Month: December 2018

Pinelake Church

Each week, we feature a new church and introduce you to some of the new and exciting things that’s taking place within it’s doors and within their community. All of our churches have the same mission and it’s to proclaim the gospel and make disciples. We’re all engaged in the same kind of work! Let’s use this opportunity to encourage and pray for each other. If you would like your church to be featured and for us to pray for your church, please comment below with the name and location of the church.

 

Church Name: Pinelake Church

Senior Pastor: Chip Henderson

Location: Mississippi (with five locations in Clinton, Madison, Oxford, The Reservoir & Starkville)

Website: www.pinelake.org

The story of Pinelake Church began in February of 1971 in Brandon, Mississippi in a mobile chapel in a rural area near The Reservoir. By God’s grace and power, our faith family has grown into a dynamic church spanning five cities throughout our state — Clinton, Madison, Oxford, the Reservoir, and Starkville. Weekly, we serve over 11,000 people, but we celebrate stories of life change one person at a time. Pinelake recently celebrated LoveFirst Sunday (http://pinelake.org/lovefirst/) where we are mobilizing our church to share love with 10,000 of Mississippi’s incarcerated. Also, we’re also turning into the final stretch of Making Room (http://www.makingroom.in) a 24-month initiative in response to God’s vision for Pinelake to make room in our hearts and our campuses. Our prayer is that this will become a way of life for all of our campuses! Finally, we anticipate that we’ll launch our sixth campus in 2019!

Please pray for the favor of the Lord to lead us and guide is in all these respects.


“Churches Praying for Churches” is a blog series at MinistryJobs.com. Come along side of us to pray for these churches. Let us know that you’re praying with us by commenting below.

If you would like your church featured in the “Churches Praying for Churches” series, comment below with the churches name and location. 

7 New Albums That Will Make You Want to Worship Jesus This Advent

You might not enjoy hearing Christmas music, say, every time you go out shopping. But if you’re like many of us, you probably still have some favorite Christmas albums you’ll listen to while decorating your house. Maybe those even include some of our recommendations from 2017! Or perhaps you enjoy the opportunity to worship God with songs you don’t get to sing during any other time of the year.

Even if you have a set of favorite Christmas tunes, it’s fun to find something fresh now and then.

With that in mind, we’ve compiled a short list of Christmas albums released this year that we think you might enjoy.

Lauren Daigle, Behold (Deluxe)

Daigle has been in the news quite a bit lately and has re-released her 2016 Christmas album in a deluxe version. It contains a mix of traditional songs done in a soulful, jazzy style.

Featuring: Jingle Bells, Silent Night, O Holy Night, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Listen to Lauren perform “Away in a Manger

Hillsong Worship, Christmas: The Peace Project (Deluxe)

Another deluxe version re-release comes from Hillsong Worship. The album includes two new live recordings, as well as instrumental versions of the songs.

Featuring: Joy to the World, Hark, Prince of Heaven, When I Think Upon Christmas

Hark Lyric Video

Darlene Zschech & HopeUC, The Table: A Christmas Worship Gathering

Speaking of which, Darlene Zschech, whom you might recognize as formerly being with Hillsong, has released a new Christmas album with Hope Unlimited Church.

Featuring: The Mystery (feat. Luke Taylor), Do You Hear What I Hear (feat. Katie Smith), Away in a Manger (He Is Here) (feat. Coco Gleeson & Piper Rorke), Emmanuel (Glory to God) (feat. Laura Robertson)

Away in a Manger (He Is Here) (Official Audio)

Caleb and Kelsey, Christmas Together  

Another artist we recommend is husband and wife duo Caleb and Kelsey. Their Christmas album is distinguished by its beautiful piano music and the couple’s harmonies.

Featuring: Christmas Hallelujah, Snow Medley, What Child Is This? / O Come Emmanuel, This Christmas / Last Christmas

What Child Is This? / O Come Emmanuel

Matt Maher, The Advent of Christmas

Grammy nominee and Dove Award winner Matt Maher anticipates the coming of Christ with a creative album focused on Advent.

Featuring: Gabriel’s Message, He Shall Reign Forevermore, The First Noel, When I Think of Christmas

Gabriel’s Message (Official Audio)

116, The Gift: A Christmas Compilation

Are you looking for hip hop music to jam to while you’re making Christmas cookies? If so, this is the album for you!

Featuring: O’ Come (feat. Tedashii, CASS, nobigdyl.), Joy (feat. Trip Lee, Lecrae, Abe Parker), Noel (feat. Trip Lee, Dave James), We Three Kings (feat. Paul Russell, Lecrae, Abe Parker)

“Joy” (feat. Trip Lee, Lecrae, Abe Parker)

David Phelps, It Must Be Christmas

David Phelps used to sing with the Gaithers and is now a solo artist. Here are some of the tracks we enjoyed most from his new Christmas album.

Featuring: Go Tell It on the Mountain, Fall on Your Knees (feat. Charlotte Ritchie), Catching Santa, In the Bleak Midwinter

Watch David perform “Go Tell It on the Mountain” live!

 

Written by: Jessica Mouser – Jessica Mouser is a writer for ChurchLeaders.com.

Branchline Church

Welcome to our first ever “Churches Praying for Churches” blog series. Each week, we’ll feature a new church and introduce you to some of the new and exciting things that’s taking place within it’s doors and within their community. All of our churches have the same mission and it’s to proclaim the gospel and make disciples. We’re all engaged in the same kind of work! Let’s use this opportunity to encourage and pray for each other. If you would like your church to be featured and for us to pray for your church, please comment below with the name and location of the church.

Church Name: Branchline Church

Pastor: Joe Hannah

Location: Hastings, MN

Website: branchlinechurch.com

Branchline Church, led by Pastor Joe Hannah, is a Converge church that exists to connect people to a growing relationship with Jesus. Their atmosphere is laid-back, warm and friendly. They want people to come as they are and to feel at home. They recently went thru a complete brand redesign and it looks amazing! What’s the story behind their name? In railroad terms, the branch line is a rail line that branches off from the main line into the small towns. In the same way, you and I are like this branch line, created to produce life by connecting with our main life line—Jesus Christ.

We love this! Have a look at their website and social media to learn more.

We’re so excited for what’s to come in 2019 for Branchline Church!


“Churches Praying for Churches” is a blog series at MinistryJobs.com. Come along side of us to pray for these churches. Let us know that you’re praying with us by commenting below.

If you would like your church featured in the “Churches Praying for Churches” series, comment below with the churches name and location. 

5 Ways To Show Your Staff Appreciation During the Holidays

One of my favorite times of year being on staff at my church was always Christmas. The excitement of the season and the busyness of what needed to be done always made me look forward to the holidays. Despite all of the excitement, there was a lot of sleepless nights and tired energy for an entire month – or more!

What are you doing to show your staff that they’re appreciated during this time of year? What are you doing to thank them for the countless hours they’ve put into children’s productions, worship rehearsal, decorating, or putting together a message? Be sure to support your staff during the holidays. Here are a few ideas:

Pray.

Set aside time to pray with your church staff. Pray for God to provide the resources and volunteers to keep up with regular church attendance and for special events this time of year. Pray that God would use your staff to reach out to new guests. Pray against stress and frustrations because let’s be real, we all have it! Prayer brings your requests to God and closer as a staff.

Give them some encouragement.

Write an encouraging note or thank you card to let them know that you appreciate the work they’re doing and the time they’re putting forth to create a memory. Let your staff know that you value their work.

Lend a hand.

I know I’m not alone in this but sometimes I hate to ask for help, especially this time of year when everyone is busy. The best thing to hear during times like this is, “What can I do to help you out?” Asking this simple question will go far in showing someone that you care and support them.

Rest.

Although this may seem like an impossible feat, it’s nonetheless important. Be intentional about creating time for your staff to rest and spend time with their own friends and family during the season. Whether it’s a day off, coming into work later, or leaving earlier – make sure you take care of the physical and emotional health of your staff by allowing them to rest.

Bless them.

If your budget allows, set aside some money to bless your staff with a bonus. Whether it’s a monetary gift, a gift card or something special, giving an end-of-year gift honors their commitment to the church and the sacrifices they have made during the year.

Your church staff is essential for running your programs and services within your church. Don’t rush through the next few weeks and look back and regret not thanking your staff or showing some kind of appreciation. What are you doing to honor some of your staff this Christmas?

Written by Meggan Jacobus. Meggan is the staffing manager at Froot Group, a worship staffing and consulting company.

Roll Out The Red Carpet This Christmas

For some people, Christmas is the only time they go to church. That is why it is critical for churches to have a strategic plan for welcoming guests, especially during holiday services. If you haven’t started, now is the time to begin planning your events to reach the first time guest who will come to your church this time of year. There’s just too much at stake! Here are some practical things you can do during your service to make an eternal difference in the lives of your guests:

Pay attention to your website and social media

Give extra attention to your website and social media leading up to your Christmas services. Is it clear and easy to find the times and locations of your Christmas services? Are all of your campuses open, or will you have one large gathering at the main campus? Will childcare be provided? Make sure every detail is covered online.

Train your holiday greeters

This seems obvious, but if you don’t usually have greeters at the entrances of the church, be sure they are present at your Christmas services. If you already have them, add more for your Christmas services, and make sure they are your most hospitable and helpful greeters. Place friendly faces at all of your entrances to the church and main worship areas so that that each guest gets a “Hello and Merry Christmas!” Encourage your greeters to offer more than a smiling face. At the very least, challenge them to remember people—because nobody likes to feel forgotten. Make a special effort to greet people you do not already know.

Greeting begins in the parking lot

The first few minutes of a guest’s experience are critical to the overall visit. Their experience starts when they pull into your church parking lot. Why not add a few extra volunteers this year to help direct and greet visitors as they find parking. Seeing a friendly face before you’re even in the door can make a big impact.

Add additional helpers

Think through the highest trafficked hallways or confusing areas of your church. These would be great spots to add additional greeters to help guide visitors to the right spot. Make it obvious who your volunteers are, using name tags, signs, or shirts so that guests know who to go to for help.

Have an overflow seating plan

Your Christmas Eve or Christmas services are usually the biggest one of the year, so have a solid plan in place for overflow seating. This includes volunteers assigned to grab more seating or direct people to a different area to watch the service. It also includes the tech team or extra tech volunteers to broadcast the service in the overflow room and attend to any potential sound issues.

Get Visitor Contact Information

Get your guests to share their contact information by offering something in return. My church gives $5 to the local food bank for each connect card that’s completely filled out and put into the offering bucket. Find what works for you and your church and do what you can to collect your guest’s information.

Engage in Meaningful Follow-Up

Follow-up on Christmas Eve immediately following the worship service. Yes, we realize that there are other things to do Christmas Eve! It’s inconvenient and everyone’s tired and wants to go home. We get that! Churches that are growing have leaders who are willing to work their tail off to get and maintain momentum to build the Kingdom

Make Your Christmas Eve Service Remarkable

Take your creativity to such a level that the service and your guests experience is talked about for weeks to come. We want your guests to be telling their friends and family about their experience so that their friends and family will want to come and experience your services for themselves.

Give Visitors a Reason to Return

Several times during the Christmas Eve service, make a big deal about your new sermon series that starts the following week or the first week of January. Use popular movies and community concerns to develop impactful sermon series. Whatever you do, be sure that you invite your guests back!

Poor hospitality is the #1 reason first-time visitors don’t return. Express this to your staff and volunteers. You have an opportunity this Christmas to share the message of Christ and draw people into your church. It’s time for all hands on deck!

What special things do you do at your church to retain your Christmas guests?

Written by Meggan Jacobus. Meggan is the staffing manager at Froot Group, a worship staffing and consulting company.