Planning for Christmas

Rev. Joshua Patty
Regional Minister and President

Like many, you are probably making worship plans for the Advent and Christmas seasons. As with all planning in recent months, we face many unknowns which makes it the whole process more difficult.

Even with some unknowns, I think we can expect certain things. There will be a strong desire for people to share some of the traditions of the season. There will be additional opportunities to invite people to share music or lead parts of the service. There will be powerful emotions and expectations about what is meaningful in these seasons.

I worry that the grief many experience during the holidays will be heightened this season. Not only will the Thanksgiving and Christmas remind people of loved ones who have passed away, but the end of the year will invite many to take stock of all that has happened -- and there is a lot of loss and grief in the past two years.

Many look for an opportunity to host a Blue Christmas or a Service of Remembrance during this time of year. This can offer a holy space to admit the sadness often experienced during this season of love and joy. Even if you do not host a full service, you might look for opportunities in prayers and other pieces of worship to demonstrate awareness of and solidarity with those who grieve.

Christmas Eve is often an unrealized opportunity to invite guests to join worship. Many congregations expect visiting family members to participate. However, there are also many people without a church home who would welcome the chance to worship on this holy day. Many of these may look for ways to worship online, rather than in person.

As a worship leader, your responsibility is to create meaningful worship for those who gather, however they gather. This year, I hope you spend significant time imagining how people will engage and worship with you in digital space. Help them not only watch worship, but participate in meaningful ways. Perhaps you can use a chat function to invite prayer requests and offer prayers. Maybe you can suggest ways people can share love and gifts in their community. And you can highlight upcoming ways (Bible study, fellowship groups, etc.) that people can participate in your ministry in the new year. Who knows? Some of these people may commit to finding a church home in 2022, and you get an early opportunity to welcome them into the life of your church.

Regional Worship Resources for December 26

Again this year, our regional staff wants to offer a gift to the pastors and worship leaders in our congregations. We will prepare and provide a recorded worship service for Sunday, December 26 -- the Sunday after Christmas.

This worship service will be available in its entirety on YouTube, premiering at 10 am that morning. You will also be able to download the full service, or specific components of the service, for use in your congregation's worship service that day (whether in person or online).

The content for this service, including link to the YouTube version, will be available by December 17.