Christmas may seem far away, but it’s definitely not too early to start planning. The challenge for church administrators is that you may be overlooked at times when it comes to preparing for big events.

Since you’re not preaching, leading worship, or have an otherwise highly visible role, it’s easy for the rest of the team to forget that their plans impact you. One way to manage this is by asking a few simple questions early on in the planning process.

Here are a few questions to ask as you seek to be proactive in planning for Christmas services:

1. What days will we hold services and at what times?

This is the most basic place to start, but isn’t always immediately clear. Christmas falls on a Monday this year. Will you have special Christmas Eve services on Sunday and a service on Christmas Day? Now is a good time to find out.

2. Will we have services/events similar to last year or will we do something different?

Does your church typically do a large Christmas production? Do you host any Christmas outreaches in your community? Your congregation and/or the community may expect you to maintain certain traditions. If you plan to deviate from the norm, you’ll need to consider how to communicate those changes.

3. What has changed at our church since last Christmas?

Has your weekly attendance changed significantly? Has anything in your community shifted (ongoing hurricane recovery, etc.) that may impact Christmas services? If so, how are you keeping those changes in mind as you plan?

4. What's our budget for Christmas events and/or services?

If your leadership wants to do something different than the norm, is that something you budgeted for already? If not, that’s a discussion you may need to have to determine how to proceed financially.

These are a few ideas of where to start when it comes to Christmas planning from the church administrator perspective. In the midst of all this, you’ll also have donation receipts to prepare for along with other year-end tasks.

By starting your planning process early, you’ll give yourself a much better chance at being able to relax and enjoy the Christmas season with your family and friends.