There are some simple mistakes we make every year at Christmas and withoutashepherd hopes to draw attention to 12 things we could perhaps do better. This is not to critique traditions of ages past, or opportunity to pretend to share all the answers as if I have them all, but a series of posts to promote more thought into how  how our churches and us as individuals can capitalise on all the opportunities that Christmas brings for the gospel.

#1 Doing Little

It’s September… are you plans in motion for Christmas 2009?

You say, what plans… its just the same as last year: A Christmas Day Service.

If that is your response it’s time to rethink the things you do and their effectiveness in capturing the attention of your community at Christmas. Doing little or not making the most of Christmas should be a crime.

Christmas is an easy opportunity for the unchurched to venture to church. Christmas is also one of the easiest times of year to invite unchurched friends and family along to church. Make the most of this festive season!

People will only go to churches they are aware of. If you church is invisible people won’t venture into your church family this Christmas. People will go to a church where they have seen some advertising, heard about it word of mouth, or have a friend, colleague, acquaintance that goes there.

There are some people out there who also are not thinking about going to church this Christmas but are also not opposed to the idea. Do something to gage their interest? To maintain high awareness, a church needs to have a strong community presence during the strategically important Christmas season.

three quick ideas:

• put on extra services
  carols; candlelight; family; choral; recital; christmas eve; christmas day; OR how about a blue christmas -  a service that seeks to honor the sadness that often comes with the Christmas season as people remember those missed and focus on the hope brought by the news that Christ is with us.
• door-to-door invites to christmas services
  get some postcards made up and grab a team from your church to personally invite your community along to christmas services. This worship service will seek to honor the sadness that often comes with the Christmas season as we remember those we miss, acknowledge the pain we feel and realize that the darkness will not last–that Christ is with us.
• host a christmas meal
  put on a FREE christmas lunch and open it up to people in your local community and church family. Its a great way to provide friendship and a tasty meal to those without family or friends to spend christmas with.

• do publicity
  Start thinking about Church flyers, postcards, posters, signs to promote Christmas. Can you drop bundles of postcards/flyers off at local schools, community centres and get them distributed there? Individuals in your church family can use them to invite friends also.
• pre-Christmas events
  Christmas Appeal or Toys n Tucker collection within your community… Fair Trade Markets with Christmas flyers ready to hand out; the famous Gingerbread event; as individuals host Christmas Drinks at your home for work collegues, neighbours and friends.