The Holidays Are Upon Us
The holidays are always a festive time of the year, particularly for the church. It is also an opportunity to attract new members as church attendance generally increases in December. Here are a few things you may want to consider:
Christmas Decorations
Christmas decorations are always an aesthetic boost to any sanctuary. When choosing decorations try to follow a color scheme. Avoid mixing purple and blue and red and green and… I think you get the picture. Do not over decorate. There is nothing worse than a cluttered pulpit. Accentuate your appearance but make sure your sanctuary still looks clean and inviting. Lastly, consider a few fragrance plugins. Don’t overdue it; some people may have allergies or sensitivity to strong smell. However, who doesn’t love the subtle fragrance of apple cinnamon spice during the holiday.
Greeter Continuing Ed
This is a good time to have a refresher meeting with your greeters if you haven’t already. Remind them of the importance of showing the love of Christ through every smile. Listen to any concerns they may have regarding what may be an unusually high number of visitors. Also, discuss dress code. You want visitors to easily recognize your greeters as available and at their service.
Music
Offer a good mix of Christmas music this year. We all love the familiarity of Christmas lyrics but dare to spice it up this year. There are a number of contemporary and modern renditions of the holiday classics. Let your young people get involved and allow them to be creative. Choose songs that celebrate the coming of Christ. Remember, this is about his birth and anticipated return. Avoid songs that reference his death and burial, save those for Easter.
Preaching
This is not the time to preach hell fire and brimstone. This is a time of joy, hope, love and peace. Choose topics that are uplifting and encouraging. (I feel like I shouldn’t have to say that, but I did.) I also suggest a series of some sort if feasible. Series work well in encouraging people to attend more than just one Sunday. Don’t be scared to use props and visible illustrations. This is an exciting time of year and your sermon should be too.
Visitor Follow Up
Are you ready to gather visitor information so you can follow up with them next year? I encourage people to use PewHub. It is an easy system and allows people to quickly sign in via their Facebook Profile. It also asks them to rate their experience and share their insights. This information can be very valuable in planning for next year. PewHub will provide your church with visitor demographics like age range and sex. It will even show you a map of where your visitors live. More than that, PewHub will also allow you to message those visitors, even without their e-mail address. Don’t forget to claim your church and fill in your PewHub profile information. You don’t want people to look for a church that isn’t there.
Well, that’s it for now. I am praying your church be a thriving community this holiday and the love of Christ will permeate the heart of all who enter. Be Blessed and remember…. Keep Fishing!
Rev. Dr. Virgil Woods