This year's Rockefeller Center Christmas tree comes with a strong New England accent, and locals could not be more excited.

It seems every year, around Christmas time, a debate begins between Christians and the rest of the World over whether Christmas symbols should be displayed and the traditional greeting "Merry Christmas" should be used as opposed to something more inclusive, like "Happy Holidays." This debate reveals that both sides suffer a deep ignorance of the whole celebration. All religions regard God as a distant, all-powerful being, whose presence and blessings we have to earn by certain religious practices. This, predictably, places a barrier between those practicing a specific religion and all others. Christmas celebrates just the opposite...an inclusive God who loves us all so much and wants to be so close to us, He becomes human and lives with us.

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It is "one of the most picture-perfect places to go for Christmas."

The post One of the best Christmas getaways on the planet is in Vermont, according to Travel + Leisure appeared first on Boston.com.

It may not feel or look anything remotely close to Christmas outside, but there is something in the air that brings back that ol’ “It’s after Labor Day, better get ready for Christmas” feeling. A season enjoyed by some, dreaded by others, but necessary for any who are involved with music in the life of a Church. At All About Worship we are here to help you navigate your way through the challenges and on to a successful season of Christmas cheer and high fives from your Pastor.

First up is how and why you should recruit a choir. So let’s begin with why.

1. It looks, sounds, and feels like Christmas: Blame it on Hollywood Producers if you want, but we all have an iconic image of choirs at Christmas lodged into our brain that actually began at the birth of Jesus with choirs of angels. It’s Biblical and it satisfies the itch.
    
2. It gets people involved…at a temporary level: Pastors are supernaturally driven to see the gifts of their people developed. Most worship leaders are concerned about letting people on the team who are may not be the best at singing or those whose abilities are an unknown. The solution is a Christmas Choir. A chance to let people be a part of something in a group setting where voices are blended and there is no promise of further involvement. A win-win situation.
    
3. Talent scouting: Through the process of rehearsals you will have an opportunity to audition people without having an audition. While you may find some who don’t sing very well, you will also find some diamonds in the rough. People who you didn’t know could sing. Once identified, if you want, ask them to be a part of the regular team.
    
4. It Boosts Attendance: More people involved means more people will show up for the special service. (Also a great reason to include a Children’s choir in your plans as well)
    
5. It’s Fun: Gatherings are a big part of Christmas and it can be a lot of fun. Have people bring snacks and let there be an element of social time.

Ok so now you’re motivated to do it. But now ‘the how’ comes to the forefront so here are some tips:

1. Decide if you’re a recruit/plan or a plan/recruit: If you have a specific piece of music you want to do, it might determine the kind of voices that you are looking for. Thus changing how you will recruit. For example a men’s number will obviously not include the ladies. It might also be that the piece is complicated or that you only have sheet music so a certain level of knowledge or skill is required to participate. However you can also recruit and see whom you get. Then adjust your plan accordingly.
    
2. Determine the Qualifications and Commitment: Make a list of the requirements for participation. Make sure to think about Age, Gender, Ability, Part they Sing, and whether they need to attend your church. You will also want to be able to communicate when rehearsals and events are.
    
3. Ask the Traditional Ways: When it comes to asking for participation most people immediately turn to the bulletin or ask for time during the announcements. A sign up table in foyer or/and a web based sign up form can add some names.
    
4. Ask the Non-Traditional Ways: Have your pastor or announcement person ask the congregation for a show of hands of who has ever been in choir.  Take a moment and look around as these are prime targets for recruitment. If you feel comfortable in doing so, put a little social pressure on these people from the stage to participate.
   
   While the above mentioned methods are good, hands down the best way to recruit is to ask personally. But who to ask? And more specifically what to ask? The best way is to ask anyone, “Do you know anyone who sings?” or “Do you know anyone who was ever in choir?” That’s when people will tell on their friends and neighbors. Giving you the opportunity to approach that person and say, “I heard you used to be in choir?” and then ask them to be a part of the group.
    
5. Have the next step determined: Make it easy to do and clear to understand what to do next. Do they need to fill out a form or just show up at this place on this date?
   
   I would recommend getting people to put their name to something as it can have a higher level of cementing their decision. People are more likely to come if they have signed up rather than if they can decide later if they are coming or not.
    

Hopefully you have inspiration and motivation surging through your veins at this very moment for an amazing Christmas season. In the coming weeks through articles and podcasts we will be discussing what to sing, how to teach people their parts even if they can’t read music, and where to find those resources. But for now, get started because it’s almost the middle of September and time is running out.

Have you heard the news? Christmas IS ON A SUNDAY this year! It doesn’t happen again till 2022 and then again in 2033,2039 and 2050. But like it or not, it’s a reality in the here and now. So what are you going to do about it?

The last time Christmas was on a Sunday was in 2011. Back then a LifeWay Research poll of 1,000 Protestant pastors, 91% were planning on having a service of some kind on Christmas Sunday morning. While 69% said they were also going to have a Christmas Eve service. Of the estimated 9%, who were not planning on having a service, some made national headlines when they decided to cancel.

You might have noticed the term, “service of some kind,” as many churches had modified their regular activities to allow for people to participate in both their family traditions and attend a church service. Many had elected to only do one “family service” (which offered no separate children’s programs) held later in the morning. This was to minimize the demands on volunteers but also to be together on a special day.

This was the approach that my church took in 2011. To say the least, I was a bit skeptical at first. Thinking that few would come and after all the work that goes into Christmas Eve I was not excited about showing up early the next morning. But I can honestly say it was one of the best Christmas’s. First of all, we left everything in place from the night before so we didn’t have to set anything up. Then, like I previously mentioned, the service was later in the day, which allowed for Christmas morning traditions, presents, and breakfast. So that after the wrapping paper had been torn to shreds we actually had something to do. The service lasted about an hour. The worship team did two Christmas songs, we had the kids do a few special songs to tracks, which all the parents and grandparents loved (also brought their family out to church) and didn’t require a bunch of prep or costumes. Our Pastor shared a short message of hope. Not to sound overly spiritual here but it really was a very spiritual moment to be in church on Christmas. After the service concluded we exchanged Christmas greetings with our church family and then headed home to play with new toys, eat again, and spend the day with family.

No matter what you choose to do this Christmas, we just wanted to make you aware it was coming so you could plan. Also wanted to share some thoughts and experiences, but we really wanted to get the conversation started. What did your church do on Sunday Morning Christmas 2011? What worked and what didn’t?  What are you going to do this year?

Leave a comment below or hit us up on twitter.

Anyone who has been serving in the local church long enough knows that ministry is a 24/7 - 365 gig. There is no off-season. There are no slow months. And there definitely is no such thing as part-time. In fact, those times of the year when everyone else is enjoying extra time with family and friends, church leadership is usually pulling overtime like it’s a lifeline.

As I type these words, we are waist deep in the Christmas season. Trees are up and decorated. Garland is strung on anything that will sit still. Sales are in full bloom. On the church front children’s Christmas programs are wrapping up, Christmas Eve service times are being blasted all over social media, and worship leaders all over the world are trying to figure out the perfect set lists. 

That all sounds so simple, doesn’t it? 

If only that were the case. But for most people in church leadership, the Christmas season is anything but simple. I don’t know about you, but this year in particular seems uncharacteristically heavy. It feels like every time I turn around, I learn about someone else in my little corner of the world who is walking through something tragic . . . a death, job loss, divorce, a diagnosis, and the list goes on. Sure, there are plenty of wonderful things happening in the midst, but the fight every single day is to not let those wonderful things get overshadowed by the not-so-wonderful. And I have a feeling that until Jesus comes, that fight is going to get tougher every year. 

So as worship leaders, what role do we play in helping both our worship team members and the people we serve navigate a season that at times can feel more joyless than joyful? Unfortunately there is no secret formula, but I do have a few tips that might resonate with some of you who are entering into Christmas surrounded by people who are suffering, or even walking a tough road yourself.

1. Acknowledge the hurt.

A precious friend of mine lost her 2 1/2 year old little boy unexpectedly right before Thanksgiving this year. Not terribly long after his death, she posted a quote that basically said not to avoid mentioning him out of fear of somehow reminding her that he was gone. She hasn’t forgotten, and never will. Instead what you’re reminding her of is that he lived. The people around us who are hurting don’t wake up some days having forgotten what is going on. They don’t walk through the doors of our churches and suddenly feel all better. So what good does it do for us to tip toe and pretend like nothing is going on, whether face to face or from the stage? When the Bible tells us to rejoice with those who rejoice and to weep with those who weep, it doesn’t say anything about holidays being exceptions or saving it for certain settings. The church operates at her best when she comes around those hurting especially at times like these. So call it for what it is - painful - and you might be amazed at the new level of freedom that is felt in the room.

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. - Romans 12:15

1. Give a reason to celebrate.

When everything is on the table and there is a rich sense of acceptance for everyone regardless of their mental, emotional, or spiritual state, the door to authentic celebration tends to open a little easier. It may not look the same as the person sitting next to them, but reminding them of the truths of who God is, what He’s done, and what He’s still doing will always prove fruitful - even if it’s just one more layer of doubt being broken off. At their lowest points, those who are hurting need to be reminded that there are still things in their lives to find joy in. Then once they are tapping into that joy that only comes from the Lord, they begin to experience a renewed strength they might not have thought was possible.

Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. - Nehemiah 8:10

1. Root it all in HOPE.

The most important piece to the puzzle of loving well those who are hurting is to keep everything established and fixed on HOPE. Nothing you say or do is going to make things all better for them or take their pain away, but the HOPE of Christ can and will move the needle. If a hurting person leaves your presence or your church service knowing and believing that things will not always feel this way and that Jesus is able to replace their suffering with victory, their pain with joy, and their grief with peace, then you’ve done your job well. So keep HOPE as your North Star. Center it all around the fact that a baby was born to change everything, that our current sufferings are not in vain, that He wastes nothing. 

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18

Whether it’s someone on your team walking through the most painful time of his or her life or a family in your congregation experiencing a tragedy, you have been given the opportunity to breathe life back into a place where death has begun settling in. Pray for open eyes to see the hurt around you. Ask the Lord to open doors for you to speak into those lives. Make the most of those chances and watch the Holy Spirit do what He does best. 

Ok. It’s Christmas. It’s the weird time of year where everyone seems so jolly, kids are all well-behaved and the money flows like we are all Bill Gates. It can also be a stressful time of year for parents, teachers, leaders and especially Santa. It becomes super easy to complain and tell everyone how BAD things are...BUT! We can make this the best time of year for people everywhere! This truly is a magical season (and let’s all be reminded of WHY...hint: it’s Jesus), so lets make it so. Help spread the good cheer, so to speak.

So, here are James’ 5 simple ways NOT to be a scrooge (or insert appropriate adjective here) this year.

BE FRIENDLY.

Oh boy, I literally just felt you roll your eyes. Seriously though, this can be overlooked in so many ways. For instance; when was the last time you texted a friend for no reason but to say “I’m thinking about you and praying for your family this season!”. Ok, some of you do that, but what about to people that aren’t really your friends? Take a moment and scroll through your contacts list and see who you can reach out to just as a friendly person to say your thinking about them. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you’ll make more friends and you’ll be giving someone a much needed boost during the day.

BUY STUFF.

Ok, this one is mainly for me. I LOVE presents. Who doesn’t? But, we all know someone around who might need something. Might be clothes, shoes, a jacket...or food. Maybe a neighbor you’ve seen who just moved in, or a friend you know would love a candle for their home. These little things add up and can express value to those around you.

GET TOGETHER.

C'mon people! Have people over to your house! ‘Tis the season for big meals! Hey, and if your house isn’t big enough, then meet at someone else's’! Getting together regularly strengthens friendships and keeps you out of isolation in a season when it's easy to hide away. Force yourself to be with other people on a regular basis.

LAUGH.

For the benefits of this, see my article on “Medicinal Laughter”. Trust me, laughing is good for you. For those of you that aren't funny (I know who you are), practice some jokes! Yes, practice. And practice bad jokes too. It sounds weird but even a poorly told joke, around good people, can lighten up the room and show you are willing to go the extra mile so those around you can laugh and have a good time.  For those of you that are funny, unleash the crazy.

NO COMPLAINING.

This is tough in today's society and culture. Complaining is almost a given. From politics to sports, family to work, we can cover the whole gamut. Make a conscious effort to try focusing on positives in regular conversations. Write down 5 good things that are happening in the world, or at work, or in your family and focus on those things in conversation. Not only will people respond favorably toward you, you’ll feel better too.

There you go. Some good starters for the season, and you might as well carry them through to the new year too. We can have enough battles to face ourselves over Christmas, we might as well not be a battle to someone else. Kapish? ...Kaposh.

Remember, all in all, that we are called to love people and love God. So be a good example of that moving forward!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and New Year!

Christmas, a time for reflection and awe for the upcoming…PRESENTS!! Wait, what? Just kidding, its for Jesus. Right? Join James and Dustin as we talk about the stresses of the Christmas season and how best to overcome it.

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