Dear Pastor, thank you for taking the time to read this. I admire your New Year’s church service. Let us be a testimony to unbelievers and glorify God by the way we live. I was inspired by the way you spoke from your heart and played the piano – it was very moving and inspirational.
A new year’s church service is one of the most special services of the year. It is held to celebrate the arrival of a new year and pray for good tidings. In this piece, we will learn more about what happens during this service.
This year on December 31st, as people around the globe rang in the New Year, there was reason to do more than party and make resolutions. Christmas season had wrapped up and worshipping God and giving thanks was at the forefront of many minds. As with any major faith community receiving praise of God, this New Year’s service has its own distinct ring that makes Christmas special and unique.
New Year’s Eve is a time for looking back, and looking ahead.
It’s a time to reflect on the past year and think about what we can do to make the future even better. And it’s a time to look forward to what’s coming next—and be excited about it!
We’re excited about what 2019 has in store for us here at [church name], and we want you to be excited too.
So come celebrate New Year’s Eve with us on December 31st at 6:00 p.m. We’ll have an awesome service with lots of great music and preaching, followed by some awesome food and fun games!
Last year was great, but this year will be even better. Come see how!
It’s a new year, and it’s time to get back into the swing of things.
We know that for many of you, this is your first week back at work after the holiday break, and we wanted to encourage you by offering a New Year’s service on Sunday afternoon. This service will be an opportunity for you to reflect on how far you’ve come in 2019 and how much further you can go in 2020. We’ll also take some time to look ahead at all the exciting things we have planned for this year!
We hope to see you there!
A gathering of Christian families at church on New Years Eve is an exciting and wonderful way to have a lot of fun together, reflect on the previous year and anticipate the New Year!
These New Years Events as a church family can bring you closer to God and closer to family and friends. What better place to spend the New Years than at church. It is also an opportunity to invite friends and neighbors who are not part of the congregation.
Here are some great ideas for making that time special for the church family:
- New Year’s Eve Watch Night Service – Hold a church service the night before the new year with different activities in different areas depending how big you want you such as: 1. Moonbounce – For smaller children if you are planning on outdoor activities.2. Balloon Artists – Someone who can make hats, animals, etc. out of balloons.3. Board Games – Ask people to bring their favorite board games, covering all ages. Place tables and chairs in one area (gymnasium, fellowship hall, etc.). Have a few extra games on hand to use, if necessary.4. Videos – This is an important area of the church where the children could sit down and perhaps calm down. Have a variety of short Christian videos for children on hand such as Veggie Tales. 5. Restaurant – Set up small tables and chairs near the kitchen where adults and teens, in particular can just hang out and chat with each other. 6. Kid’s Corner – Put out the New Year’s arts and crafts material, including face paints. 7. Sports Games – If your church has a gymnasium, you can play some active sports games such as basketball or floor hockey. There are still many circle games and chasing games that can get rid of excess energy even if there is no sports equipment. 8. Talent Show – Organize a talent show that could include individual or family performances, serious or funny talents. After activities, then begin the preaching and at the end of service before 12 midnight have the whole congregation on their knees praying in the New Year.
- Church Memory Lane New Year’s Eve Watch Night Service – Have a PowerPoint of photos and church events throughout the previous year for everyone to see and enjoy and/or you can simply have a scrapbook available also full of photos and memories of the previous year. Be sure to include all the new members of the church from the previous year.
Many churches usher in the New Year with what is called a Watch-Night service. These services typically include fellowship activities, food, singing, prayer, and a message or devotional thought by the pastor or another church leader. Usually, this New Year’s Eve service climaxes at midnight with a time of prayer. The idea is to “pray in” the New Year.
Here are some suggestions for your Watch-Night service.
Ask a specific group, ministry team, or committee to be responsible for planning the whole service
The more people involved in the process, the more likely they will attend and will personally invite others.
Observe the Lord’s Supper
Serving Communion in a different way and in a different place can add to the uniqueness of the observance. Special services offer reinforcement to the truth of redemption by making the memorial supper the centerpiece of the service. Use some of the suggestions from the following article: Ten Creative Suggestions for Observing the Lord’s Supper.
Include unique activities
- Invite a musical group or guest speaker.
- Show Christian or family-friendly videos.
- Serve unique foods (Ethnic foods, traditional New Year’s foods, or host a men’s chili cook-off).
- Plan games that will build fellowship.
Offer opportunity for personal reflection and spiritual edification
Since many people use the calendar change as a time to make changes in their lives, consider incorporating the idea of New Year’s resolutions into the service. The following article by Don Whitney includes 31 questions you might use to help them: Questions for a New Year
Consider a time for personal testimonies
The end of a year is a good time for reflection on the blessings and struggles of the last 12 months. Encourage the congregation to share with their spiritual family the spiritual victories, answers to prayers, and blessings of the past year. Such sharing encourages a mindset of thanksgiving and praise and fulfills the biblical injunctions to pray for and to encourage one another.
‘Pray-in’ the new year.
Consider guided prayer times as well as small group prayer. The following articles will be helpful as you plan:
- Dynamic Prayer Meeting Leader Guide
- When the Church Prays (6-Sermon Series on Corporate Prayer)
Whatever your church decides to do, be creative, be purposeful, and have some fun.
Biblical precedent for a New Year’s celebration
The celebration that surrounds the beginning of a New Year is rooted in the history of Israel’s exodus from Egypt. In Exodus 35-40, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai, he gave to the congregation of Israel God’s instructions for constructing the tabernacle. After the people responded to Moses’ appeal for materials and workers to build the tabernacle, God gave specific directions for its construction. Exodus 40:1 says “Then the Lord spoke to Moses: ‘You are to set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, on the first day of the month'” (HCSB). Even though the Jewish calendar differs significantly from our modern calendar, “the first day of the month” is New Year’s Day.
This dramatic event in Israel’s history can help us understand the importance of getting the new year off to a good start by planning meaningful New Year’s celebrations in our churches. Our collective experience teaches us that most of our church members will celebrate the new year in some form or fashion. Giving them the option of celebrating with their church family is a wonderful alternative to the secular celebrations that are often unhealthy and unwholesome.
