Worship leaders, Christmas doesn’t have to mean bigger productions, more elaborate arrangements, or trying to outdo last year. Sometimes, the most meaningful thing you can do is simplify.
Here are five pleas for this Christmas season:
1. Stop trying to outdo last year. You don’t need a bigger production or a more elaborate presentation every Christmas. Focus on being faithful to what God has called you to do rather than constantly trying to top yourself.
2. Sing traditional Christmas carols. Songs like “Joy to the World,” “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” help your entire congregation sing together. You don’t have to add a new chorus or reinvent every arrangement. Sometimes, the traditional version is exactly what people need.
3. Read the Christmas story straight from the Bible. God’s Word doesn’t need an elaborate presentation to be meaningful. Open to Luke 2 and let the story speak for itself. You can get creative with how you incorporate Scripture, but don’t let the desire for something new push the biblical account to the sidelines.
4. Let clarity trump creativity. Creative elements can serve your Christmas service, but they should help communicate the message, not obscure it. The goal isn’t for people to leave saying, “That was an amazing production.” It’s for them to understand and remember the truth about Jesus.
5. Plan how you’ll communicate the gospel. Christmas isn’t only about Jesus being born in a manger. He came to live a perfect life, die for our sins, and rise again so we could be reconciled to God. Don’t let the excitement of the Christmas story overshadow the reason Jesus came.
Your Christmas service doesn’t need to be the biggest or most creative one you’ve ever done. Keep the focus on God’s Word, help your congregation sing together, communicate the gospel clearly, and be faithful to the ministry God has given you.
Be sure to watch the full video for the fuller context behind these five pleas and more of Spencer’s thoughts on preparing for Christmas worship!
