Christmas is a ‘thin place’ – a time when people’s minds are more likely to turn to spiritual things; when people are more aware of poverty and injustice; when emotions run high. And it’s a time that’s just as meaningful for unaffiliated people as for Christians, though the festival means different things to different people. Advent and Christmas offer an opportunity to share good news with unaffiliated people when they are more likely to be open to it.
Five things every church should do
To make the most of the opportunities for sharing good news this Advent and Christmas, make sure you do these five things. For each tip there are easy options and more demanding ones.
1. Review your signage
Take a look at the noticeboard outside your church, along with any other signs or banners around the building. Are service times clearly shown, including Christmas services? Is it obvious where the entrance is? If you have banners or posters with Bible verses, are they in a clear, modern translation? Do they speak of love or of judgement? The first impression people will have of your church community will be conveyed by the outside of your building.
Easy
Order The Methodist Church’s Christmas posters from Methodist Publishing, or download digital versions and have them printed yourself locally. Be sure to include the date and time of your main carol service by adding a sticker or having a printer customise the poster for you.
Other ideas
Invest time, effort and perhaps some money updating your main noticeboard. Install a new ‘entrance’ sign if the way into your church building isn’t obvious. Install a ramp and mark out a disabled parking space so that people with disabilities can access your church building as easily as possible.
2. Invite, welcome and follow up
Christmas is hands down the easiest time of year to invite people to church events. A simple service of traditional Christmas carols and Bible readings appeals to a broad range of people who would never usually go to church. If you invite people, they’re more likely to come than at any other time of year. A personal invitation is much more likely to be accepted than a leaflet put through someone’s door. When people come to a Christmas service, make sure they feel welcome. Think about how you will follow up with people who come to a Christmas service.
Easy
Order packs of The Methodist Church’s Christmas postcard and use them to give personal invitations to people connected with your church. For example, invite each person who attends your coffee morning or each member of a group that regularly uses your building. Give out cards that contain the service information, but don’t just leave a pile of them out or put them through doors! People are much more likely to respond to a personal invitation.
Recruit some friendly welcomers to stand at the door at your carol service and guide people to seats. Ensure the service leader holds visitors in mind. For example, have them avoid religious jargon and explain clearly what is happening, such as when to sit and stand; whether people are expected to contribute to the offering and where the money is going.
Have a simple card ready that people can use to give you their contact information if they would like to stay in touch – this one is available from Methodist Publishing. Decide who will collect this information and follow up with each newcomer (and, obviously, ensure that you hold the data securely and in line with the General Data Protection Regulation).
Other ideas
Give away ‘goody bags’ at Christmas services to everyone who attends (no need to single out newcomers). These could include:
- an object to remind people of the message (such as a candle or star);
- a copy of The Methodist Church’s Christmas postcard;
- some Fairtrade chocolate;
- an invitation to an event in January or February.
Commit to offering each person who leaves their contact details an invitation to coffee in the New Year.
3. Go to neutral spaces
Some people won’t feel comfortable going to a church service, so go to neutral spaces to meet people on their terms. Go to the places where people are gathering and be good news. You could give out The Methodist Church’s Christmas postcard at these events. If people don’t want to attend a church service, they might read the Christmas postcard at home in their own time, and maybe scan the QR code for more content.
Easy
Get a few people together to go carol singing – in your high street (get permission first), outside your church if it’s in an area with high footfall, or consider going door-to-door in the streets near your church. You could have a bucket for charity donations and give out invitations to your carol service.
Other ideas
Some churches have had great success with ‘Beer and Carols’ services in pubs, perhaps with a Christmas-themed quiz. If you’re not comfortable going into a pub, consider offering free gift-wrapping in your local shopping centre or high street (get permission from your local authority before doing this). Some people hate wrapping presents, so you are saving them a job!
4. Share good news
Wherever you are – in your church building or at a stall on your local high street – share the good news of God’s love in Jesus Christ. Have one simple, crystal-clear message of good news. This year our Christmas campaign message is ‘Hush the Noise’ - inviting people to tune out the ‘noise’ of the busy season and listen for the song of the angels.
Easy
Sing a Christmas carol that proclaims good news; give out The Methodist Church’s Christmas postcard and briefly explain its good news message.
Other ideas
Ensure that you have a short, simple message of good news at Christmas services popular with unaffiliated people. Carol services, all-age nativity services and Christmas Eve communion tend to appeal to unaffiliated visitors.
5. Go digital
Whether your IT skills are basic or you’re really tech-savvy, there are lots of options for digital engagement at Christmas.
Easy
If you want to keep it simple, just like, comment on and share the Methodist Church’s Christmas campaign (details on this page), and have your church congregation do the same.
Other ideas
If you are more digitally confident, why not create some inspiring social media posts to put out during Advent? There are high-quality graphics to download and use on this page.
For those with more confidence navigating the digital world, why not livestream a simple carol service late on Christmas Eve? It’s a service that is popular with unaffiliated people, and those who would prefer not to come outside on a cold, dark winter night may well watch from the comfort of their own home.
Three more ideas:
Engage kids
They’re over-excited, and the schools and nurseries are shut. Parents will be looking for low-cost ways to entertain their children.
You could offer Christmas card making, biscuit decoration or making paper chains. There’s no need to make it a drop-off event unless you want to: parents will be delighted to have something to occupy their children which doesn’t cost the earth.
If you’re planning a child-friendly Christmas service, such as a Christingle or nativity service, give out invitations at your kids’ event.
Keep Blue Christmas
Some people really struggle at Christmas. There will be people in your church as well as in the wider community who dread Christmas and are just waiting for it to be over, for all kinds of reasons. Grief, poverty, debt, poor physical or mental health: all of these can feel worse at Christmas. But the good news is that God came to share our humanity, with all its fragility and pain.
Offer a space where feelings of fear, anger, pain and sorrow can be held, rather than dismissed or ignored amid all the jollity. This could be a quiet, reflective service in the week leading up to Christmas; perhaps a short livestream that people can watch at home. There are some resources for your Blue Christmas service in the worship pack on this page.
Think about what you will offer in terms of pastoral care for people who wish to access it, such as an opportunity to pray with someone, or to email a prayer request. Keeping Blue Christmas could be your way of sharing good news.
Enable eco Christmas
We’re all becoming more and more aware of the impact of our consumption on the planet, and Christmas often feels like a festival of consumption. Show people how to do Christmas in a more sustainable way.
You could hold a gift-wrapping workshop that gives people ideas for using recycled materials; perhaps a table-top sale offering good quality unwanted gifts, so that people can reduce the carbon footprint of their gift-giving.
Lots of unaffiliated people care about the planet, and may be keen to learn ways of doing Christmas more sustainably. Connect this to good news in a simple way: for example, explain that you believe God made the world and gave people the job of looking after it.
Conclusion
For ideas and resources to help you make the most of Advent and Christmas, check out this page.