Annual Church Themes – Do They Really Work? (Part 1)

Church leaders often get accused of fooling their congregants with fake promises year after year on the guise of launching a new theme.

Critics often pinpoint church members who remain at the same level as years go by and use such examples to invalidate annual church themes. They presume that pastors use annual church themes as a strategy to lure their flock into hoping for a brighter future which never arrive.

Annual Church Themes – Do They Really Work? (Part 1)

Without digging deeper into the importance of church themes, one might conclude that the issue of annual themes is a meaningless tradition done for the sole benefit of top church leaders. This assertion is far from the truth. There are many benefits to having an annual church theme.

Annual themes provide direction. Without guidance there will be disorder (Proverbs 29:18). Themes are prophetic signposts. They reveal God’s plan for a particular people within a specific season. They also reveal desire. They are a statement of a people’s longing.

This is why they are different from church to church. God works differently with different people even though, ultimately, His goal is to save all mankind.

Like any goal or personal resolution, the realization of an annual church theme has many things that affect it:

First, is the God factor. He must be consulted before launching any theme.

Second, is the pastor factor. He must articulate the theme in a clear manner to his congregation and incorporate it throughout the year (or season in question).

Third, is the church factor. Members of the church must meet the conditions outlined for the materialization of the theme.

In my following article I’ll show you why many annual church themes fail and suggest keys to achieving them. Watch this space.

Scripture: “And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” (Habakkuk 2:2-3)