20 Ways To Infuse Creativity Into Your Services Part 2
If God is creative then our services should reflect that. If His mercies are new every morning, then our weekly services should showcase this newness.We continue with the 20 ways to infuse creativity into your services.
I encourage you to read part one in this series before jumping into part two one if you haven’t already. But if you have, then let’s look at additional ways to enliven your services.
9. Reciting The Creeds
Now, if you serve in a high church setting, this is probably common practice. But that isn’t the case for a lot of our non denominational friends. Most churches just rely on the Apostles Creed but there are great additional creeds to draw from here along with their origins and importance.
10. Reading Written Prayers
Spontaneous prayers are great. But we can over rely on them. If this is the case in your setting then consider reading beautifully written prayers. Some of my favorites sources to read from are Celtic Daily Prayer and Powerful Prayers for Every Need.
11. Stage Designs
Changing up the look of your stage is a great way to create visual impact when people enter your auditorium. Here is a stunning example from Ed Young and Fellowship Church. But remember to design for seasons not series. Trying to design a dozen stages a year will burn you out. Limiting your designs to the seasons or holiday services will keep you, and the look, fresh. A great site for inspiration is Church Stage Design Ideas. You can check out some of my past designs here.
12. Created Videos
There are a lot of great sites that categorize created videos. Worship House Media and Twelve:Thirty Media are two of those sites. These videos are very inexpensive and a great way to visualize a topic or theme of the day to be used in a worship set or during the message.
13. Movie Clips
This isn’t a new option for most. It felt like every Pastor incorporated Mel Gibson’s freedom scream from Braveheart back in 1995. You can try to get these clips from the dark web which has some ethical implications. Or you can leverage sites like WingClips or ScreenVue without a moral cloud hanging over your head.
14. Message Illustrations
When it comes to illustrating your message, the sky's the limit. One of my personal favorites was when we put a live potter and their wheel on stage to create ceramics during a message illustrating Jeremiah 18. Another favorite was when I compared Hebrews 4:16 to the bat phone. I learned a lot about message illustrations while working alongside Tim Lucas at Liquid Church. So check out his messages if you want to grow in this area
15. Giveaways
This last topic is also filled with opportunities. There are some tried and true options that always work. Like candles on Christmas Eve or railroad spikes on Good Friday. I’ve placed scarlet threads in bulletins during a message on mercy featuring Rahab and handed out car magnets during an invitation series.
16. Games
There are a range of interactive games that can spice up a service. These are especially fun on Mother’s & Father’s Day. If you need inspiration then check out this list of games from the Jimmy Fallon show. Word of warning, if the game has a punishment like a pie to the face, include a staff member and if it has a reward include a guest.
17. Interactive Elements
Again, there are plenty of directions you can take interactive elements during a service. You could make it fun by tossing around beach balls during an outdoor summer event. You could make it evangelistic by writing down the names of those you are gonna invite to your upcoming Easter or Christmas services. You could make them celebratory by throwing out t-shirts to new visitors. If you want to step this up then consider incorporating a slingshot or cannon launcher.
18. Maximizing LED Wall
If your church has an LED Wall, you probably just use it for worship lyrics and message points. But it can be used to a greater degree. Photos during hosting. Biblical maps during the message. The only limitation here is your imagination. This is the vision cast I did for the staff at Christ Fellowship before we installed our 27 foot LED wall. The summary was, we have the best story to tell and therefore should leverage the best storytelling tools.
19. Testimonies
Testimonies are often told on Baptism Sunday. But not much throughout the year. Make sure to leverage stories of God at work throughout the year. And don’t just tell stories of salvation but also highlight stories of sanctification. Tell how God saved you and how He is saving you. Also don’t feel handicapped if you don’t have a videographer to capture these stories. Having someone share live from the stage or floor during a service can be very compelling.
20. Interviews
Sometimes someone has a great story to tell but they aren’t a great storyteller. When this is the case, use the interview form to pull out the story from them. This allows you to speed up or slow down the storytelling. It also allows you to bail if the storyteller gets stage fright by summarizing the rest of the story to conclude.
Conclusion
The above ideas are not exhaustive by any means. So reach out to me and let me know how you inject creativity into your services. I would love to hear from you and learn from you. Also, if you’re looking for coaching on service planning and execution then visit benstapley.com/coach to schedule a free consultation. Have yourself an awesome day.
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For over twenty years Ben has created & captured moving and memorable moments for individuals, non-profits & corporations across the globe. He has served on the executive team of multiple megachurches and currently serves as the Executive Pastor at Zarephath Christian Church in New Jersey. Ben also consults for churches, teaches at universities and speaks at conferences about leadership, communication and creativity. For more information visit www.benstapley.com.
I encourage you to read part one in this series before jumping into part two one if you haven’t already. But if you have, then let’s look at additional ways to enliven your services.
9. Reciting The Creeds
Now, if you serve in a high church setting, this is probably common practice. But that isn’t the case for a lot of our non denominational friends. Most churches just rely on the Apostles Creed but there are great additional creeds to draw from here along with their origins and importance.
10. Reading Written Prayers
Spontaneous prayers are great. But we can over rely on them. If this is the case in your setting then consider reading beautifully written prayers. Some of my favorites sources to read from are Celtic Daily Prayer and Powerful Prayers for Every Need.
11. Stage Designs
Changing up the look of your stage is a great way to create visual impact when people enter your auditorium. Here is a stunning example from Ed Young and Fellowship Church. But remember to design for seasons not series. Trying to design a dozen stages a year will burn you out. Limiting your designs to the seasons or holiday services will keep you, and the look, fresh. A great site for inspiration is Church Stage Design Ideas. You can check out some of my past designs here.
12. Created Videos
There are a lot of great sites that categorize created videos. Worship House Media and Twelve:Thirty Media are two of those sites. These videos are very inexpensive and a great way to visualize a topic or theme of the day to be used in a worship set or during the message.
13. Movie Clips
This isn’t a new option for most. It felt like every Pastor incorporated Mel Gibson’s freedom scream from Braveheart back in 1995. You can try to get these clips from the dark web which has some ethical implications. Or you can leverage sites like WingClips or ScreenVue without a moral cloud hanging over your head.
14. Message Illustrations
When it comes to illustrating your message, the sky's the limit. One of my personal favorites was when we put a live potter and their wheel on stage to create ceramics during a message illustrating Jeremiah 18. Another favorite was when I compared Hebrews 4:16 to the bat phone. I learned a lot about message illustrations while working alongside Tim Lucas at Liquid Church. So check out his messages if you want to grow in this area
15. Giveaways
This last topic is also filled with opportunities. There are some tried and true options that always work. Like candles on Christmas Eve or railroad spikes on Good Friday. I’ve placed scarlet threads in bulletins during a message on mercy featuring Rahab and handed out car magnets during an invitation series.
16. Games
There are a range of interactive games that can spice up a service. These are especially fun on Mother’s & Father’s Day. If you need inspiration then check out this list of games from the Jimmy Fallon show. Word of warning, if the game has a punishment like a pie to the face, include a staff member and if it has a reward include a guest.
17. Interactive Elements
Again, there are plenty of directions you can take interactive elements during a service. You could make it fun by tossing around beach balls during an outdoor summer event. You could make it evangelistic by writing down the names of those you are gonna invite to your upcoming Easter or Christmas services. You could make them celebratory by throwing out t-shirts to new visitors. If you want to step this up then consider incorporating a slingshot or cannon launcher.
18. Maximizing LED Wall
If your church has an LED Wall, you probably just use it for worship lyrics and message points. But it can be used to a greater degree. Photos during hosting. Biblical maps during the message. The only limitation here is your imagination. This is the vision cast I did for the staff at Christ Fellowship before we installed our 27 foot LED wall. The summary was, we have the best story to tell and therefore should leverage the best storytelling tools.
19. Testimonies
Testimonies are often told on Baptism Sunday. But not much throughout the year. Make sure to leverage stories of God at work throughout the year. And don’t just tell stories of salvation but also highlight stories of sanctification. Tell how God saved you and how He is saving you. Also don’t feel handicapped if you don’t have a videographer to capture these stories. Having someone share live from the stage or floor during a service can be very compelling.
20. Interviews
Sometimes someone has a great story to tell but they aren’t a great storyteller. When this is the case, use the interview form to pull out the story from them. This allows you to speed up or slow down the storytelling. It also allows you to bail if the storyteller gets stage fright by summarizing the rest of the story to conclude.
Conclusion
The above ideas are not exhaustive by any means. So reach out to me and let me know how you inject creativity into your services. I would love to hear from you and learn from you. Also, if you’re looking for coaching on service planning and execution then visit benstapley.com/coach to schedule a free consultation. Have yourself an awesome day.
podcast transcript
For over twenty years Ben has created & captured moving and memorable moments for individuals, non-profits & corporations across the globe. He has served on the executive team of multiple megachurches and currently serves as the Executive Pastor at Zarephath Christian Church in New Jersey. Ben also consults for churches, teaches at universities and speaks at conferences about leadership, communication and creativity. For more information visit www.benstapley.com.
I encourage you to read part one in this series before jumping into part two one if you haven’t already. But if you have, then let’s look at additional ways to enliven your services.
9. Reciting The Creeds
Now, if you serve in a high church setting, this is probably common practice. But that isn’t the case for a lot of our non denominational friends. Most churches just rely on the Apostles Creed but there are great additional creeds to draw from here along with their origins and importance.
10. Reading Written Prayers
Spontaneous prayers are great. But we can over rely on them. If this is the case in your setting then consider reading beautifully written prayers. Some of my favorites sources to read from are Celtic Daily Prayer and Powerful Prayers for Every Need.
11. Stage Designs
Changing up the look of your stage is a great way to create visual impact when people enter your auditorium. Here is a stunning example from Ed Young and Fellowship Church. But remember to design for seasons not series. Trying to design a dozen stages a year will burn you out. Limiting your designs to the seasons or holiday services will keep you, and the look, fresh. A great site for inspiration is Church Stage Design Ideas. You can check out some of my past designs here.
12. Created Videos
There are a lot of great sites that categorize created videos. Worship House Media and Twelve:Thirty Media are two of those sites. These videos are very inexpensive and a great way to visualize a topic or theme of the day to be used in a worship set or during the message.
13. Movie Clips
This isn’t a new option for most. It felt like every Pastor incorporated Mel Gibson’s freedom scream from Braveheart back in 1995. You can try to get these clips from the dark web which has some ethical implications. Or you can leverage sites like WingClips or ScreenVue without a moral cloud hanging over your head.
14. Message Illustrations
When it comes to illustrating your message, the sky's the limit. One of my personal favorites was when we put a live potter and their wheel on stage to create ceramics during a message illustrating Jeremiah 18. Another favorite was when I compared Hebrews 4:16 to the bat phone. I learned a lot about message illustrations while working alongside Tim Lucas at Liquid Church. So check out his messages if you want to grow in this area
15. Giveaways
This last topic is also filled with opportunities. There are some tried and true options that always work. Like candles on Christmas Eve or railroad spikes on Good Friday. I’ve placed scarlet threads in bulletins during a message on mercy featuring Rahab and handed out car magnets during an invitation series.
16. Games
There are a range of interactive games that can spice up a service. These are especially fun on Mother’s & Father’s Day. If you need inspiration then check out this list of games from the Jimmy Fallon show. Word of warning, if the game has a punishment like a pie to the face, include a staff member and if it has a reward include a guest.
17. Interactive Elements
Again, there are plenty of directions you can take interactive elements during a service. You could make it fun by tossing around beach balls during an outdoor summer event. You could make it evangelistic by writing down the names of those you are gonna invite to your upcoming Easter or Christmas services. You could make them celebratory by throwing out t-shirts to new visitors. If you want to step this up then consider incorporating a slingshot or cannon launcher.
18. Maximizing LED Wall
If your church has an LED Wall, you probably just use it for worship lyrics and message points. But it can be used to a greater degree. Photos during hosting. Biblical maps during the message. The only limitation here is your imagination. This is the vision cast I did for the staff at Christ Fellowship before we installed our 27 foot LED wall. The summary was, we have the best story to tell and therefore should leverage the best storytelling tools.
19. Testimonies
Testimonies are often told on Baptism Sunday. But not much throughout the year. Make sure to leverage stories of God at work throughout the year. And don’t just tell stories of salvation but also highlight stories of sanctification. Tell how God saved you and how He is saving you. Also don’t feel handicapped if you don’t have a videographer to capture these stories. Having someone share live from the stage or floor during a service can be very compelling.
20. Interviews
Sometimes someone has a great story to tell but they aren’t a great storyteller. When this is the case, use the interview form to pull out the story from them. This allows you to speed up or slow down the storytelling. It also allows you to bail if the storyteller gets stage fright by summarizing the rest of the story to conclude.
Conclusion
The above ideas are not exhaustive by any means. So reach out to me and let me know how you inject creativity into your services. I would love to hear from you and learn from you. Also, if you’re looking for coaching on service planning and execution then visit benstapley.com/coach to schedule a free consultation. Have yourself an awesome day.
VIDEO transcript
I encourage you to read part one in this series before jumping into part two one if you haven’t already. But if you have, then let’s look at additional ways to enliven your services.
9. Reciting The Creeds
Now, if you serve in a high church setting, this is probably common practice. But that isn’t the case for a lot of our non denominational friends. Most churches just rely on the Apostles Creed but there are great additional creeds to draw from here along with their origins and importance.
10. Reading Written Prayers
Spontaneous prayers are great. But we can over rely on them. If this is the case in your setting then consider reading beautifully written prayers. Some of my favorites sources to read from are Celtic Daily Prayer and Powerful Prayers for Every Need.
11. Stage Designs
Changing up the look of your stage is a great way to create visual impact when people enter your auditorium. Here is a stunning example from Ed Young and Fellowship Church. But remember to design for seasons not series. Trying to design a dozen stages a year will burn you out. Limiting your designs to the seasons or holiday services will keep you, and the look, fresh. A great site for inspiration is Church Stage Design Ideas. You can check out some of my past designs here.
12. Created Videos
There are a lot of great sites that categorize created videos. Worship House Media and Twelve:Thirty Media are two of those sites. These videos are very inexpensive and a great way to visualize a topic or theme of the day to be used in a worship set or during the message.
13. Movie Clips
This isn’t a new option for most. It felt like every Pastor incorporated Mel Gibson’s freedom scream from Braveheart back in 1995. You can try to get these clips from the dark web which has some ethical implications. Or you can leverage sites like WingClips or ScreenVue without a moral cloud hanging over your head.
14. Message Illustrations
When it comes to illustrating your message, the sky's the limit. One of my personal favorites was when we put a live potter and their wheel on stage to create ceramics during a message illustrating Jeremiah 18. Another favorite was when I compared Hebrews 4:16 to the bat phone. I learned a lot about message illustrations while working alongside Tim Lucas at Liquid Church. So check out his messages if you want to grow in this area
15. Giveaways
This last topic is also filled with opportunities. There are some tried and true options that always work. Like candles on Christmas Eve or railroad spikes on Good Friday. I’ve placed scarlet threads in bulletins during a message on mercy featuring Rahab and handed out car magnets during an invitation series.
16. Games
There are a range of interactive games that can spice up a service. These are especially fun on Mother’s & Father’s Day. If you need inspiration then check out this list of games from the Jimmy Fallon show. Word of warning, if the game has a punishment like a pie to the face, include a staff member and if it has a reward include a guest.
17. Interactive Elements
Again, there are plenty of directions you can take interactive elements during a service. You could make it fun by tossing around beach balls during an outdoor summer event. You could make it evangelistic by writing down the names of those you are gonna invite to your upcoming Easter or Christmas services. You could make them celebratory by throwing out t-shirts to new visitors. If you want to step this up then consider incorporating a slingshot or cannon launcher.
18. Maximizing LED Wall
If your church has an LED Wall, you probably just use it for worship lyrics and message points. But it can be used to a greater degree. Photos during hosting. Biblical maps during the message. The only limitation here is your imagination. This is the vision cast I did for the staff at Christ Fellowship before we installed our 27 foot LED wall. The summary was, we have the best story to tell and therefore should leverage the best storytelling tools.
19. Testimonies
Testimonies are often told on Baptism Sunday. But not much throughout the year. Make sure to leverage stories of God at work throughout the year. And don’t just tell stories of salvation but also highlight stories of sanctification. Tell how God saved you and how He is saving you. Also don’t feel handicapped if you don’t have a videographer to capture these stories. Having someone share live from the stage or floor during a service can be very compelling.
20. Interviews
Sometimes someone has a great story to tell but they aren’t a great storyteller. When this is the case, use the interview form to pull out the story from them. This allows you to speed up or slow down the storytelling. It also allows you to bail if the storyteller gets stage fright by summarizing the rest of the story to conclude.
Conclusion
The above ideas are not exhaustive by any means. So reach out to me and let me know how you inject creativity into your services. I would love to hear from you and learn from you. Also, if you’re looking for coaching on service planning and execution then visit benstapley.com/coach to schedule a free consultation. Have yourself an awesome day.
Sign Up for Product Updates
For over twenty years Ben has created & captured moving and memorable moments for individuals, non-profits & corporations across the globe. He has served on the executive team of multiple megachurches and currently serves as the Executive Pastor at Zarephath Christian Church in New Jersey. Ben also consults for churches, teaches at universities and speaks at conferences about leadership, communication and creativity. For more information visit www.benstapley.com.
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