On The Fourth Day of Christmas…Four Ways to Ease The Stress of Holiday Programs

December 7, 2016

On the fourth day of Christmas,we would like to share four ways to ease stress as you and your team rehearse and aim for the performance of your church Christmas program.

Preparation

Few things can build a team’s respect like being prepared through every step of your production organization. Likewise, there are few things that can be done to overcome a lack of preparation and planning. Walk through rehearsals in your mind before you meet and plan for “what if” scenarios. For example, “What do I do if the lead can’t hit the high parts of his or her song?” Plan your practices and rehearsals out to 5-minute increments, and stick to the schedule.

Expectations

Begin practice on time and end on time (this shows respect for those who are prepared and honors participants’ commitments by not running late). For the most part, people tend to do what’s expected of them. If you’re clear from the beginning what your expectations are, it can eliminate conflict later. Start strong; it’s difficult to play catch up later if you get off to a poor start. If you or one of your volunteers is having trouble with a part or you feel that there is a performance issue, be gentle but direct.

Remember, “praise in public, correct in private.” When utilizing young performers, it’s important to keep their parents involved throughout the entire process. Have parents attend the informational meetings and make sure they receive copies of rehearsal schedules and volunteer expectations. If there becomes an issue with a younger performer, it’s always best to include the parent in any discussion.

Guard Against Perfectionism

Even people who are not perfectionists can get wrapped up in wanting everything to be perfect at Christmas. And admit it, most of us involved in creative and worship ministries have a touch of “perfectionism.” Much like a wedding, if you are not careful you can get so stressed out over every detail that you miss out on enjoying the celebration. Striving for perfection in your performances, decorations and events can leave you frustrated and exhausted.

Maintain Your Perspective

The reality is that the Christmas season lasts a fairly short time. The extra stress you are experiencing is not unending and will pass sooner than you realize. Certain challenging situations brought on by church, family or finances will only be for this brief season and then life returns to normal.

CCS’s Founder and CVO, Susan Fontaine Godwin is an educator and long-time member of the Christian arts community with 30 years of experience in the Christian media industry, church copyright administration, and copyright management. Susan is an author and speaker and frequently writes for several Christian magazines and online publications. She serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Mobile.

About Christian Copyright Solutions: CCS’s quest is to help churches and Christian ministries “do music right.” CCS is an expert on church music copyrights and our primary focus is providing licensing and clear educational resources to churches, as well as representation, administration, and advocacy for copyright owners. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. The information contained herein is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice or a substitute for legal counsel.

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