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It’s Sunday morning, the phone rings, and it’s your pastor. He’s got the stomach flu and will not be able to make it to church. What will you do? It doesn’t happen often, but we all know that emergencies and issues can arise, and yes, even to a pastor and even on a Sunday morning. We’re here to tell you that it’s not time to panic. When you have a plan or ideas in place, you can pull off a ‘Sunday Scramble’ and have a great worship service to boot!
Make A Master Plan For Service Options
First of all, get your pastor on board with these ideas, value his input, and endure there are no denominational protocols that need to be met if your pastor is unavailable on short notice. Involve the leadership of your church [elders, worship leader, etc.] in the conversation and planning. Having the whole team on board will help you to be organized and pull off your ‘scramble’ with ease and professionalism.
Of course, if you have an elder or adult Bible teacher that likes to speak and is capable of preparing a sermon, then you have an ace in your pocket. Ask them to have a message prepared and in cue for just such an emergency. Contact other churches in your area to see if they have an assistant pastor or layperson who likes to preach, and ask if they would be willing to fill in if you ever find yourself in a ‘Sunday Scramble’ position.
As you make your plan, assign leaders specific jobs so the whole team is ready for action.
- An elder does the welcome and opening prayer.
- The worship leader heads up the music and handles a testimony time.
- Someone else is responsible for the offering collection.
- Other team members are assigned needed specific tasks according to your service order.
Sit down with everyone involved and make sure that they all know what’s expected of them and when during the service they will lead. Create a sample order of worship printed out with everyone’s names and assignments written in. Keep a hard copy in the church office and send everyone involved a digital copy as well.
No Preacher – No Problem
If your church does not have someone who would feel comfortable preaching, there are plenty of alternatives to use for your small church’s service.
Have A Worship & Praise Service
Songs, scripture readings, and times of sharing woven throughout the service can be a powerful time of worship.
There are several powerful worship videos available online; most are for purchase. Sites like The Worship Zone, Worship House Media, Shift Worship, and even free ones are available at Life Church Resources.
A video or two combined with congregational singing and prayer can be a different but meaningful time of worship.
3 Small Church New Year’s Events offers some great ideas for a worship, praise, and prayer event.
Theme Services For Small Churches
Choose a theme for your day and gear all your scripture and music toward that theme.
1. Celebrate The Past, Present, & Future
Ask members to give testimonies about what God has done in the past. This also creates a history of your church and how God has worked through different trials or opportunities.
Then move into another time of praising about where God is currently working. Ask people to share about what God is doing in their lives right now, their ministries, or their community.
Finally, share your hopes and desires about what you would like to see God do in the future of your church.
End with a time of dedicating that to Him.
Use These Verses To Celebrate:
- “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.” Psalm 77:11 (ESV)
- “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands.” Psalm 143:5 (ESV)
- “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 (ESV)
- “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 (ESV)
2. ‘I Once Was Lost, BUT … ’
Use this hymn and theme throughout your service and invite people to share how they came to know the Lord.
Sing one verse of the song, “Amazing Grace,” after each testimony. There are 5 verses. Celebrate the amazing grace that God has given to us! Take the opportunity to make sure that everyone knows how to find Jesus as their Savior.
3. Host An Old Fashioned Hymn Sing
Pick out a few hymns ahead of time and research the ‘stories’ behind why they were written. Share the hymn history before you sing each one.
Allow people in the congregation to choose a favorite hymn to sing and ask them to share why that song is special to them.
Do A Family Style Worship Day
Involve your teens and kids to do scripture readings. Sing some children’s worship songs during your service and ask some of the kids to help lead them.
Have an older person and a younger person team up to collect the offering or lead in prayer.
As the sermon or message, do an object lesson and talk about the main point with everyone in the church. Make this service highly interactive.
Click here for ideas on Meaningful Worship Bags & Why They Matter.
Plan For A Community Prayer Walk
If you live in an area that has neighborhoods around the church, break your church families into teams and send them out to walk the sidewalks or streets of your community, stopping frequently to pray for those homes, the people, and for your church’s ministry to them.
If church members encounter people on the way, ask if you can pray for them on the spot.
This is a great way for all ages to serve together. For those who may not be able to walk well, have one team remain at the church, praying for the teams that are in the neighborhoods and for your community. Ask some of the team at the church to prepare a snack and drinks to have ready for the teams when they return to the church.
Share stories of how God worked through the prayer time.
Be Open For What God Can Do
Hopefully, your pastor will never have to put this plan into action; but if an emergency does arise, you can be equipped and prepared.
As you put your ‘Sunday Scramble’ plan together, remember to season it with prayer and be willing to follow God’s leading. A moment in time when most might panic and worry instead might be just the thing God uses to bring blessing and the moving of His Spirit in the hearts of your small church family.
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
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