It is always helpful to get a jump start on your church service planning, particularly considering the business that accompanies the Christmas season. In the spirit of looking ahead, we are beginning to anticipate one of the most popular and spiritually rewarding moments of the year – Christmas Candlelight Service!
Candlelight Services for many feels like the cherry on top of an already energetic celebration of Jesus’ birth. We love Candlelight because it stands out as something different, a chance to personify your hopes and dreams with a small flickering light, one of many little beacons of hope shining together, creating a tangible expression of our community’s faith in Christ. Below we’ve captured a few ideas to help you improve the overall experience of your Candlelight Services.
Refresh the Look of Your Candlelight Service:
- Create a more intimate mood with ambient candlelight – Decorate your worship space with tea lights, and/or line your walkways or stage with Luminarias.
- One of the cornerstones of a healthy church is keeping children involved in important events – including a children’s performance of a Christmas song is a good opportunity for children to participate in a more serious service and to experience a deeper sense of reverence.
- Try a change of location. Consider taking the indoor service outside (weather permitting) for a final Christmas carol and song. Or consider holding a special outdoor candlelight event with the singing of carols. It can offer new opportunities to celebrate.
Improvements to Your Existing Candlelight Service:
- Be sure to choose the optimal drip protector for your candlelight service. If your service is outdoors, you’ll want to use shield-type protectors to keep your flames safe from any wind that might spring-up. For indoor use, we recommend the plastic holders – it offers better drip protection for repeat use across multiple services. If cost control is a big factor for your candlelight service, consider the plastic disc or paper drip protectors.
- Take care to instruct your congregation on the proper way to light their candles: unlit candles should be tipped to touch the flames of lit candles. Tipping a lit candle to light an unlit candle can drip hot wax on hands and carpets.
- Go Flameless – Help kids and seniors enjoy candlelight service with SafeFlame battery candles. They’re safe and easy for kids and seniors to use. Plus, they are great take-home gifts for all your guests.
We hope the tips above help your ministry host a Candlelight Service which feels fresh, inspiring, and empowering to all of your visitors. Stop by ConcordiaSupply.com to see what’s new for Candlelight 2017 and to try a NEW Candlelight Sample Pack!
