Your fall church service is an important event. Don’t leave it up to last-minute planning. Follow a simple schedule to ensure that your service goes off without a hitch. Here is a suggested step-by-step guide for preparing for your Thanksgiving service.
How to Plan a Thanksgiving Service: A Step-by-Step Guide for Preparation
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Now (or 3-6 months in advance):
Plan the general topic or theme of your Thanksgiving service. E.g., “Thanking God through Daily Prayer, or “Being Thankful for Our Challenges.”
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Eight weeks in advance:
Plan the structure and order of the service. Determine what elements the service will have. For example, determine what comes first, second, third, etc. You may wish to have pre-reel with Thanksgiving scripture, a welcome video, an opening Thanksgiving video, a special music, a welcome from a staff member, etc. Sketch out the order of the service. Determine who is responsible for each section of the service. Announce your Thanksgiving service.
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Seven weeks in advance:
Determine what media will be used and when. For example, now is the time to pick out your Thanksgiving slideshow, the musical numbers, and Scripture passages.
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Six weeks in advance:
Select any decorations and/or additional supplies for your Thanksgiving service. If you plan to have a cookout, a picnic, etc. be sure to order or reserve the supplies and materials.
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Five weeks in advance:
Announce your Thanksgiving service, including instructions and/or imagery. By now, your theme and service are planned. Your media is selected. You’re ready to inform people what’s going on and how they can prepare.
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Four weeks in advance:
Rehearse the service, including musical numbers, and catch any areas for improvement. An early rehearsal, even if you don’t feel ready, will help people truly get ready by highlighting the areas in which to improve.
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Two weeks in advance:
Perform another thorough rehearsal of the service, and make it as thorough and complete as possible.
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One week in advance:
Announce the event again, and make sure that all loose ends are tied up.
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Day of service:
Be sure to arrive in plenty of time for setup and preparation.
Thanksgiving is a great time of celebration and gratitude to God for all he’s done. Following these simple Thanksgiving tips will ensure that your Thanksgiving celebration is the best it can be.
Thanksgiving Sermon & Worship Media
Sharefaith has over 1,000 Thanksgiving backgrounds, sermon PowerPoints, church motion graphics, bulletins, flyers, countdown timers and more which are perfect for celebrating Thanksgiving at your church or with your family. With formats in UHD 4K, HD, SD, Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop and No-Text, you’ll be able to fully customize these Thankgsiving graphics to fit your needs. Plus you can easily customize on the go with our church graphics editor, Sharefaith Designer! Learn more and view all of Sharefaith’s Fall & Thanksgiving graphics today!