A Dozen December Hacks (For Pastors, Worship Teams and Church Leaders):
1) Thank God that you are going to get to work so hard this month! If God hadn’t blessed you so much, you wouldn’t have anything to do.
2) Get plenty of sleep. It matters.
3) Make extra time for prayer. The busier you are the more time you need for prayer.
4) Cancel everything on your calendar that will wait until January.
5) Form a prayer team to uphold your Advent services and Christmas Eve services.
6) Present the Gospel and offer a time of response each service.
7) Eat right and exercise. The last thing you need on Christmas Eve is to feel sluggish.
8) Nail your presentations! Practice until you could do them in your sleep. Hard work gives God something to bless!
9) Mix and mingle before and after services. The personal touch makes all the difference.
10) Encourage your people to invite, invite, invite! Many folks are just one invitation away from attending a Christmas service!
11) Make everyone who steps in your door feel welcome! Greet them in the parking lot, at the door, in the door and as the enter the sanctuary. Give them coffee.
12) Give it everything you have got! After all God gave of His very best!
Merry Christmas pastors, worship teams and church leaders! Thank you for what you do for the Kingdom! Be strong and of good courage!
-Rev. Shane L. Bishop, A Distinguished Evangelist of the United Methodist Church, is the Sr. Pastor of Christ Church in Fairview Heights, Illinois
Rev. Shane L. Bishop 