Need a fresh idea to bring in the New Year at your church? Here are two ideas!
DavisNew Year’s prayer marathon
Pray in the New Year with a Resolutionary Prayer Marathon from 6 a.m. to midnight New Year’s Eve. Designate multiple prayer sites around the church building so several groups can pray simultaneously, and ask every group in your church to pray together for one hour.
Create a huge chart listing the 18 hours, and let every adult and youth Sunday school class or small group choose a prayer hour. Then ask every other church group to choose a time: church committees, ushers, drama team, A/V team, every different choir or band or praise team, deacons, band, staff, daycare workers, mother’s day out teachers, women’s group, men’s ministry, Awana leaders, preschool Sunday school team, ball teams, children’s Sunday school leaders, library workers, Upward coaches, mission group leaders, etc. Some overlap may occur, but those people can simply choose one or stop by both groups. Doesn’t this sound exciting?
Send an e-mail or snail-mail to group leaders, confirming their prayer hour and assigned room. Include a copy of the registration and recommitment page they’ll receive at the marathon. Each group begins with a Scripture and spends at least the first half hour in prayer seeking God’s wisdom and direction for the coming year. Groups spend the closing minutes discussing their goals and recommitments for next year. As they leave, they turn in an attendance sheet for their prayer group, with a list of their New Year’s “resolutions” for effectively serving God and reaching people next year. For example, a Bible class could set monthly growth goals or specific outreach plans.
The entire church could be invited to return for midnight prayer led by the pastor and a big New Year’s celebration and snacks.
Bring-in-the-New-Year music marathon
Sing in the New Year with a Christian music marathon at your church. Recruit twelve capable coordinators to enlist musicians and sound techs for a full hour of Christian music, and then advertise a 12-hour music marathon to bring in the New Year. Begin at noon New Year’s Eve and have continuous Christian music until midnight.
Who will sing all this Christian music? Include as many different ensembles, soloists, choirs and musicians as possible. Give an open invitation to your church members to participate individually or by forming a group. Ask everyone who sang in church last year to sing a song. Invite every choir or praise team or singing group in your church – from preschoolers to adults. Form lots of new temporary ensembles to prepare a song or two for the event, such as senior adults, singles, various Bible classes, ushers, fifth graders, committees, teens, women’s Bible class, men’s ball team, staff, deacons and wives, a youth band, and so on. Instrumentalists – even children – can offer a Christian song on the program. Include a wide variety of music styles, with every song pointing the listener to God.
To avoid dead time, arrange two platform areas on opposite sides of the stage. A congenial master of ceremonies for each hour could be planned, but should keep chatter and introductions to a minimum and focus the time on praising God. Each half hour may begin with a Scripture or a brief salvation testimony.
The music marathon’s audience is God. Each song is an offering of praise for his love and the blessing of a New Year. Whether there is one person or hundreds in the pews, the music is an offering to him alone. Some musicians may invite congregational participation.
Print a “Sing in the New Year” music marathon schedule and distribute it in worship the previous Sunday. Make exterior signs and personal invitation cards to invite listeners to come and go as they wish. Use a sign-in sheet at the door, and assure that guests receive a warm welcome and an invitation to Sunday worship along with their printed program.
The pastor may enjoy introducing the first singer and closing the marathon with a final midnight praise song and New Year’s celebration.
– Davis is a columnist, speaker, and author of “Deacon Wives” and “Fresh Ideas for Women’s Ministry” (B&H Publishing). Read more at www.keeponshining.com.