You’re probably wondering if there’s anything you can do to leverage Christmas better to reach the people in your community who normally don’t attend church. I’m with you.
The conversation is even more important as our culture becomes more and more post-Christian. As the general population thinks less about the Christian faith, Christmas provides a unique opportunity to reach people who no longer ordinarily attend church.
After all, there is now only one time of year left in our culture when people still celebrate something Christians hold dear—and that’s Christmas.
What’s surprising is that many churches don’t really leverage Christmas to make the impact it could.
Over the years at Connexus Church, where I serve, our Christmas service wins hands-down every year for both overall attendance AND attendance by unchurched people. Although, theologically, Christmas will never be bigger than Easter, practically, our Christmas outreach is always bigger than Easter simply because the culture is paying attention.
Too Many Christians Blow This
If you follow many Christians on social media leading up to Christmas, too many people lament over the culture’s disregard of Christ.
Well, you can see the obstacle. Or you can see the opportunity. I choose to see the opportunity. There are so many connection points with our culture you’ll miss if you only see the glass as half full.
When else will you ever hear theology this solid playing from speakers in a mall:
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
(Charles Wesley)
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.
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 24 and 25, the Western world comes as close to stopping as it ever does.
I’m not sure there’s a better time to connect with your friends and neighbors who rarely if ever go to church.
