As churches celebrate Jesus’ birth in the flesh and transition into the following parts of the Church Year, there are several things to consider when maintaining the sanctuary. At what point does the nativity scene get put away? What other decorations are appropriate? When do the paraments change color? Here are some tips to help your altar guild during the season of Epiphany.

A topic of discussion for many years has been how to get youth more involved in church. One way to approach this is by looking at music. Get the youth involved in music; then point them to music in the church. Here are a few ways to think about involving young people in church, specifically through music.

Dozens of candles, elegant tree decorations, cheery poinsettias—beautiful sanctuary decorations for Christmas highlight the thrill and wonder of Jesus being born in the flesh! Here are some tips from The Altar Guild Manual for decorating your church sanctuary in ways that focus the glory on God and what He has done for us in Christ.

“Soon, soon to faithful warriors cometh rest.”

One of my favorite lines from the hymn “For All the Saints,” these words are a source of incredible comfort in a weary world. While we wait for the eternal rest the hymn mentions, music provides a temporary relief from struggle and labor.

The season of Advent provides a great opportunity to stop and pause, to wait with joyful anticipation for Christmas. While the rest of the world may be singing Christmas carols and decorating trees, the church patiently waits for the coming of Christ. During this time, the altar guild and church office have a special opportunity to help reinforce the message of Advent through the paraments, bulletins, and other adornments that are used in the church sanctuary.

Introducing new music to your congregation is an important task that can require much patience and persistence. A little planning and coordination ahead of time can help eliminate some of the frustration that comes with it. Here are a few suggestions on how to roll out a new piece of music to your congregation.

This post is taken from The Hymns of Martin Luther, with historical summaries authored by Henry V. Gerike and edited by Peter C. Reske.

Music can be a powerful teaching tool, and Luther knew that well. By teaching his parishioners hymns about the Ten Commandments or the persons of the Trinity, he could reinforce Christianity’s essential teachings in a memorable and moving way. Learn about his six catechetical hymns below, and at the end of the post, you can download a set of devotions based on the hymns.

With Christmas less than three months away, many musicians have already started making selections and planning rehearsals. Our guest author and composer for this week, Benjamin Kolodziej, shares some of his favorite tips for preparing Advent and Christmas music.

I recently played at a church that had a very limited organ. I had always thought the regular organist did a fine job but could have been more creative. Then I discovered that the instrument did not offer much to encourage creativity. Each manual had about five basic stops, and I struggled to lead the congregation in a way that encouraged singing.

Here are some ideas for how church musicians, pastors, and teachers can help families use the hymnal at home. You also download a free family devotions guide with hymns and readings for each week during the school year.