Blog – Motion Worship – Video Loops, Countdowns, & Moving Backgrounds for the Christian Church

A Pastor’s Guide to Effective Sunday Morning Huddles

Conducting a successful Sunday morning service week after week requires intentional planning and coordination of numerous volunteers. With so many moving parts and on such a tight timeline, holding a Sunday morning huddle is a great tool for setting the morning off on the right foot. A huddle is a dedicated time before the service where volunteers come together to prepare, connect, and align their...

How to Engage Volunteers for One-Time Projects

In the life of a vibrant church community, there are often special, one-time projects that require the energy and dedication of volunteers. Whether it's setting up for a special event, lending a hand at Vacation Bible School (VBS), or participating in a community service excursion, these projects, though not recurring, are important parts for fostering community engagement and spreading goodwill b...

How To Structure a Newcomers Class for Church Membership

Every church congregant goes through certain phases— first, they may just be visiting. If they stick around, they’ll probably attend casually and anonymously for a while. After a little bit, as they feel more belonging and investment in your community, it’s important to give these newcomers the opportunity to take a more concrete step in becoming an active participant in and member of the co...

3 Immersive Ideas for Good Friday Services

Good Friday is a solemn and reflective day in the Christian calendar, commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ for humanity’s sins. On the original Good Friday, Christ-followers did not know that Jesus would rise again in three days. They thought they were witnessing the death of God. When we recognize Good Friday today, we’re solemnly remembering the ultimate act of love that came before...

10 Ideas for Elevating the Guest Experience in Your Church

The heart of every hospitality ministry desires to create a warm and inviting atmosphere for both regular attendees and newcomers. Your team plays a crucial role in shaping the first impressions of guests, making it essential to focus on simple yet impactful gestures. Here are some ideas to enhance the guest services and hospitality experience within your church. Genuine Greetings Sometimes th...

7 Creative Ideas for Approaching Church Small Groups

Small groups play a vital role in fostering community, deepening spiritual connections, and providing support within a church family. It’s easy for churches to fall into a rhythm with groups, offering the same recurring studies and breakouts based on age and gender. While there’s nothing wrong with consistency— especially if it’s serving your community!— your church has the creative oppo...

5 Tips for Talking About Giving Around Christmas

As the Christmas season approaches, churches welcome a diverse array of visitors and guests eager to partake in the warmth of community and celebration. For pastors like you, this presents a unique opportunity to engage the congregation in conversations about giving, sharing the spirit of generosity that defines this joyous time. Finding the right "giving language" is crucial during the holidays, ...

How to Build a Strong Teaching Team at Your Church

Does your church need a teaching team? In many churches, the role of teaching and preaching often falls on a single individual, typically the pastor. While this tradition has its merits, there are numerous benefits to building a church teaching team. A teaching team can bring diversity, depth, and a broader range of perspectives to the pulpit. It also allows for pastors to lean into their gifts a...

Six Church Service Ideas for the Sunday After Thanksgiving

The week after Thanksgiving is a special time for church communities to come together and reflect on gratitude, share in fellowship, and spread love to those in need. It's an opportunity to transition from a season of thankfulness to a season of giving. In this blog post, we'll explore some creative church service ideas for the week after Thanksgiving that can help foster a sense of unity, service...

Do prizes and giveaways help or hurt church growth?

In a time where attracting and retaining congregants has become increasingly challenging, churches often find themselves exploring unconventional methods to foster growth and engagement within their communities. One such strategy gaining traction is the use of prizes and giveaways to entice individuals to attend services, events, or participate in various church activities. While these incentives ...

How Pastors Can Embrace Sabbaticals for a Lasting Ministry

In the relentless pursuit of ministering to others, church pastors often find themselves drained emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Sabbaticals serve as an invaluable tool to help ministry leaders refresh their spirits, recenter their vision, and fortify their commitment to their calling. Taking months away from your ministry, however, can be an intimidating proposition. Here, we’ll delve...

Motion Worship is Celebrating 10,000 Members!

We want to take a moment to say a huge THANK YOU to you for all of the support over the years! We're constantly in prayer for you and your ministries. As we celebrate the milestone of 10,000 members, let's take a moment to look back over the years and hear the story of Motion worship as told by our founder, Josiah. "I began leading worship, producing worship services, and designing Christian ...

7 ways to Follow up with First-Time Easter Visitors

On Easter Sunday, it’s likely you saw many new faces join you for worship. Did you know that more people in the United States conduct an online search for “church” around Easter than at any other time, even Christmas? Easter is a fantastic opportunity to connect with members of your community that aren’t yet plugged into a church home. You shouldn't have to wait until next year to see thes...

Pastors: When to Recommend Professional Counselling for Congregants

As pastors, we are called to serve our congregants in any way we can. We strive to provide spiritual guidance and support to our congregants during difficult times. But there may be times when it is necessary for us to recommend that a congregant seek specialized counselling in addition to meeting with pastors and church staff. In this blog post, let's take a look at when it might be necessary for...

How To Schedule Your Week as a Senior Pastor

As a senior pastor, your work schedule is unlike most. While you might enjoy more flexibility in your calendar and diversity in your to-do’s than a typical 9-5 gig, you also face unique challenges and uncharacteristic demands. Creating a schedule that allows for deep productivity, meaningful pastoring, and sufficient rest is a puzzle that takes trial and error to figure out. While everyone is di...

How To Handle Criticism as a Lead Pastor

As a senior pastor or someone in any leadership position, criticism is inevitable. That, of course, doesn’t mean it stings any less. For most of us, our first reaction to complaints and critiques is defensiveness. Especially when the criticism feels harsh, personal, or unfair, it can be tempting to take a “haters gonna hate” mentality and harden ourselves to it. And while it’s true that so...

How to Jumpstart a Sermon-Based Small Group Curriculum

As a teaching pastor, creating sermon series that will serve your congregations is an important part of your job description. From finding the right scripture, narrowing in on salient themes, and constructing messages that will build meaningfully week after week, the time and intention that goes into crafting these series shouldn’t have to end after everyone leaves the sanctuary for Sunday brunc...

Creating Sermon Series for a Multi-Generational Audience

As a pastor, one of your primary goals is to engage with your congregation and make sure everyone feels like they are gaining something valuable from attending services. But creating sermon series that appeal to a wide range of ages can be a daunting task. It's easy to slip into creating messages tailored toward the adults in attendance, but how do you create something that engages your youngest m...

How to Motivate and Reward Church Staff Without Promotion Opportunities

The church can be a great place to work when its at its best; the environment is comfortable, the people are friendly, and the mission is meaningful. But for many small to mid-size churches, there often isn’t much “upward mobility” or room for improvement. Most churches have two, maybe three “levels” on their organizational chart. Without room for promotions, it can be tricky to make sta...

Debriefing Church Events and Services for Maximum Impact

As a church, it’s important to have an active calendar of events and services. Whether it’s a holiday celebration, community outreach program, or weekly sermon series, churches are continually innovating ways to reach their communities with the gospel. But what happens when the big event is over? How do you ensure that your next event will be even more successful than the last? The answer lies...