As December quickly approaches, many churches are well into finalizing their Christmas plans. Whether you’re finishing up your plans, or getting a late start, here are a few areas to consider.
Traditions matter. Individual churches celebrate Christmas in their own unique ways. Traditions may evolve over time, but rarely should they be abandoned. People expect a certain feeling around Christmas. They get excited about the season. The more consistent you are in honoring church traditions, the easier it is for your members to share your church with friends. It’s simpler for them to get pumped about the traditions they love than to talk about some event they know noting about.
High quality trumps event quantity. It can be easy to “over program” Christmas. People are already busy, and scheduling one more event to attend can be tricky. Instead of doing a lot of events averagely, do fewer programs with a higher level of quality.
Be true to who you are. While this is true all year long, it’s especially important at Christmas. Yes, Christmas is a time to go big. It’s not the average Sunday. But Christmas services should still have a sense of who you are week to week. If you present yourself one way on Christmas and a different way in the Sundays to follow, there will be a disconnect for people new to your church.
People want to feel uplifted. Commit to filling your church with hope and joy during Christmas. Holidays can be a time of hurting for many. For those who’ve been away from church there’s a feeling of wanting more in their lives. Give them the answers Jesus brings to us. Joy has come to the world and hope can be found through Him. It’s a message that will resound with a majority of people whether they are happy or hurting.
Make intentional follow-up plans. Capitalize on your Christmas momentum. How can you re-engage your congregation in the weeks following the holidays? How can you take the high energy of Christmas and make it last? What system do you have in place for more deeply connecting with the new people who came though your doors on Christmas? If you’re not intentionally planning for these scenarios there will be lost opportunities for your church.
