Blog – Motion Worship – Video Loops, Countdowns, & Moving Backgrounds for the Christian Church

A Pastor’s Guide to Effective Sunday Morning Huddles

Conducting a successful Sunday morning service week after week requires intentional planning and coordination of numerous volunteers. With so many moving parts and on such a tight timeline, holding a Sunday morning huddle is a great tool for setting the morning off on the right foot. A huddle is a dedicated time before the service where volunteers come together to prepare, connect, and align their...

How To Structure a Newcomers Class for Church Membership

Every church congregant goes through certain phases— first, they may just be visiting. If they stick around, they’ll probably attend casually and anonymously for a while. After a little bit, as they feel more belonging and investment in your community, it’s important to give these newcomers the opportunity to take a more concrete step in becoming an active participant in and member of the co...

3 Immersive Ideas for Good Friday Services

Good Friday is a solemn and reflective day in the Christian calendar, commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ for humanity’s sins. On the original Good Friday, Christ-followers did not know that Jesus would rise again in three days. They thought they were witnessing the death of God. When we recognize Good Friday today, we’re solemnly remembering the ultimate act of love that came before...

Meaningful Youth Ministry Trends for 2024

Youth ministry is a dynamic and ever-evolving landscape, shaped by the unique challenges and opportunities of each passing year. As we embark on the journey of 2024, here are the latest trends shaping the spiritual development of today's youth to give you ideas and inspiration for how to breathe new life into your youth ministry in the new year. Digital Discipleship. In an increasingly digital...

Exciting Trends in Kids Ministry for 2024

As we step into 2024, the landscape of kids ministry continues to evolve, driven by innovation, changing societal norms, and the ever-growing need for engaging and impactful experiences for children. Here are some of the most notable trends shaping kids ministry in 2024 to give you insight and inspiration for how to nurture the spiritual growth in your children’s ministry in this new year. Di...

7 Creative Ideas for Approaching Church Small Groups

Small groups play a vital role in fostering community, deepening spiritual connections, and providing support within a church family. It’s easy for churches to fall into a rhythm with groups, offering the same recurring studies and breakouts based on age and gender. While there’s nothing wrong with consistency— especially if it’s serving your community!— your church has the creative oppo...

How to Build a Strong Teaching Team at Your Church

Does your church need a teaching team? In many churches, the role of teaching and preaching often falls on a single individual, typically the pastor. While this tradition has its merits, there are numerous benefits to building a church teaching team. A teaching team can bring diversity, depth, and a broader range of perspectives to the pulpit. It also allows for pastors to lean into their gifts a...

Six Church Service Ideas for the Sunday After Thanksgiving

The week after Thanksgiving is a special time for church communities to come together and reflect on gratitude, share in fellowship, and spread love to those in need. It's an opportunity to transition from a season of thankfulness to a season of giving. In this blog post, we'll explore some creative church service ideas for the week after Thanksgiving that can help foster a sense of unity, service...

Buy It or Write It: Choosing Curriculum for Kids’ Ministry

As a Children's Pastor, implementing a curriculum that will guide the spiritual growth and development of the young minds in your care is just one of your many important tasks. When it comes to curriculum, there are two main options: purchasing a ready-made curriculum or crafting your own from scratch. Both approaches have their merits, and in this post, we'll explore the pros and cons of each to ...

6 Inspiring Student Ministry Series Ideas for the Fall

Fall is an exciting time of transition in our ministries. Not only do the leaves start to change and the air turns crisp, but students are returning to school, moving up grade levels, and ready to get back to work. In youth ministry, we have the opportunity to ride the momentum of this back to school energy and invigorate an atmosphere where young hearts can encounter God in fresh and meaningful w...

Talking About the Theology of Worship Lyrics

As worship pastors, we know that leading our congregations in worship is not just about playing music and singing songs. It’s about creating a space for people to connect with God, and one way we do that is through the songs we choose to sing. However, from time to time, people can and will take issue with the lyrics of worship songs and claim they have bad or harmful theology. Some of these can...

How To Schedule Your Week as a Senior Pastor

As a senior pastor, your work schedule is unlike most. While you might enjoy more flexibility in your calendar and diversity in your to-do’s than a typical 9-5 gig, you also face unique challenges and uncharacteristic demands. Creating a schedule that allows for deep productivity, meaningful pastoring, and sufficient rest is a puzzle that takes trial and error to figure out. While everyone is di...

How To Handle Criticism as a Lead Pastor

As a senior pastor or someone in any leadership position, criticism is inevitable. That, of course, doesn’t mean it stings any less. For most of us, our first reaction to complaints and critiques is defensiveness. Especially when the criticism feels harsh, personal, or unfair, it can be tempting to take a “haters gonna hate” mentality and harden ourselves to it. And while it’s true that so...

How to Jumpstart a Sermon-Based Small Group Curriculum

As a teaching pastor, creating sermon series that will serve your congregations is an important part of your job description. From finding the right scripture, narrowing in on salient themes, and constructing messages that will build meaningfully week after week, the time and intention that goes into crafting these series shouldn’t have to end after everyone leaves the sanctuary for Sunday brunc...

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Designing Your Youth Ministry Room to Match Your Series

The visual impact of the space your youth ministry meets in can make a subtle, but significant difference in the way your sermon series are received. The lighting, color, and arrangement of your room can be a big piece that influences whether your messages feel introspective or community-minded, energetic or subdued. We want to create atmospheres that are inviting and engaging, and the design of t...

Creating Sermon Series for a Multi-Generational Audience

As a pastor, one of your primary goals is to engage with your congregation and make sure everyone feels like they are gaining something valuable from attending services. But creating sermon series that appeal to a wide range of ages can be a daunting task. It's easy to slip into creating messages tailored toward the adults in attendance, but how do you create something that engages your youngest m...

Give Helpful Feedback in Rehearsals

Everyone who leads rehearsals has a slightly different style, from how the whole rehearsal is organized to how he or she communicates musical changes. One of the trickiest things as a band leader is attempting to give feedback to band members about their playing. If you don’t play the instrument they’re playing, you may run into an added layer of “imposter syndrome” as you try to commu...

Why Young Adults Are Leaving Your Church

Many churches are struggling to attract and retain young adults in their congregations. Many of these young adults— college-aged through mid-twenties— grew up in youth groups and fell away from the church and potentially their faith during college or shortly after. This mass exodus has been felt in churches across the country, leading pastors to strategize how they can better reach this slippi...

How Do You Talk About Pastor Appreciation Month?

I’m uncomfortable, you’re uncomfortable, everyone’s uncomfortable. October is almost here, and if you’re a pastor, you know what that means – it’s pastor appreciation month. Which, if we’re being honest, feels delicate. When I served as a pastor, I was always the first to say that I didn’t need any special recognition. And while I didn’t NEED the extra recognition, I think ...

Why You Should Talk About Labor Day At Your Church

If you lead a church, you’re used to making time in your services to speak into various national and cultural holidays. Beyond the major Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter, many of us in the United States recognize and celebrate holidays like Memorial Day, MLK day, or the 4th of July. One holiday that seems to fly under the radar in most churches is Labor Day. Frequently this is tr...