There are two important and very traditional panic moments in the run-up to Christmas. The first is the sheer madness of last minute Christmas shopping—guys, you know what I’m talking about. But this is only surpassed by the unique terror felt by church leaders when they see December on the horizon. In fact, at the time of writing it's just 7 Sundays away. It's enough to make the shepherds quake!
In many ways it's totally right to feel the pressure. During the festive period people are open to invitations, and prepared to try something new and out of the ordinary. Christmas is the key opportunity to get people through the door and in front of a gentle gospel presentation.
And Churches can do Christmas very well. Soft candlelight, choral song, mulled wine and gloriously decorated ancient buildings. While many commercial Christmas celebrations may be able to outdo us in budget and size, they cannot get near the authentic intimacy and community of a local carol service. Only we can do this, and it's our responsibility to get it right.
A lot of these things come naturally to us, but some things take a committee to plan, prepare and pull it all together. If we want it to seem all tender and mild on the night, the backstage team needs to put the effort in now.
But—glories stream from heaven afar—we're here to help! We’ve compiled everything you need to put on a Christmas outreach that tells the story of the very first Christmas with relatable humour and faithful clarity.
This week we're launching Rescuing Christmas, a short, witty and engaging book showing how the surprising meaning of the first Christmas gives us what we are all seeking—a real joy that really lasts. It’s designed for you to use as a giveaway at these sorts of events.
So, if things are decidedly not calm or bright for you and your Christmas planning right now, the following package of resources will have you singing alleluia.
**CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE WHOLE PACKAGE**
In the downloadable folder you will find...
The official Rescuing Christmas video, which can be used both in the run-up to the event and in during the service itself.
Slides. These 3 slides will not only save you heaps of time but are professionally designed to create consistency throughout your promotion in the run-up to your Christmas service.
Use this slide to draw attention to the book and encourage your congregation to pick up a copy after the service:
Use this slide as the background on your powerpoint presentation throughout the service:
This slide could be used alongside your service notice in the run-up to the event. Simply add your own details in the space provided:
Social media share square. This will help you promote your christmas outreach services through online channels. Add details of your services in the space provided before sharing on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. It's great to encourage members of your church to share your posts and make the image available to them so they can use it as their profile picture:
Find out more about the book and order your copies here
Now you can sleep in heavenly peace.
Joe is our Vice President of Marketing. He lives in South London, UK with his wife and two daughters and is a member at River Church Sutton - part of the Newfrontiers network - where he runs a small group and various outreach activities.