Churches with fewer than 250 in average worship attendance account for 92 percent of all churches in the United States. At Church Answers, we call these congregations “standard churches” because they represent all but 8 percent of churches. It is incumbent upon us, therefore, to discern what important trends and developments are taking place that have direct bearing on standard churches. Here are five major developments.
What is Most Important for a Church Guest Services Team?
...this is THE most important responsibility of a guest services team...
Pastors urge congregations to see the 'darkness,' 'waiting' of Christmas season
While many consider December a time of winter celebrations, presents and parties, some pastors are urging their congregations to focus on the "darkness" and the waiting of the Advent season.
In praise of a quieter Christmas
For some, Christmas can be a difficult time of memories, and of loss. So increasingly churches in the UK, US and other countries are recognising this by holding 'Blue Christmas' services for those who may be mourning.
UMC Discipleship Miistries offers ideas and resources about how to plan such a service for your setting. The link is https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/blue-christmaslongest-night-worship-with-those-who-mourn. This material is adaptible to the context of other denominational and non-denominational churches.9 Common Myths Christians Believe At Christmas
Here are nine common myths Christians believe at Christmas....
3 Ways Pastors Can Experience the Joys of Christmas Too
Christmas creates leadership challenges for pastors. Here are three practices to make this season the most wonderful time of the year.
7 Suggestions For Pastors And Christmas Services
Ron Edmondsson shares 7 suggestions for churches to consider.
5 Best Practices For Leading Worship For Christmas
How do we lead worship for Christmas?
Dan Wilt makes some good suggestions in this article. However, I disagree with him on two major points. Advent is NOT the beginning of Christmas. It is a separate season from Christmas with its own focus, hymns, songs and traditions. Too often we allow Christmas to overshadow Advent. His formula for the use of Christmas carols on the Sundays of Advent turns Advent into an extension of Christmas and in my considered opinion makes a church's Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebrations anti-climatic. At the same time I recognize that in the four weeks leading up to the Christmas Season churches may feel a need to sing Christmas carols. This need, I believe, can be met outside a church's regular services on the Sundays of Advent. Churches can have an evening Christmas carol sing toward the end of the Advent Season. They can have a chili supper one evening and then church members can go caroling in the neighborhood or community, returning to the church building afterwards for hot chocolate. Church members can visit a nursing home or retirement independent living facility and sing Christmas carols for the residents.Elements of Effective Groups
Allen White digs into what makes an effective small group.
We know Christ’s birth should be the heartbeat of our Christmas, yet simple habits of praying and reading the Bible get squeezed out.
UMC pastor suspended after Arkansas Conference rejects second disaffiliation vote
A regional body of the United Methodist Church has suspended the senior pastor of an Arkansas congregation that held a second vote to disaffiliate from the second-largest Protestant denomination in the country amid the schism over homosexuality.
Single, non-religious young adults are most unhappy Americans post-COVID-19: report
Young adults under 35 who are single and non-religious report the highest levels of unhappiness since the COVID-19 pandemic began and since 1972, when the General Social Survey began measuring levels of happiness among Americans, a new analysis from the Institute of Family Studies suggests.
No comments:
Post a Comment