As your church prepares for a likely influx of visitors during the Christmas season, now is a great time to refresh everyone on ways to welcome new faces. Here are a few ideas to help your church create a welcoming environment during this busy season.

After I graduated high school and went to college, I didn’t stop going to my home church. Since I lived in the same town as I had before, I didn’t feel the need to leave. Rather, I avoided my campus ministry at first because I thought that there was no point in going to a new ministry when I already had one. I eventually found my way to the campus ministry in town; my brother, on the other hand, traveled two and a half hours south to go to school in St. Louis, and found a church home far away. Since he now had a new congregation for the next four years, there wasn’t really a reason for his first church home to keep in contact with him, right?

From the time I was young, I was a bit of a planner. Most things in my life were carefully considered—and my professional path was no different. I knew what I would study after high school. I had already decided what university I would attend. I had already identified the job I wanted after graduation. And, if I am completely truthful, none of these things dealt with the Concordia University System, the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, or the church at all. So . . . what happened?

Children love to celebrate Jesus’ birthday at Christmas. And they love to celebrate their birthdays, the day they were physically born. Equally important is helping them treasure their Baptism birthdays, the day they were spiritually born as God’s children, and reminding them of all the blessings they receive from being in His family. Here are twelve traditions you can start with that goal in mind.

This is an important time of year. It is a time filled with celebration, parties, and transition. It is a time when many people transition from one phase of life to another. It is a season in which many young people are excited, yet anxious; parents are both rejoicing and mourning; and teachers take a collective deep breath.

How do you share the Gospel with children? With preparation, practice, and most importantly, the power of the Holy Spirit, you can tell children about Jesus’ love for them. While there are many ways to share the Gospel, the message remains the same! Here are some ideas for speaking the Gospel and sharing God’s love in Christ Jesus.

If success is based on what we know well, self-doubt is an area I could excel! Consider this exchange:

Working in a church can be time-consuming.

Strike that.

Working in a church is time-consuming.

Think for a moment about how quickly you tell someone about the things you love. Whether it is a favorite movie, a favorite coffee shop, or Mom’s famous cinnamon rolls, we love to share the things we love with others. Why, then, is it so hard for us to talk about the Gospel? Ask about our favorite baseball team or the best restaurant in town, and we can give you an in-depth analysis. But ask who Jesus is, and all of a sudden we have a pressing appointment.

Perhaps the biggest public debates of our time concern gender and sexuality.  There are a lot of strong emotions on every side, and there aren’t always simple solutions.  I’m certain by addressing this topic at all I’m probably going to upset some people, so let me start by apologizing for any offense I’m going to cause.  I don’t hate you, and, honestly, I’m not even really going to be talking about you in particular.  I don’t much believe in singling out individuals, unless they’re me.  Truth be told, I’d love to buy you a drink, talk this whole mess through and see what sorts of common ground we can find, because I truly do believe there’s plenty to be found.