Christmas is coming! That means it's time to start planning your Christmas services. Don't wait until the last minute to figure out what you're going to do. If you want to lead well, you've got to plan early. When you plan early, you aren't stressed about what's going to happen. Plus, planning earlier allows you to do more and do it all better. So get to planning!

Here are 3 things to remember when planning your Christmas service:

1 | Traditional songs

There are always people who only come to church twice a year - once for Easter and once for Christmas. You can ignore them OR you can embrace them and welcome them in! Part of making them feel comfortable is singing songs they know. Luckily, the Christmas seasons has tons of familiar songs for people to sing.

When you're planning, don't forget about the traditional Christmas songs. Pick a few that you want to incorporate into your Christmas gatherings this year and start to learn them now!

2 | Modern worship songs

While traditional Christmas songs are great, it's still a good idea to include some more modern Christmas songs. Be careful when you choose these songs. Make sure that they are CONGREGATIONAL worship songs. Most of the time, the Christmas songs you hear on Christian radio are meant for the radio and not necessarily for the church. They tell a story, but they aren't written to be sung together. When you lead worship, you want to give people the opportunity to RESPOND to the Christmas story. Chris Tomlin's Christmas albums are a great example of congregational worship Christmas songs.

3 | Support the theme

Pick songs that support your pastor's message. The songs you choose should not just be a random collection of Christmas songs. Support the theme of your service. And, by the way, your theme isn't just "Christmas." Ask your pastor what they're going to be preaching on (get more detail than just "The Christmas story") and choose songs that support that.

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