How to Lead Your Christmas Planning

Encouraging Leaders to Delegate, Plan, and Stay Focused If you cannot see images, please [click here]( [logo]( [Shop CTA Products]( [Women's Ministry]( [Men's Ministry]( [Children's Ministry]( [General Ministry]( [CTA Advantage]( December 2022 Leading Christmas Planning By Kristin Schultz Christmas is an ideal season to provide opportunities for members and the community to hear and connect with the saving message of God’s love for us in Jesus. With all the extra activities that go on during the Christmas preparation and Christmastime, effective planning is essential. Sometimes, however, when making plans and organizing additional worship services, children’s programs, service opportunities, and clothing or food drives, it becomes easy to get overwhelmed and stressed. In those moments, we tend to take our eyes off the real reason we celebrate Christmas . . . [Read More]( [Shop]( tips & trends December is a very busy month for churchworkers and volunteers. In addition to personal or family activities and obligations, additional ministry events quickly fill the calendar and occupy our thoughts. As you lead and prepare this holiday season, here are some practical ways you, your staff, and your volunteers can stay organized and prepared. Shared Calendar If your church does not have a master calendar, now is a great time to put one together! If your church has a master calendar but no one looks at it or adds their events to it, now is a great time to remind leaders and volunteers to do so! You can color-code different ministries or spaces on the church property to avoid double-booking a space. No matter the size of your congregation, having a master calendar helps everyone stay organized and in the know. Alternate Plans Weather varies across the United States. December in Los Angeles is quite different from December in Montana. No matter where your church is located, when you plan activities, think through alternate plans should weather make travel or hosting an event impossible. Some activities, like cookie baking or wrapping toy donations, could be postponed or rescheduled. Other events, like Wednesday night Advent potlucks, may have to be canceled if the weather is bad. And still other activities, like a Bible study, might quickly move to Zoom. Making alternate plans ahead of time can reduce stress should you have to pivot or make changes on the fly. Combine Resources Efficiency is the name of the game when life gets busy. With all the running—to stores, food banks, and so on—combining your efforts can save everyone time. For example, you can coordinate catering pickup for multiple ministries. While picking up the donuts for Sunday morning, offer to also buy the snacks and goodies that the Sunday school superintendent needs for their Birthday Party for Jesus event. Ministries can also combine efforts for larger impact. For example, if both the youth ministry and a women’s small group plan to host a food drive, encourage them to combine their efforts. Not only will the two groups get to know each other better, but one large collection event is more likely to be successful than two small events. For larger events, you may want to designate a person to go to the store during the event should you run out of paper goods, ingredients, or other necessities. Make sure to record who has permission to use a church credit card and be diligent about collecting receipts. Organization and communication are always important to running an effective ministry. In the lead-up to Christmas, however, having all the ministry stakeholders on the same page is crucial. Find the communication, organization styles, and channels that work best in your context. You are welcome to copy this article for one-time use when you include this credit line and receive no monetary benefit from it: © 2022 CTA, Inc. Used with permission. Other helpful blogs: [Worship and Bow Down—Slowing Down During the Christmas Season]( by Cyndee Ownbey [Stress at Christmas: How to Help Minimize It for Ministry Leaders and Their Teams]( by Kristin Schultz [Wonders of His Love]( by Cherie Werner The Advantage - Digital Content: A library of unique ministry-focused digital resources & content. - Free Standard Shipping: On every order from our product store at [ctainc.com](. - Samples: Exclusive sample products delivered to your door twice a year. [Sign Up for FREE 30-Day Trial!]( [facebook]( [pinterest]( [youtube]( [instagram]( CTA, Inc. 1653 LARKIN WILLIAMS ROAD Suite 202, FENTON, MO 63026, United States customerservice@ctainc.com []( This email was sent to {EMAIL} because you've subscribed on our site or made a purchase. [Unsubscribe]( | [Edit preferences](