Tag: Worship

Preparing a Powerful Easter Service as a Worship Pastor

Preparing a Powerful Easter Service as a Worship Pastor

Preparing a Powerful Easter Service as a Worship Pastor

Easter is a great day for celebration in the church! It’s also a great day for a gallon of coffee, nerves, anxiety, and stress… If you’re a worship pastor of course.

We kid, but if you are a worship pastor, you can probably relate on some level. The only reason those of us in the church get stressed about Easter is because we recognize how important of a holiday it is. There’s going to be people in the seats/pews that don’t normally attend church, and this is there chance to hear the Good News – perhaps for the first time!

That’s exciting, but it’s a big responsibility to bear. You probably have a lot on your plate, and it can be difficult to figure out what the most important tasks are to get done first. So if that’s where you’re at right now, here are ways that you can adequately prepare for Easter church services as a worship pastor!

Be on Top of the Schedule

You need to figure out scheduling details far in advance to Easter services. While it may be easy to find band members last minute for regular Sundays, people take time off for spring break and go out of town. If you aren’t on top of the schedule for Easter weekend, you’re going to be in a last-second pinch trying to find musicians.

Also, while you’re not “technically” supposed to have favorites, you know which of your team members are most talented and come most prepared to rehearsals. Try to touch base with all volunteers that you most want to be a part of Easter service far in advance to lock them in for the weekend! Easter is an important weekend for everyone – including the band – to put their best foot forward in providing an incredible worship experience for the congregation.

Get Creative with the Music

Easter is a great Sunday to not follow your typical: “2-songs, worship words, offering song” pattern. Not only are you trying to make the service unique and engaging for new attenders – you’re also trying to tell a story. That alone sets up a great canvas for creativity in your worship songs.

Before searching for songs, talk with your pastor to figure out what you want the overarching “vibe” and atmosphere to be on Easter. Are you going to go with a stripped acoustic folk type of setting, or an upbeat “Hillsong Young & Free” type of vibe?

Also, get really creative with transitions. Easter is not the time for awkward dead silence and capo changes between songs. If you’re using tracks, trying setting them up to seamlessly run into each other. If not, plan for the band to carry those transitions with swells between songs to make everything seamless.

Find Engaging Visual Media

Easter is a time to have fun with your church’s visual media – whether that’s mini-movies or motion backgrounds for lyric screens. Just have fun with it! Find stuff that compliments your stage design and lighting choices for each song. Look for vibrant backgrounds and try to choose media that accompanies the mood of each song.

We’ve created several collections, such as Paint FlowPaint Swirl, and Vapor that are vibrant and versatile in mood through different available speeds and colors.

Rest and Prepare Your Heart

None of this matters if you show up on Easter Sunday exhausted, groggy, and frustrated. And trust us – if you don’t get the rest you need and prepare your heart in advance, you absolutely will. You want to be excited and present on Sunday morning. Your worship team feeds off of it. Your staff feeds off of it. The congregation notices and responds to it.

Do what you need to be at your best on Easter Sunday, because your mood contributes so much to the atmosphere and emotions of everyone else there. Get a full 8-hours of sleep that week. Spend time in prayer and in Scripture, reflecting on the importance of this season and reminding yourself of why this day is so important and exciting to be a part of. Recognize the blessing you have to be a part of it and show up on Sunday ready to focus all your attention on making the experience incredible for everyone there!

Article written by: Emma Tarp

Article taken from here.

MinistryJobs.com/blog

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

Article taken from here.

Top Worship Songs for Christmas 2023

Songs of joy, peace, and hope for the season.

Ideas for your setlist leading up to Christmas and unique arrangements of classics for your special services.

The Christmas season is a special time meant to focus on the joy, peace, and hope found in Christ. We celebrate by singing beautiful classics and mixing in new worshipful arrangements. Every church is different, and there are many ways you can make this season special.

Here’s a list of some of our favorite songs in each of these categories. There are even more available in our Christmas collection.

New Arrangements for Christmas Classics

Angels We Have Heard On High by Worship Artistry

Angels From The Realm Of Glory by Worship Artistry

Joy To The World by Phil Wickham

Silent Night by Worship Artistry

The First Noel by Worship Artistry

O Little Town Of Bethlehem by Worship Artistry

Come Thou Long Expected Jesus by Meredith Andrews

I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day by Worship Artistry

God Rest Ye Mary Gentleman by Worship Artistry

Hark The Herald Angels Sing by Worship Artistry

Noel by Hillsong Worship

Joyful Joyful by Worship Artistry

What Child Is This by Worship Artistry

Away In A Manger by Worship Artistry

O Come All Ye Faithful / We Adore You by Paul Baloche

It Came Upon A Midnight Clear by Worship Artistry

Go Tell It On The Mountain by Worship Artistry

Silent Night by Chris Tomlin

O Come O Come Emmanuel by Worship Artistry

O Come All Ye Faithful by Worship Artistry

 

Christmas Worship Songs

Emmanuel God With Us by Chris Tomlin

Messiah by Francesca Battistelli

His Name Is Wonderful by Chris Tomlin

Gloria by Chris Tomlin

Hope Has A Name by Passion, Kristian Stanfill

Christmas Day by Chris Tomlin and We The Kingdom

Born Is The King (It’s Christmas Time) by Hillsong Worship

King Of Kings by Hillsong Worship

Adore by Chris Tomlin

Seasons by Hillsong Worship

God With Us by All Sons and Daughters

 

CCLI Top Songs Christmas

Joy To The World (Unspeakable Joy) by Chris Tomlin and We The Kingdom

Noel by Chris Tomlin

He Shall Reign Forevermore by Chris Tomlin

Joy To The World by Hillsong Worship

Hark The Herald Angels Sing / King Of Heaven by Paul Baloche

Light Of The World by Lauren Daigle

Christmas Offering by Paul Baloche

Here Comes Heaven by Elevation Worship

View all these lessons and more on our Christmas collection. If you need more ideas for your setlists this season, view this list from CCLI.

Written by Kristina Kislyanka. Kristina is the Marketing Manager, podcast co-host and sometimes vocalist at Worship Artistry. She is the Worship Pastor at her church in Washington state. She’s passionate about songwriting, producing music, and growing community within the Church. 

Article taken from here.

5 Crucial Lessons I’ve Learned in the Last 10 Years of Worship Leading

There have been many hills and valleys over the years and each one brought some lesson for me to learn from.

After coming to a saving faith in college, I quickly started serving on worship teams. First as a guitar player and soon as a worship leader. I have had the chance to serve with so many incredible people that I am so thankful to call friends. Throughout these different environments and roles I have learned a lot. Today, I want to share some of those lessons I learned; some the easy way, some the hard way. (Cough) Okay…usually the hard way.

1. Stay Submitted to Your Senior Leaders

You can sacrifice your time, your money, your relationships at the service of your ministry but it is truly all for nothing if you are not obedient to the Lord and your leaders. Making the decision to be obedient will do tremendous things for your relationships. It shows the people around you how to serve well and shows the people you serve how much you honor them.

So much of our role as worship leaders is based in close relationships.

Your relationship with your pastor, your co-workers or co-volunteers, and your team to name a few. The more you can buy into the vision your pastor has for your church the more that vision can come to fruition & the stronger those relationships become.

Submission is easy if you agree with everything, but it really matters most when you don’t agree.

Every ministry within your church should all be running after the same overarching mission. God’s heart for your church is that your team affirms the overall mission He’s laid in the heart of your senior leaders. All throughout the Bible there are great examples of honoring and serving your leaders well, seeking to serve and honor your leaders as people like Daniel and Joseph did. I truly believe that there is significant blessing that’s poured out when we are committed to doing this well.

2. We are All One Little Justification Away from a Massive Moral Failure

We need to always be conscious of how to approach things like faithfulness, honesty, integrity, purity, diligence, dedication, and kindness in all moments. A little bit of rudeness here, a little deception there builds on itself and will seep into your ministry.

So many of the major moral failures we’ve seen from prominent leaders throughout the years began with little compromises they made early on.

As leaders we can not get into the habit of justification. That’s something we really have to protect! Justifying using the church card for an extra coffee you might even technically deserve quickly turns into justifying embezzling way more in the future. Don’t believe me? I have a friend who watched that exact thing go down. The worst part, the person who did it was and is a phenomenal pastor; it was justification in the small things that lead to justification in the unthinkable things.

On a positive note, the good habits built everyday will also become pillars of your ministry.

None of us is perfect, but we serve a perfect God that imparts grace that empowers us to do beyond willpower. Willpower is fragile compared to grace, where you are weak he is strong.

3. Quality Gear Does Help, But it’s Not Everything

Much of what I have written about for Worship Online has been about gear. Gear is cool, fun, and so easy to waste a night shopping for the dream rig only to change it three months later when the next thing comes out. There will always be new gear coming out that feels like a need, but trust me, there has been plenty of incredible music made without Strymon, Nord, or Gretsch.

Quality gear does help and really does make things better, but only to a point.

That point is for you to have an honest conversation with yourself regarding your personal situation. Touring the world, playing large venues every night as part of a very high level production team? The spaceship pedalboard makes a lot of sense… but only to an extent.

(sidenote: I know touring acts playing arenas every night with pedalboards that would make the worship guitar Facebook groups laugh, but the tone they get from their board is better than 90% of the people in those Facebook groups.)

Church plant, one person worship team, in a hotel conference room? Just make sure you are in tune and people can hear you. Those are obviously two extremes, but find your place along that spectrum. 

The most important thing here is, learn to maximize what you have.

You don’t have to have expensive gear to sound great. We are in the middle of a series with Chad Carouthers proving this very point 8 guitar pedals that are almost all under $50.

4. Anticipating the Unexpected is the Best Kind of Preparation

I grew up playing football. As I got older, the more serious the preparation became. Two-a-day summer practices, film study, weightlifting, and game-planing. Game-planing of all of those was the most complicated. You would spend hours of study and repetition to prepare for the best approach to a very specific situation in hopes of success.

Things would get really interesting when the other team would do something we hadn’t prepared for. What separated the good coaches from the not-so-good coaches was their ability to adjust and succeed despite the change.

Many of us prepare for a service with an approach of everything going according to plan, but how often do things not go according to plan? Often.

Pastor asks for the band to come up when initially that wasn’t the plan. The tracks computer shuts down unexpectedly. The drummer doesn’t show up! You feel strongly on your heart to take the worship service an entirely different direction.

These are just a few things that are very common. How you prepare for the unexpected by teaching your team how to flow spontaneously, having a back-up click metronome next to the tracks computer, and things like this helps you be ready for anything unexpected that comes your way; whether it be the leading of the Holy Spirit or the leading of the worship fail monster.

5. Minute By Minute, Breath By Breath I Need Him

Over the years I have had so many conversations with other worship leaders that were from a place of stress and being worn down. We wear the effect of our situations differently than so many people, because we see so many different stressors. The most constant thing about what we do and who we are is the faithful Father we love and serve.

It is amazing to me how easy it is to get caught up in all the day to day things and somehow take our eyes off the Father; despite that we spend so much time saturated in songs about Him, teachings about Him, serving His people, and having meetings about how we can better serve His people.

All this shows me is that I need him minute by minute, breath by breath. No time spent focusing on God is wasted time. He is the only true source of peace we have and he eagerly waits for us to go to him seeking that peace. 

I hope the things that I’ve learned, often through doing things wrong, will help you avoid the same mistakes that I’ve made.

But in the same breath, you can’t be a perfect leader, so don’t hold yourself to that standard. The success of your life is determined by who you are in the Lord as a child of God. That status doesn’t waver, so remain in Him and obedient to the call. Outside of that, be the best you can be and give yourself grace as you become better and better.

Written by Michael Waring

Article taken from here.

How to Have Better Conversations With Your Senior Leader

If you are a children’s pastor, youth director, or next-gen leader, chances are you have asked yourself some version of the following questions.

How do I help my senior leader understand my vision?

Is there a way to get my senior leader to agree with me on this decision?

How do I get my senior leader to see things my way?

Part of leading a next-gen ministry is leading up to your senior leadership, so how do you have better conversations with your senior leader?

1) Think about the bigger picture.

Just like there are elements or dynamics of your job that your senior leadership may not fully understand, there are also elements of your pastor’s job that you may not be aware of or fully understand. It’s easy to look at your pastor and wonder why they made a particular decision. But other dynamics may be playing into that decision. Your senior pastor may be managing board dynamics, staffing issues, or budget restrictions. By understanding that they have to see the whole picture while you carry your ministry’s vision, you’ll be able to build a bridge and have better conversations.

Before presenting a new idea, try asking yourself these questions.

If I were in their shoes and position, what dynamics would play into this decision?

What information will they need to know?

How does this decision affect the church as a whole?

You will earn points with your leader when you show that you have thought beyond just your ministry.

 

2) Ask, don’t demand.

When you present new ideas, try posing them as questions. Use phrases like, “Would it be possible to” or “Would you be open to.” By asking questions instead of making demands, you start the conversation with less tension and leave more room to discuss the idea.

 

3) Try it as an experiment.

If you are making a significant change, ask for a trial period. Offer to try it for a few months and then re-evaluate if it doesn’t work. Not only does this demonstrate flexibility, but it also makes the decision less overwhelming.

 

4) Give your leader time.

Remember, there may be other dynamics that affect this decision. Your pastor may even have to run the decision by a board, elders, or other staff. By giving them time to think about it, they can make better decisions and will most likely feel more positive about the conversation in general.

Written By Carey Nieuwhof
Article taken from here.

What to Look for in a New Worship Pastor Job

Looking for a new worship pastor position at a new church? Things to consider:

In early 2014, I was working at a university and received an invitation to bring a team of students to a church in Colorado Springs. The trip went well. Eventually it led to my wife and I flying out to this church once a month. Every trip we would do training and lead worship on Sunday morning; which ended up lasting fifteen months. About halfway through our “consultation” period we began to sense that this church could very well be our next home. Sure enough, in the spring of 2015 we committed and moved that fall.

We had an ideal situation for choosing a next ministry destination:

(1) plenty of hours spent on the ground, (2) over a long period of time, (3) while engaging with congregants, staff, and the senior pastor. All of these factors gave us the opportunity to discern what it might be like to live, work, and worship with those people.

I doubt the slow process like this will ever happen like that again, but I’m grateful for it. Typically the timeline of “trying out” is more compressed, which on top of asking all the questions, makes it difficult to really grasp the culture of a church.

There are three groups of people that are important to engage with while auditioning for a new position.

Here I’ll share who they are and what kinds of things I’d be asking and listening for in times of engagement.

Senior Pastor / Senior Leadership

In most Evangelical or charismatic churches, the senior pastor is the key culture setter and decision maker. The first two questions I’d ask is: Who will your direct report be? And how directly involved will the senior pastor be in your department?

Obviously, the senior leader casts the overall vision, but some senior pastors have very generic, basic wishes for their worship leader and will be relatively uninvolved in your day-to-day operations. Other times – particularly if they are former worship leaders themselves – the senior leader will have very specific expectations down to weekly involvement in song selection, style, service flow, etc.

Some people work better with regular specific guidance. Others will hate it and feel micromanaged.

Let me be clear: neither is inherently right or wrong. You just don’t want to be three months in and have this blindside you.

Don’t be afraid to ask specific questions.

Are you being hired to be the primary worship or to build a great team?

Or are you being hired to be a production manager / creative director with the title “Worship Pastor”?

If it seems like there’s a lack of clarity from the senior leader, get more specific.

Ask things like:

How do you envision me spending the bulk of my time? Songwriting? Meeting with team members and volunteers? Praying and preparing solely for Sunday morning?

You need to know the Senior Pastor’s vision for you position & all of these questions will help you draw it out – despite what’s posted in the job description.

At the end of the day, if you feel like you can align with the vision that the senior leader casts for your position there’s a good chance you’ll be able to thrive. If not, you probably shouldn’t take the position even if the benefit package is fantastic.

Current Staff Members (Colleagues)

One of the greatest things the pastor did when we were auditioning was setting up time with other staff members, where he wasn’t there, with explicit permission to ask them anything we wanted. It revealed his security as a leader to trust employees to talk about the strengths and weaknesses of the organization and not feel threatened by it. If you request this and it’s either denied or evaded then that might be a sign that the culture isn’t open and honest.

If you are able to get time with future colleagues, ask them what it’s really like to work there.

Is it common for things to change at the last minute with no rhyme or reason given?

Difficult to get vacations approved or what typically happens when personal requests are made?

Flexibility with office hours or is it more of a “clock in, clock out” environment?

When you’re asking these questions, do you sense fear or dishonestly in their answers?

Candidly, do they seem scared for their jobs? Or do they seem to have healthy relationships with their direct reports?

Lastly, inquire about the workplace expectations.

Does every little thing require approval?

Is there space to have open conversations and share disagreements with superiors?

This group can be the most tricky to get direct answers from, but if you ask good questions and pay attention you can learn a lot about how the organization really works.

The Volunteers in Your Area

Volunteers are choosing to attend and serve in this ministry; which is where you should expect to learn the best things about the church. They have nothing to lose! Weaknesses in the ministry are easiest to find out about from volunteers.

With volunteers I would ask questions like:

What drew you to this church and what has kept you here (you’d be surprised how often they’re not the same)?

Which areas of the church have you participated in and which areas seem to be the most healthy and life-giving?

Then I would ask them pointed questions about the worship ministry.

Do you feel like your voice is honored when you share thoughts, opinions, or suggestions?

How have you been treated when you’ve needed to take time off or request off for sickness?

Try and get a sense of any unspoken frustrations. Maybe there aren’t any – fantastic! That also speaks to the culture.

The most crucial thing to remember…

There are no perfect churches and we all know that. But there are churches who are honest with their imperfections and are pursuing Christlikeness together – then there are others who aren’t.

Ultimately, you want to be where God wants you to be. But, unless you sense a strong call from God, you don’t want to be in an unhealthy, stifling environment where fear and control pervade the culture. Engaging with these three groups of people can help you discern if this is that kind of place or not.

 

Written By Jonathan Swindal
Article taken from https://worshiponline.com/what-to-look-for-in-a-new-worship-pastor-job/
For more info and resources about worship ministry > https://worshiponline.com/