Christmas in July: 12 Things to Do Now to Make December More Successful!

JULY 2018 CHRISTMAS IN JULY BLOG by Vince Wilcox

We’ve all heard the adage “Proper planning prevents poor performance.” There’s a whole lot of wisdom in preparation. So even though it’s hotter than a jalapeño here in July, there are 12 really smart things you can do right now to help your Christmas music be more successful in December:

Pray about everything! Ask the Lord’s leadership to help this year’s Christmas music glorify him, inspire your congregation, and engage your community!

Schedule a planning meeting with your pastor and ministry team to set dates and times for all Advent services, including special presentations by adult, youth, and children’s choirs.

Check local school calendars as well as other civic calendars to minimize scheduling conflicts with other community events or special Christmas tours or concerts.

Reserve the sanctuary and fellowship halls for necessary rehearsals, performances, and receptions--especially if there are decorations or sets involved.

Meet with your music leadership team to create a common vision regarding the ministry goals of this year’s Christmas services. From that, determine the style, length, difficulty level, and content of the music you’re pursuing.

With this information in hand, check out DiscoverWorship.com for more than 180 Christmas songs and over 40 Christmas musicals as well as your current music library to narrow your focus. Then bring those options to your team to review and discuss.

Don’t be afraid to include something contemporary if you usually do traditional or traditional if you’re usually contemporary. And what about a cappella, gospel, Southern gospel or sacred?

Plan a choir/music ministry kickoff event/supper in September to inspire current members and recruit new singers, musicians, and support personnel.

Create a 5-minute musical montage of this year’s Christmas music and play it at your event—hitting the high points of some of the best songs. Describe your vision for this year’s Advent music, and pass out the rehearsal schedules to current participants and recruits.

Confirm availability of all in-house as well as outside musicians, singers, and technicians for both the rehearsals and performance dates. Capable instrumentalists book up early!

Designate a team to focus on decorations, backdrop design/construction, as well as tasteful lights and banners. Throw away worn-out pieces and acquire new ones to give this year a fresh and inviting look.

Repeat STEP 1!

--Check out these other Discover Worship blogs about Christmas Musicals for Church Choirs: