"God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son...". (John 3:16)
Any idea what the best outreach opportunity of the year at your church might be? You might think it's an event you do, or perhaps it's Easter. But whether Christmas has historically been your best opportunity to reach unchurched people or not, it could be!
As our culture becomes more post-Christian, we're seeing far fewer times when the holidays of the church and the holidays of culture sync. Christmas is completely different! Our culture loves Christmas. Sure, the motives are commercial. But Christmas is the only time of year when you'll hear malls belt out explicitly Christian songs like Charles Wesley's "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing":
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel!
If you follow some Christians on social media leading up to Christmas, you'll probably notice how some people lament over the culture's disregard of Christ. The truth is, we can see the obstacles...or the opportunity! There are so many connection points with people we miss if we only see the glass as half empty.
This is no time for the church to be more cynical than the world, which still remembers something is different at Christmas, even if they're not exactly sure what it is. Let's stop complaining about the world - instead, reach out to it!
Our culture pauses for Christmas in a way it pauses for little else in the year. TV and film celebrate Christmas in all of its expressions. Almost everyone decorates their homes, businesses, and cities. On December 24th and 25th, the Western world comes as close to stopping as it ever does.
SO, how can we as the church leverage Christmas? There's no better time than Christmas to connect with friends and neighbors who rarely, if ever, practice faith. Some churches are getting really good at it - there have actually been studies done of how churches do this effectively, across the country. Here are 10 things we've learned.
1. Design An Event For Your Community, Not For Your Members
So what's the biggest mistake many churches make each Christmas? Simple. Too many churches hold a quiet Christmas Eve or Christmas Day service for members and leave it at that. Unchurched people want to celebrate Christmas. Why can't your church welcome them? If you design your services with the community in mind, your members will love it too. Especially if their friends come and it changes their lives.
2. Brand the Event Around the Community, Not Just Your Church
Take your church's name off the main branding for your Christmas service. Use the names of the town you're in. So for Lansing, we're Christmas in Lansing. In Naperville, it's Christmas Eve in Naperville, etc. Sure, let people know it's hosted by a church, but people are looking for a place to celebrate and we want them to know we can host them and their family at an event designed for the whole town.
3. Stretch Yourself and Experiment
To be honest, pulling off Christmas services like this is going to stretch your team and your church. But it's a good way to test out new ideas, new things you've never tried before! Sometimes stretching ourselves calls out the very best in people, challenges them to invite, and it can bring your church to a brand new place in a season in which many people are already looking for events to attend.
4. Give Your Congregation Invitation Tools
Did you know that 82% of people would visit a church if a trusted friend invited them?
Yet in a typical year, only 2% of Christians invite a friend to church. Heartbreaking.
Create some cards with details on it which people can hand to their friends. It's easier to invite a friend to something like Christmas than to a regular Sunday morning.
5. Use Social Media
Sure, maybe you don't have the bandwidth to build fresh websites. Just do it for free using social media. Create a Facebook event or promoted posts. Use all your social media channels and get the word out. Engage your young people to help you, they are masters at it! Encourage people to share with their friends. They are your number one source when it comes to promotion because they're already invested and engaged.
6. Love Your Community
Give away the Christmas offering you receive to a community partner like the local food bank. Participate in local community events and organizations in ways that show your community that you're for them and that God is for them! Love makes a pretty irresistible force when it's unleashed on a town. And generosity makes an impression on unchurched people they will never forget.
7. Invite Them Back
Every year, without hopefully sounding like a commercial, we want to invite people back for January. Give them a card explaining the next sermon series and dates, times and location. If the January series deals with a felt-need, this creates buzz and guests return in January simply because you invite them back! We know inviting sounds basic, but you're dealing with unchurched people. Think about it, you would never go to a party unless you knew you were invited. Unchurched people don't know they're invited unless you invite them. So invite them.
8. Plan A Call To Action
Every year, give people an opportunity to surrender their lives to Jesus... and it's amazing how many people will...and do! And when you invite them back and offer them steps to take in the new year (like beginning Next Steps), Christmas starts a journey for them that often ends with them surrendering their lives to Christ.
Thank you for serving so well on the Chicago Central District. Christmas is the BEST outreach opportunity of the year. Let's continue to be Christ in action! You are loved.
