The New Year marks the end of something wonderful–the holidays, and the start of something exciting–a brand new season.

For many people, however, the New Year can be challenging. January is widely considered the most depressing month of the year. Not only is it cold and dark, but the glow of Christmas is over. There are bills to be paid, and tax season is approaching. And while New Year’s resolutions feel invigorating for some, for others, they’re a drag. A gym membership and salad doesn’t sound so exciting after Christmas cookies and caroling. 

All that being said, church leaders have a special opportunity during the New Year. A New Year’s church service can be a powerful time of encouragement and hope for the new season, no matter what challenges your church members face. 

In the following article, we’ll look at seven ideas for a New Year’s church service–and how you can use the word of God to exhort and encourage your church family. 

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7 Ideas for Your New Year’s Church Service

Churches celebrate the New Year differently and depending what day it falls on, they might make it the central point of a service or completely ignore it. 

Whether the New Year falls on a Sunday, Monday, or anywhere else in the week, it’s a good idea to acknowledge the holiday at church. 

Here are seven ideas for making January 1st the focal point of a weekend service. 

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#1: Talk about personal retreat. 

For many people, the New Year is a time to set practical goals and start fresh with new habits and routines. But what many people miss in our ambitious and goal-driven culture is the importance of reflection and gratitude. 

That being said, the start of a new year is a great time to reflect on the past year and set goals for the new one. And that practice has Biblical roots–in Scripture, we see Jesus retreating from His disciples to spend time with God (Luke 5:16), and we also see the importance of having vision for the future (Proverbs 29:18). 

Still, many of your church members may not know where to begin on taking a personal retreat at the start of the new year. Here are some ways you can instruct them to find time and space to reflect and retreat:

• Preach a sermon on solitude and rest. Give practical strategies for practicing this even in a fast-paced, 21st century lifestyle.
• Provide a digital or printed handout on guidelines for a personal retreat, including questions to help in a guided time of reflection with God. 
• Set aside time during a church service to ask members and visitors to personally reflect on a couple of questions about the past year. 

While taking a personal retreat will look different for everyone (i.e. parents of young children don’t have a ton of time and space), almost anyone can carve out some intentional time to reflect on the past and look ahead to the future. 

#2: Dig into the Biblical roots of a new year. 

In the Bible, the new year typically begins in September or October with Rosh Hashanah, “head of the year.”

Though we celebrate the beginning of a new year in January, the principles for celebrating a new beginning remain the same. Historically, Rosh Hashanah involves repentance, contemplation, and a celebration rich in symbolism (for example, a sweet dish of apples is eaten in hopes of a “sweet” new year). 

Though your church may not follow these specific traditions, a church sermon that digs into the symbolism of Rosh Hashanah can help your congregation understand the significance of this annual transition from a Biblical perspective. 

#3: Start with worship. 

Many of your church members may be looking for something to do on New Year’s Eve. They want to celebrate, but they may not be interested in drinking champagne and staying up until midnight. 

A worship service can be a wonderful alternative to a New Year’s Eve party. It’s also a great way to start the new season by thanking God, focusing on Him, and taking time to enjoy the joy and celebration of worship.

#4: Create a special handout. 

If you’d like to do something special for your church members during your New Years’ church service, consider printing out a special handout with Bible verses for the New Year. 

Here are a few of our favorite verses to encourage believers at the start of the year. 

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

(Isaiah 43:18-19)

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

(Jeremiah 29:11)

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.

(Proverbs 19:21)

You can also publish these scriptures and others in a series of social media posts.

#5: Give a message on second chances. 

Remember that many of your church members may be feeling tired, discouraged, or grieved at the end of a year. While some of your congregants will have had wonderful years, filled with hopes fulfilled and dreams realized, others may have experienced loss and disappointment. 

The start of January is a wonderful time to preach a series on second chances and new beginnings. There’s no better source for truth on these matters than the Bible. 

Take a weekend service–or several–to preach on the incredible, life-giving power of hope in the face of doubt. The resurrection of Lazarus may be a great place to start–you can bet that Mary and Martha were feeling hopeless and confused right until their brother walked out of the tomb. They experienced a miracle, but not in the way or timing they expected. 

Here are some more great ideas for New Year’s sermons. 

#6: Do something creative. 

Do you have a more creative community at your church? Then you may want to encourage creatives to choreograph a dance, write and perform a spoken word or poem, write and direct a short play, or even paint a large-scale picture or scene for the new year. 

#7: Host a New Year’s potluck. 

After your weekend service, organize a potluck to celebrate the new year. Keep it casual with communal, family-style dishes, and create space for your church members to fellowship, pray with one another, and rest before a return to normalcy after the holiday season. 

Celebrating the New Year with Tithe.ly

What will the new year look like for you as a church? Do you have special goals that you’d like to see accomplished in 2023?

If so, you’ll want to think about how you might use new technology to accomplish your vision. Whether that’s to generate funds for a new church building or to start a church coffee shop, Tithe.ly can help you reach your goals with technology that’s easy to use, affordable, and most importantly, effective. 

To learn more about how Tithe.ly can help you raise funds, grow in giving, engage your church members, and even receive onsite payment, click here.