Christmas in October

If you’ve been to Target recently, you already know that Christmas is coming.  It’s almost painful to look at.  Today, it’s over 70 degrees here in Chicago and I know that Christmas is on my mind.  Why you ask?  Because as a worship leader, it’s my job. 

Christmas Eve is the Super Bowl of church services.  More people will attend the Christmas Eve than any other services.  So, it’s my job to make them memorable and enjoyable for everyone that attends.  Pastors, worship leaders, and entire church staffs toil over these services for months trying to make them great.  But why don’t we take the same care and preparation with the other 51 weeks in the year?  Why don’t we, as churches, put forth the same kind of effort and planning into all of our services, like we do for Christmas Eve?

First of all, a good percentage of churches don’t work ahead.  Pastors plan their sermons on Wednesday and speak on Sunday.  This gives the worship leader 4 days to get music together.  This puts the worship team at a disadvantage to learn new music.  It promotes a style of leadership that leads from “week to week.”  Every week is a “big emergency.”  Everyone is stressed and no one has the proper time to put their “best foot forward.”  Sundays end up looking rushed and thrown together.  The main idea may get across, but the execution of that idea isn’t done well.

Second, we claim that it’s a “special time of year.”  Well, of course it is.  Christmas trees are up.  Lights are lit.  Families come together.  It’s great.  But what is the purpose of Sunday worship?  If the true purpose of Sunday morning corporate worship is to glorify God with other believers, then shouldn’t we be as excited every Sunday like we are on Christmas Eve?  The reason why we worship on Sunday mornings is to remind us what Jesus did on Easter Sunday morning almost 2,000 years ago.  Sunday mornings are supposed to be a celebration of the eternal freedom that we have in Christ Jesus.  But, unfortunately, some look at it as just another thing to do or don’t even go or care at all.

Our Christmas Eve service is planned, and yes, we will put a little more effort into it than a regular Sunday service.  But because we are a church that plans ahead, we put a lot of effort into each week.  It’s my hope and prayer that your churches can plan ahead and make sure that every week is special.  That will help grow your church spiritually.  And when your church is growing spiritually, your church can’t help but grow numerically.