Christmas time is truly one of the most magical times of the year. The weather shifts, the lights go up, and the spirit of generosity and kindness touches the hearts of many.
If you’re a part of a church, you know that Christmastime is also one of the busiest times of the year. Planning your church’s Christmas service surely occupies much of your time during this season. Amid all the busyness around the Christmas season itself, it is important to take the time to think of those in your community and how you can reach them.
Simply inviting them to your church’s service is a good start, but there are many other ways you can impact their lives. This holiday season, we invite you to consider a few of the many ways that your church can do Christmas outreach well.
There is something so special about gathering together around a nice home-cooked meal. While many people will gather with their families for their holiday meals, there are still yet many who will be celebrating alone.
A community holiday meal is a wonderful way to serve your community and offer a place of belonging and family to those who need it. It is also a fun way to get your church involved by having everyone contribute something whether it is a portion of the meal, serving people the food, or just spending time with those in attendance. A community meal gets at the heart of Christmas: gathering together!
The holidays can be a crazy time for everyone, especially families. It can feel almost impossible for parents to get some time away to get the necessary holiday shopping and preparation done. A childcare night is a perfect idea to help serve these parents!
Pick a night (or more!) when families can drop off their kids at church and they can take a few hours to get some holiday prep done. This is a great idea to serve single parents in your community who have a hard time getting away from their kiddos. This night may serve as a breath of fresh air for tired parents to wind down while their children are in safe hands.
The Church is called to take care of those most vulnerable in our communities and a group that is often missed are those who reside in nursing homes. While some of these residents may have families who visit them during the holidays, many of them face this holiday season alone.
Visiting nursing homes is a wonderful opportunity to liven up the spirits of the residents and give them some good company. You can plan to do a small church service, sing carols or hymns, and even just hang out with residents and play games. Whatever you choose to do, your presence will make all the difference!
You are either one of the two people: you love wrapping gifts or you totally despise it. Even if you find yourself in the second category, doing something you dislike can be much more fun if you do it with friends!
Gift wrapping is a tedious but necessary part of the holidays, but having a night where you can do it with others in the community may make it a bit more enjoyable. So, you can hold your very own community gift-wrapping night! Provide some snacks, hot chocolate, and all the fixings to make the wrapping time fun.
Many available programs help provide gifts and toys for those who cannot afford them, but another option is to host one of your own. Hosting a discounted toy shop is a great way to provide cheaper gift alternatives for community members. It is also a great opportunity to invite those in your church to give back to families.
You can make the toy shop completely cost-free if you’d like or you can charge discounted prices and use the money for your church’s children’s ministry, missions ministry, or another ministry.
This a pretty broad concept, but a simple way to outreach this Christmas season is to do a giveaway. This giveaway (or giveaways!) can be as extravagant or as simple as you like. Here are a few options:
Depending on your budget, there are endless possibilities for giveaways you can do at your church. So get creative with it!
As the holiday season approaches, there truly are countless ways you can touch the lives of your community. The best thing you can do is to consider the needs of your community and meet them the best way you can. The goal is ultimately to show them the love of Jesus through your generosity, time, and kindness.
We hope you can make a major difference in the lives of your community this season!
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