only $18,000. You’re required to include that extra $2,000 in your gross, taxable income. Any unused portion of your housing allowance will become part of your total income subject to taxes.

Pastors living in a furnished parsonage provided by their church can still claim a housing allowance for other home costs. These include things like home maintenance, repairs, utilities, and furnishings. Next, we’ll look at what you can and cannot include.

What Expenses Can You Include in Your Housing Allowance?

You are able to include home operations expenses in your housing allowance in addition to basic mortgage and rent. Here are some examples of what the minister’s housing can and can not include.

Can Include:

  • Utilities: electric, water, sewer, trash
  • Homeowners insurance
  • Real estate taxes
  • Home repairs and remodeling
  • Furnishings and appliances for your home (including repairs)
  • Pest control
  • Lawn care and snow removal services
  • Homeowners or renters association dues

Can Not Include

  • Food and other groceries
  • Clothing
  • Cleaning or domestic help
  • Auto expenses like gas, car payments, and insurance
  • Entertainment

The list of items you can include in your housing allowance for pastors is quite lengthy. Many churches also add an additional “buffer” amount to the housing allowance to allow for unexpected expenses such as repairs that may come up throughout the year.

You do need to remember a couple of things when it comes to these expenses. First, you need to keep accurate records and receipts of the expenses you’re looking to include. Second, you can only designate expenses you incur within the designated year.

You should consult a tax advisor before filing your taxes if you have any questions about what you can or cannot include in your housing allowance.

What Do You Need to Know About the Housing Allowance for Tax Purposes?

So what steps do you need to take to maintain proper legal records and prepare for tax season?

First, all agreements should be in writing. The pastor and church should maintain signed copies of the housing allowance resolutions and any amendments on file. It’s important that there is a clear paper trail indicating that the funds have been set aside expressly for housing expenses.

Next, save all receipts related to your housing expenses throughout the year. These include mortgage statements, rental agreements, property tax bills, and insurance premiums.

It’s also a good idea to keep a monthly ledger of your housing expenses. This record can be a simple Excel spreadsheet that includes the date, type of expense, and amount spent for each month.

By taking these steps throughout the year, you can be confident that you have everything accounted for and in place when it comes time to file your taxes.

Tax Time

While the housing allowance provides an exclusion from gross income, there are still some essential details to know come tax time.

The housing allowance excludes a portion of the income from federal taxes but not SECA (Self-Employment Contributions Act) taxes. So this means that you will still have to pay social security and Medicare taxes on the housing allowance.

In addition, if you live in a state with income tax, you will still be required to pay state taxes on the housing allowance.

According to the IRS, “For services in the exercise of the ministry, members of the clergy receive a Form W-2 but do not have social security or Medicare taxes withheld. They must pay social security and Medicare by filing Schedule SE (Form 1040), Self-Employment Tax.”

If you receive housing allowance payments in advance, you’ll need to include those amounts in your gross income for the year in which you receive them. On the other hand, if you accept housing allowance payments after the end of the year they were earned, you’ll need to include those amounts in your gross income for the following year.

Finally, if you receive housing allowance payments that exceed your actual housing expenses, you’ll need to include the excess amount in your gross income. For example, if your housing allowance is $12,000 per year and you only spend $11,000 on housing expenses, you’ll need to include the $1000 in your gross income.

The housing allowance provides an excellent benefit for pastors and their families to offset the cost of living expenses.

Other FAQs About the Housing Allowance for Pastors

What is the “Clergy Housing Allowance Clarification Act of 2002?”

The Clergy Housing Allowance Clarification Act of 2002 amended the 1986 parsonage allowance exclusion and clarified a few points.

Section 107 of the IRC reads:

In the case of a minister of the gospel, gross income does not include –

(1) the rental value of a home furnished to him as part of his compensation, or

(2) the rental allowance paid to him as part of his compensation, to the extent used by him to rent or provide a home and to the extent such allowance does not exceed the fair rental value of the home, including furnishings and appurtenances such as a garage, plus the cost of utilities.

The Housing Allowance was challenged in 2011 by the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) in a lawsuit, Gaylor v.Mnuchin. The FFRF sued the IRS and claimed the housing allowance created an unconstitutional preference for religion.

A number of Chicago pastors from various denominations intervened in the lawsuit to defend the housing allowance.

In November 2019, a federal appeals court ruled in favor of the Housing Allowance, stating that the tax code provision does not violate the Establishment Clause.

Where Can I get a Worksheet to Help Calculate the Housing Allowance?

If you’re looking for tools and resources to help track your expenses and activity to prepare for taxes, we’ve found a few helpful worksheets online. Of course, be sure you’re using the most up-to-date resources year to year and verify with your church board, accountant, or tax assistant.

These tools may be a helpful start for you:

The housing allowance for pastors is a great benefit that allows them to save money on their taxes. By understanding the rules and regulations surrounding the housing allowance, pastors can take full advantage of this benefit.

Article written by:  THOMAS COSTELLO

Article taken from here.

Find more ministry blogs at MinistryJobs.com/blog

How to Reach More People Online this Christmas

How to Reach More People Online this Christmas

Preparing for Christmas Online

Whether you’re new to online ministry or you’ve been doing it a while, access our list of the top 15 church online resources to help you build a strategy, increase engagement, and lead people to their next steps with Jesus this Christmas.

Christmas Online Playbook

Christmas services online don’t have to be complicated. Download our Christmas Online Playbook and learn how to build a digital strategy for your church this Christmas, decide which platforms to use, how to invite attenders to your online experience, and much more.

Hosting Christmas Online

Church online is more than watching a church service—it’s helping people feel connected to your church and to each other. The Church Online Platform has the unique features you need to interact with attenders, build community, and help hurting people find Jesus, and they’re all included completely free of charge. Learn more about Church Online Platform and launch your online ministry today.

After you get started, train and equip your volunteer hosts to minister to others by sharing our Church Online Hosts Prayer Guide with them. This guide includes prayer prompts and scriptures that address specific issues your attenders may be facing and emotions they may be feeling.

If church online isn’t your area of ministry at your church, but you wish your church would explore it, forward this email to the pastor who would want to learn more!

Article taken from here.

Find more ministry blogs at MinistryJobs.com/blog

18 Impressive Church Christmas Program Ideas

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! With the advent season and the merriment everywhere, December is indeed the most fabulous time of every year. This is the time when friends and family would gather to celebrate the season together.

The Holiday Season is also a busy time for churches. Celebrating Christ’s birth is a perfect opportunity to engage the whole congregation and to reiterate the real reason for the season. Here are some Christmas program ideas your church can try out.

What Makes an Impressive Church Christmas Program

Before jumping on to some of the most engaging and fun program ideas, let’s first consider the factors that make your program exceptional.

We must never forget what is the reason for the season. Who is the reason for the celebration? For a lot of Christmas programs, Jesus Christ gets left out because of gift-giving, merriment, reunions, etc.

Remember that the reason why we are celebrating is because of the birth of Jesus. We can have a lot of church Christmas program ideas but as event planners, we must always bear in mind to highlight Christ in our programs.

  • Community not only church

It is a great time for the church to get engaged in the community. Consider the community in the planning process. Christmas outreach should be among the top priorities when planning for the Christmas program. Being event planners, think of ways to connect with your community and make it known that the church is here to give back to the community.

  • Call (Invite) people

Whatever activities you may come up with, take into account that these programs and events are opportunities for the church to be able to share the love of Christ with others. Encourage everyone to find someone to invite.

That plus one should be family members or friends who are not yet a member of the church. This is a great opportunity to reach out to others and start to build relationships with them to win them to Christ.

  • Convenience factor (Go live)

The holiday season is the most festive time of the year, yet it is also the busiest. Make your church Christmas program convenient for everyone by considering a hybrid approach. Since the advent of live streaming, going live with events is now a convenient way to engage with church members who can’t get to the church and those who may be out of town.

You can have your Christmas event live-streamed on social media and reach not just your community but everyone around the globe.

  • Changed lives (The Greatest Miracle)

As an event planner, allotting time for testimonies should be a must because the greatest miracle we can experience is transformed and empowered lives. Those who have become members of the church within the year may testify of the goodness of the Lord.

They can share their story and how they got connected with the church.

  • Christmas Eve Service

Christmas Eve service is desired but not required. The Church Christmas program does not necessarily have to fall on Christmas eve. Although it is expected on Christmas eve, you can schedule it anytime before the eve since people might be busy with the preparations.

  • Conceptualize/ Create a Theme

Make your church Christmas program epic by having a theme. Setting up a Christmas theme will help you simplify the planning process. When you have already chosen a theme, you can easily create the program and identify the materials and manpower that you will be needing.

Everyone can still participate in the theme if your program is more presentational. Because a theme does not have to be so elaborate and demanding as in the case of a costume party. It can be as simple as a color theme where everyone can wear that theme color to the event.

  • Christmas Carols

When one mentions a Christmas program, Christmas carol would always be the first to come to mind. Print out classic Christmas carols so that church attendees can sing along as the choir sings. This is also a way to tell the story of Jesus through songs.

  • Communion

Let your event be a time of remembrance of what Jesus did at the cross by having communion on your program. Christmas is a great opportunity to not only celebrate His birth but an opportunity to remember and accept His sacrifice as His greatest gift to all.

  • Care for aftercare

It’s important to show appreciation to the clean-up crew and volunteers. These are the people who are least appreciated and least acknowledged. Make them feel cherished and admired by giving them recognition for their effort. Help them after the service. Treat them to lunch the day after and give them gifts. Or have the congregation fill out a thank you card for the cleaning crew.

The 7 Cs in Planning Your Church Christmas Program

  • Create an objective

Identify what your goal for the program or event is and how you want it accomplished. It may be just a celebration of the holiday season, or an opportunity to spread the Christmas spirit, or a reminder of what Christmas is all about, or you want to reach a specific number of attendees, or you can use it to raise a specific amount of funds by hosting a church fundraising event.

  • Come up with a budget

After identifying your goals, it’s important to calculate all possible expenses and incorporate them into your budget plan.

  • Come up with a theme

Make the church Christmas program as grand as you’d desire or as undemanding as you’d like. Just bear in mind the congregation’s availability and willingness.

  • Call out volunteers

Church events can be a great way to serve and give. Furthermore, it helps foster relationships between members and creates new ones.

  • Choose songs

Choose only Christian songs to play, since these events are hosted by the church.

  • Care for the visitors

Create a non-threatening atmosphere for the visitors and give them VIP treatment.

  • Construct Christmas activities for the kids

If activities are designed for adults, have the kids in a separate room with kid-friendly activities.

Sample Activities for Christmas Season in the Church

Here are some creative things you can do to make your Holiday events unforgettable. We hope you can find inspiration from these. You may even create your own as your creativity leads you.

Presentational:

These activities require selected members of the church. You can ask the ministry volunteers, music team members or choir members, church elders, kids from the children’s ministry, and the pastor/preacher to try doing the following:

  1. Night of Caroling/Choir

Tradition plays a huge part in Church Christmas events. Caroling and choir should always be on top of the activity options as this is one of the most traditional ways to celebrate Christmas. Christmas won’t be complete without a merry Christmas song.

  1. Live Nativity (The Greatest Story Ever Told)

Reenacting the birth of Jesus is also one of the most celebrated traditions during Christmas time. Have preselected people from the congregation act out the nativity scene. You can ask about the participation of both the young and old alike.

This will not only create opportunities to showcase talent but also act as a beautiful reminder of the greatest story ever told: the birth of the Messiah.

  1. True Christmas Sermon

Christmas service won’t be complete without a Christmas message. A simple yet powerful preaching sermon will not only move the hearts of your congregation but will also transform their lives. And this is the true essence of the church: being God’s instrument in changing lives.

  1. Christmas plays and pageants

Stage plays and dramatics are not only limited to live nativity, although it is the most desired. You can have family-themed skits, Christmas-themed skits, or short stories from the Bible. Let the kids perform and load up on the cuteness factor that everyone will surely enjoy.

  1. The lighting of the Advent Wreath

Christmas becomes even more meaningful when families gather together. Call every family in the church and allow the pastor to pray for them upon lighting the advent wreath. This act symbolizes that the true light has come to the world.

Encourage every family to do so in their homes after the service. Light one candle of the four candles on the wreath on the first Sunday. Then light another one the succeeding Sunday until the last candle in the center is lit.

  1. Christmas Story Read Along

Print Christmas stories to give out to church members upon entering the church. Then let members read along as a volunteer reads aloud. The volunteer should have an animated voice and must have good voice quality. Serve hot drinks with cookies after for fellowship.

  1. Blue Christmas

Honor members of the church who have passed away within the year. Celebrate their contributions and volunteerism in the church by remembering them and dedicating a Blue Christmas for them. Have a solemn prayer of thanksgiving for their lives and the impact they made.

  1. Holiday-themed movies

Spend time with each other by having a holiday-themed movie night, not just for church members but for everyone in the community. Have the pastor share a short message to grab the opportunity to win visitors and first-timers to Christ.

  1. Talent Show

Recognize the talents of church members by having your own “Church Got Talent.” Every aspiring singer, dancer, instrumentalist, etc. gets to showcase their talent in a fun and creative way.

Participatory:

Some members might be left out during church presentations. However, when you plan activities that will involve everyone in the church, you’re making sure that nobody feels excluded while promoting unity within the group.

  1. Gift Giving

It’s the giving season, after all. Receiving Christmas gifts is one of the most anticipated (if not the most) parts of the Christmas season.

Hand out gifts to everyone who is part of the church. Pick gifts that don’t only come from the heart but would actually help people build their faith. This can be as simple as a Bible, a journal notebook, a mug with a printed verse, and others.

Attach a personalized Christmas card to make the gift more impactful. Also, don’t forget to prepare gifts for any visitors and first-timers. Encourage everyone to bring gifts to church so that they can participate in this activity.

  1. Potluck

Bond over food by having church members bring in their favorite homemade dish to church for everyone to share. This will promote church friendships and create new ones. Level it up by announcing that the most unique and creative dish gets an award.

  1. Wreath hanging or hang the greens

It is a traditional Christian ceremony where everyone brings in their Christmas decorations such as a wreath or green plants to decorate the church and prepare it for the holidays. Include verse readings, prayers, and worship hymns as the greens are being hung in your program.

  1. Wreath making

A wreath is not just a beautiful Christmas adornment but it is a representation of eternal life. This activity is a great reminder for church members of the free gift which is eternal life. Prepare materials and hold a wreath-making activity in the church.

  1. Christmas Countdown Challenge

Elevate excitement by having a countdown challenge. Everyone who will join must document all the preparations they did before Christmas Day. Then you can present it during the church service.

Some challenge that your church can try is 25 days before Christmas which involves giving out 25 encouraging cards to 25 of your co-workers. Another one is 24 days before Christmas where participants get to treat 24 kids in the community with ice cream, and so on.

  1. Carols Sing-a-long

You may also come up with Christmas carols sing-a-long with the choir. Provide lyrics of traditional Christian Christmas songs and let everyone sing along with the choir. Choose songs that carry the gospel message.

  1. Church-wide Kris Kingle

Have an online registration for members to register their gifts. Then let them draw the name of the person to give their gift. To assist you with online registration, partner with Event Smart. Manage your church Christmas program or any future church events with the assistance of Event Smart and have hassle-free online registrations.

  1. Church decoration party

If hanging the greens is not to your liking as it limits your creativity to only the color green you can try mixing it up with other adornments. Get the creativity of the congregation going by letting them bring in their favorite Christmas decorations like Christmas lights, candy canes, Christmas balls and others to church. Then have a church decoration party with a hearty meal.

  1. Competitions

Have a healthy competition by hosting Christmas games. Select a panel of judges to assess presentations with compliments to encourage the development of skills and talents. Hold dance competitions, singing competitions, art competitions, etc. among church members. Make it a winning event where members can bring in their friends and loved ones to church.

Create a Memorable Church Event with Event Smart

Since Christmas is the most momentous time of the year, come up with the most festive and memorable church Christmas program ideas. Everyone in the church will surely not just enjoy and relax but also get to bond with family and friends and win others to Christ.

Ready for the most joyous church Christmas celebration? Collaborate with Event Smart to make your Christmas events or any church events stress-free and hassle-free. With Event Smart you get it all, from event registrations, seating limits, ticketing options, and more. Create a event website today for free to get started.

Article taken from here.

6 Unique Christmas Sermons 2023

4 Ways to Create Sermon Graphics

6 Unique Christmas Sermons 2023

No season in the church calendar excites Christians as much as Christmas does. The question for pastors is this—how do you share the Christmas message to your church in a unique manner?

No season in the church calendar excites Christians as much as Christmas does.

The question for pastors is this—how do you share the Christmas message to your church in a unique manner?

For inspiration, we’ve got you covered. This article has tips, topics, and themes that can help you create and deliver not just a unique, but a compelling, Christmas sermon.

Here are six unique sermons you can use as inspiration this Christmas.

Christmas Sermons on God’s Love

Christmas Day is an excellent opportunity to talk about God’s love in your sermon. You can take inspiration from our list of Inspirational Christmas Quotes & Christmas Bible Verses.

From there, you can move forward with these creative ideas for your Christmas sermon:

1. The God of Small Things

Guiding Verse:

“This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

-Luke 2:6

Main Idea:

The very first Christmas focused on the little things in contrast to the grandness of today’s Christmas. God did not arrive in this world with all fanfare and glory. Instead, He came in the smallest of all human beings—a baby.

Not to forget other “small” details in the Christmas narrative like:

  • The little town of Bethlehem (Matthew 2:6)
  • The tiny stable where Christ was born (Luke 2:4-7)
  • The small group of shepherds as witnesses (Luke 2:8-11)
  • The small but significant gifts of the Magi (Matthew 2:9-12)

It’s noticeable that these small symbols played massive roles in the history of humanity. As the adage goes, great things can come from the smallest packages.

Similarly, God’s love comes to us in the smallest of things.

If you’re looking for the grandest Christmas message, you need not look further than the tiny but noticeable details God has placed into the story of our Savior’s birth.

2. Christmas: A Fulfillment of the Often-Forgotten Promise

Guiding Verse:

“Thus, there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.”

-Matthew 1:17

Main Idea:

Many people–even Christians–may see Christmas as an isolated story in the Bible. In other words, they may have disregarded everything God’s chosen people went through before the Messiah’s birth.

In this sermon, you’ll emphasize that God’s plan for salvation began even before the birth of Jesus. Even if it took many generations and prophecies, God fulfilled His plan for His people–and all people–in the person of Jesus Christ.

Sometimes, you may feel that nothing goes according to plan in your life. Remember that Christmas Day is a living reminder every year that God will always fulfill His plans and promises for you.

Christmas Sermons from the Characters’ Narratives

The Christmas story centers around Jesus. However, there are notable Biblical characters who made Christmas possible. You can capitalize on their accounts and use such lessons for a unique Christmas sermon.

3. Would There Be Christmas if Joseph Ran Away?

Guiding Verse:

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”

-Matthew 1: 20

Main Idea:

What if Joseph did not believe and follow the angel’s message? The most logical consequence would be that God’s plans may have been entirely altered.

But what if you were in Joseph’s position? Would it have been that easy to obey what God asked of him?

The Bible doesn’t offer many details and dialogue about Joseph. However, the cultural perception surrounding Mary’s pregnancy might have caused any man to “quietly divorce” (Matt. 1:19)  her and walk away. Nevertheless, Joseph heeded God’s call and remained by Mary’s side.

In life, the most difficult situations can make Christians abandon their faith in God. Seeing Christmas from the eyes of Joseph allows us to realize that the only way forward is to move toward God’s plan.

4. Girl Interrupted: Mary’s Unexpected Role

Guiding Verse:

“But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”

-Luke 1: 30-32 & 38

Main Idea:

Mary, who was the mother of Jesus, is one of the most significant women in the Bible (for some, she is the most significant!)

However, that role is not according to her plan. That’s why she was troubled at first upon receiving the angel Gabriel’s message. She was just a teenager. Being a mother alone was terrifying–not to mention, becoming pregnant out of wedlock. Even more challenging is that she would have to raise the Son of God.

Mary’s cooperation is crucial. Without her “yes” during an unexpected encounter with God, it would be unimaginable to think how Christmas would have turned out.

Now, how does Mary’s story exactly fit into your Christmas sermon?

It’s pretty straightforward—we have to say “yes” every time the Lord calls us to be part of His divine plan. The Christmas season is a chance to cooperate with God’s plan, even in the most unexpected circumstances.

5. Christmas According to the Gospel of the Shepherds

Guiding Verse:

“When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”

-Luke 2:17-18

Main Idea:

Why did the angels first appear to the shepherds and not people of important dignitaries during the first Christmas?

People did not place shepherds in high esteem, who were not generally occupied with religious practices. However, God has more important messages than the shepherds’ appearance suggests.

Seen from the eyes of the shepherds, Christmas presents insights that you might have never thought of or forgotten, like:

  • Christmas is for everyone, not just for Christians.
  • Shepherds give attention to their lambs. The first Christmas allowed them to behold the Lamb of God, who was to be sacrificed for the sake of humanity.
  • With purity in their hearts, the shepherds sincerely shared the message about the birth of Christ. Similarly, Christians can follow the examples of the shepherds.

Christmas Sermons in a Time of Crisis

If you want to entice more people to listen to your Christmas sermon, you may want to stir some curiosity with unique and thought provoking titles. Here are a few  ideas.

6. The First Christmas: A Dark and Scandalous Night

If you think about it, the very first Christmas falls way short of how people portray the events in Christmas hymns and other media. The truth is the first Christmas is dark because of the many scandals in this narrative:

  • Mary was a young teenager and a virgin. Yet, soon after hearing the angel’s message, Mary conceived Jesus through supernatural means. In the Jewish context, that was alarming!
  • Upon learning of Mary’s situation, Joseph initially planned to divorce Mary. That could have created disgrace both for Joseph and Mary.
  • Even more shocking is that God would take on the form of a man–even an infant. Furthermore, God was born in a stable and laid in a manger–both intended for animals.

Despite these scandalous details, this was how God chose to become incarnate to humanity.

“In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

-John 1:4-5

The birth of Jesus Christ gives hope to everyone. Regardless of the scandals and darkness you experience, remember Christmas Day and how God gave light to the darkest parts of your life.

Put Christ in Your Christmas Sermons!

Above all, strive not only to create and deliver a unique Christmas 2023 sermon. Your Christmas message must always lead God’s people to the reason for this season—Jesus Christ.

Tithe.ly offers unique experiences and resources to help your church grow in faith this Christmas season. You can start creating this unique journey by sending us a message today.

Written by Travis Albritton. Travis Albritton has been serving Christians online for more than 5 years, and has been starting and leading ministries in the southeast United States for more than a decade. His popular podcast, The Practical Christian, has been downloaded more than 300,000 times in 160 countries around the world. He’s an Amazon best-selling author, passionate husband and father, and driven disciple on a mission to launch Christians into online ministry.

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