articles

Advent and Christmas Resources

Need resources for Advent and Christmas? Joyce Borger is here for you. She’s put together a comprehensive collection of Advent and Christmas resources to support worship planning. This selection includes weekly service series, lessons and carols, specialized services like Longest Night and Blue Christmas, children’s pageants, and advent candle lighting…

10 Ways to Prepare for Your Christmas Services

Christmas is coming, even if it doesn’t quite feel like it yet! For church leaders, now is the time to start planning for your Christmas services and series. Getting a head start on preparation can pay huge dividends down the road. In this article, church leaders from a variety of…

How Worship Leaders Can Stay Sane On the Christmas Treadmill

The holiday ministry rush feels like jumping on a treadmill and cranking it up to 12. If you’re wondering how to avoid ending up on the dirty gym floor, you’re not alone. In this heartfelt piece, we explore the delicate balance worship leaders face during the Christmas season – between…

[PODCAST] Embracing Digital for Church Growth: Insights from Jay Kranda

Want to take your church’s digital ministry beyond just livestreaming? This week on the UnSeminary podcast, join Jay Kranda as he breaks down the best digital strategies in the modern church. He shares only the best ideas for using technology to enhance (not replace) in-person community. From avoiding trendy distractions…

A Christmas Service for Those Experiencing Loss

During the joy-filled holiday season, an innovative church service has emerged that creates space for those experiencing grief and loss. Born from tragedy, this pre-Christmas gathering combines gentle ritual, music, and community support to offer comfort to anyone carrying sorrow – whether from losing a loved one, a job, a…

[PODCAST] Phil Wickham on Getting Priorities Straight & Christmas

Phil Wickham joins the WorshipFuel Podcast to talk about his new Christmas album: ‘Hallelujah! It’s Christmas!’ But also for conversations on meeting your congregation where they’re at (rather than where you want them to be) and getting priorities straight in the world of worship. Listen to the podcast.

Christmas Ideas For Small Churches

Just because you lead a small church doesn’t mean you can’t turn it into a winter wonderland spectacular this Christmas season. Take a deep breath – Nathan Drake has a refreshing message that might just change how you approach holiday worship this year. What if the intimate size of your…

The New Mid-Size Church Advantages

Remember when everyone thought mid-size churches were headed for extinction? Well, here’s a surprising twist: these churches aren’t just surviving—they’re thriving in ways that might make megachurches a bit envious. As the landscape of American Christianity shifts, mid-size churches (typically serving 150-300 people) are discovering they have some unexpected advantages…

5 Classic Christmas Hymns for Worship This Holiday Season

Christmas brings us together to celebrate Jesus’s birth, and while it might be tempting to shake things up with modern elements in your worship services, there’s something truly special about sticking with classic Christmas hymns. Think about it – when you’ve got grandparents humming along with their grandkids to the…

How AI Is Helping Pastors Do More

Leading a small church shouldn’t require pastors to get bogged down with endless emails to write and social media posts to create. So what if you could cut your administrative workload in half while maintaining the personal touch that makes your ministry special? The solution is simple: Artificial Intelligence. This…

What is a ‘Christingle Service’?

Imagine a darkened church gradually coming alive with the warm glow of candlelight, each flame representing the light of Christ in the world. This is the magic of a Christingle service, a beautiful Christmas tradition that combines meaningful symbolism with hands-on participation for people of all ages. At the heart…

Planning Christmas Programs For The Un-Churched

Challenging the notion that inviting unchurched friends to church is the best way to reach them, and rethinking Christmas programs to genuinely connect with unchurched people where they are. Author Becky Stephen shares a story of celebrating Christmas in North India without the typical externals. This led to visiting friends’…

Smart Decisions for Church Production Equipment This Christmas

Christmas is coming, which means you have your eye on those pieces of gear that can create magical Christmas feelings. Time to ask: to purchase, or not to purchase? From snow machines and LED walls to additional lighting and sound equipment, this article dives deep into the real-world experiences of…

Planning Worship for Groups with Diverse Worship Styles

Navigating worship music in multi-church events presents a unique challenge. You want everyone to have a meaningful worship experience, but… how? Kenny Lamm is here to help, offering seven practical strategies for worship leaders who find themselves bridging the gap between traditional hymns and contemporary praise; organ-only and full worship…

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