These ideas were collated at our September 2013 meeting. Use them as a launching point to help your church share the Gospel this Christmas!
Gingerbread House night
Idea: Make Gingerbread houses together by icing together premade gingerbread pieces and decorating the house with lollies.
– Invite children aged grade 1 (younger children can’t really do the house) and above and women.
– While the icing is drying invite the children up the front and do a Christmas devotional at the kids level (clearly state on the invite that there will be a devotional)
– Goal: a bridge to other events. Each person is given a goodie bag which includes invites to the other Christmas services and evangelistic events, as well as an age appropriate book or Bible.
You could try with other activities such as make a wreath or make an advent calendar.
Christmas Concert
Idea: Put on a concert of musical items at the church.
– Include items by the playgroup and other kids groups to encourage those parents to come along.
– Include carols for the audience to sing too
– You might consider inviting band/s from the local school
– Have a gospel presentation and invite people to other church events
Christmas Eve service
Make it a pyjama service!
Christmas Party in the Car Park
Idea: A big party outside, jumping castle, fairy floss, etc.
– Include a presentation of the Nativity (feedback was that people came to see that.)
– Could also include dance or drama, Playgroup item, etc.
– Letterbox drop and signage.
Christingles
Idea: Use an orange, a red band, toothpicks with sweets on and a candle to tell the gospel message (search online for pictures and more info).
– Collect donations for the needy from local schools. These are brought to the service.
– You can pre-make the Christingles and just give them out in the service.
– Alternatively you could have a kids program the day before at which the kids make their own Christingle. Then they bring them to the service the next day to light them.
Sing Carols
At the local markets and shopping centres.
Hand out invites to church.
Pudding making demonstration
Idea: Make Christmas puddings together with friends/ neighbours.
– You buy the ingredients
– You could have each person bring from their own kitchen a required cooking tin/implement
– Interview someone while you’re making about what Christmas means for them.
– Can have it at church or do it at your house and invite people from your street.
– More details and a pudding recipe can be found in this Pudding Club document.
Make advent calendars
– Have examples ready
– Provide Nativity-themed templates, papers or pictures to stimulate gospel discussion
– Either provide treats or have people bring theirs
– Look online for templates
Give gifts to local groups
– Kids Bibles to local kindy
– Small gifts to residents at nursing home
– Local shop/ cafe owners your church people visit
The benefits of Hosting
Remember that although it is more work, hosting allows you to set the tone of the event, and control any relevant parameters to ensure that you are able to make a welcoming, safe environment for all who attend: optimal for sharing the gospel/ getting to know people.
Tie your event to other local events
– Host a breakup morning tea/ BBQ for your existing group or the community in general
– Invite attendees to join with you at events in the community such as lights tours, carols nights etc
– Utilise uni mission groups if extra manpower required!
Rural Areas Gift Giving
Show Christmas hospitality by:
– Have the church people donate items and make into hampers/ gift packs
– Have retired or part-time/unemployed church people drive the gifts to those in rural areas.
Kris Kringle Game
This game is a great ice-breaker, especially if you have a group who do not know each other well. Host a Christmas event:
– Have everyone wrap and bring a ‘gift’ from their home (you can do a $5 new gift, or an object from home they would like to ‘retire’)
– Number each item, and give each person a number (draw from a hat)
– Person with number 1 starts by choosing a present.
– Person number 2 can either choose a present or ‘steal’ the item person number 1 has. If they ‘steal’, person number 1 has to choose to open another present.
– Each subsequent person can either open a new present, or take from any of the ones that have already been opened.