It’s the most wonderful time of the year! With the advent season and the merriment everywhere, December is indeed the most fabulous time of every year. This is the time when friends and family would gather to celebrate the season together.
The Holiday Season is also a busy time for churches. Celebrating Christ’s birth is a perfect opportunity to engage the whole congregation and to reiterate the real reason for the season. Here are some Christmas program ideas your church can try out.
What Makes an Impressive Church Christmas Program
Before jumping on to some of the most engaging and fun program ideas, let’s first consider the factors that make your program exceptional.
- Christ, not Santa
We must never forget what is the reason for the season. Who is the reason for the celebration? For a lot of Christmas programs, Jesus Christ gets left out because of gift-giving, merriment, reunions, etc.
Remember that the reason why we are celebrating is because of the birth of Jesus. We can have a lot of church Christmas program ideas but as event planners, we must always bear in mind to highlight Christ in our programs.
- Community not only church
It is a great time for the church to get engaged in the community. Consider the community in the planning process. Christmas outreach should be among the top priorities when planning for the Christmas program. Being event planners, think of ways to connect with your community and make it known that the church is here to give back to the community.
- Call (Invite) people
Whatever activities you may come up with, take into account that these programs and events are opportunities for the church to be able to share the love of Christ with others. Encourage everyone to find someone to invite.
That plus one should be family members or friends who are not yet a member of the church. This is a great opportunity to reach out to others and start to build relationships with them to win them to Christ.
- Convenience factor (Go live)
The holiday season is the most festive time of the year, yet it is also the busiest. Make your church Christmas program convenient for everyone by considering a hybrid approach. Since the advent of live streaming, going live with events is now a convenient way to engage with church members who can’t get to the church and those who may be out of town.
You can have your Christmas event live-streamed on social media and reach not just your community but everyone around the globe.
- Changed lives (The Greatest Miracle)
As an event planner, allotting time for testimonies should be a must because the greatest miracle we can experience is transformed and empowered lives. Those who have become members of the church within the year may testify of the goodness of the Lord.
They can share their story and how they got connected with the church.
- Christmas Eve Service
Christmas Eve service is desired but not required. The Church Christmas program does not necessarily have to fall on Christmas eve. Although it is expected on Christmas eve, you can schedule it anytime before the eve since people might be busy with the preparations.
- Conceptualize/ Create a Theme
Make your church Christmas program epic by having a theme. Setting up a Christmas theme will help you simplify the planning process. When you have already chosen a theme, you can easily create the program and identify the materials and manpower that you will be needing.
Everyone can still participate in the theme if your program is more presentational. Because a theme does not have to be so elaborate and demanding as in the case of a costume party. It can be as simple as a color theme where everyone can wear that theme color to the event.
- Christmas Carols
When one mentions a Christmas program, Christmas carol would always be the first to come to mind. Print out classic Christmas carols so that church attendees can sing along as the choir sings. This is also a way to tell the story of Jesus through songs.
- Communion
Let your event be a time of remembrance of what Jesus did at the cross by having communion on your program. Christmas is a great opportunity to not only celebrate His birth but an opportunity to remember and accept His sacrifice as His greatest gift to all.
- Care for aftercare
It’s important to show appreciation to the clean-up crew and volunteers. These are the people who are least appreciated and least acknowledged. Make them feel cherished and admired by giving them recognition for their effort. Help them after the service. Treat them to lunch the day after and give them gifts. Or have the congregation fill out a thank you card for the cleaning crew.
The 7 Cs in Planning Your Church Christmas Program
- Create an objective
Identify what your goal for the program or event is and how you want it accomplished. It may be just a celebration of the holiday season, or an opportunity to spread the Christmas spirit, or a reminder of what Christmas is all about, or you want to reach a specific number of attendees, or you can use it to raise a specific amount of funds by hosting a church fundraising event.
- Come up with a budget
After identifying your goals, it’s important to calculate all possible expenses and incorporate them into your budget plan.
- Come up with a theme
Make the church Christmas program as grand as you’d desire or as undemanding as you’d like. Just bear in mind the congregation’s availability and willingness.
- Call out volunteers
Church events can be a great way to serve and give. Furthermore, it helps foster relationships between members and creates new ones.
- Choose songs
Choose only Christian songs to play, since these events are hosted by the church.
- Care for the visitors
Create a non-threatening atmosphere for the visitors and give them VIP treatment.
- Construct Christmas activities for the kids
If activities are designed for adults, have the kids in a separate room with kid-friendly activities.
Sample Activities for Christmas Season in the Church
Here are some creative things you can do to make your Holiday events unforgettable. We hope you can find inspiration from these. You may even create your own as your creativity leads you.
Presentational:
These activities require selected members of the church. You can ask the ministry volunteers, music team members or choir members, church elders, kids from the children’s ministry, and the pastor/preacher to try doing the following:
- Night of Caroling/Choir
Tradition plays a huge part in Church Christmas events. Caroling and choir should always be on top of the activity options as this is one of the most traditional ways to celebrate Christmas. Christmas won’t be complete without a merry Christmas song.
- Live Nativity (The Greatest Story Ever Told)
Reenacting the birth of Jesus is also one of the most celebrated traditions during Christmas time. Have preselected people from the congregation act out the nativity scene. You can ask about the participation of both the young and old alike.
This will not only create opportunities to showcase talent but also act as a beautiful reminder of the greatest story ever told: the birth of the Messiah.
- True Christmas Sermon
Christmas service won’t be complete without a Christmas message. A simple yet powerful preaching sermon will not only move the hearts of your congregation but will also transform their lives. And this is the true essence of the church: being God’s instrument in changing lives.
- Christmas plays and pageants
Stage plays and dramatics are not only limited to live nativity, although it is the most desired. You can have family-themed skits, Christmas-themed skits, or short stories from the Bible. Let the kids perform and load up on the cuteness factor that everyone will surely enjoy.
- The lighting of the Advent Wreath
Christmas becomes even more meaningful when families gather together. Call every family in the church and allow the pastor to pray for them upon lighting the advent wreath. This act symbolizes that the true light has come to the world.
Encourage every family to do so in their homes after the service. Light one candle of the four candles on the wreath on the first Sunday. Then light another one the succeeding Sunday until the last candle in the center is lit.
- Christmas Story Read Along
Print Christmas stories to give out to church members upon entering the church. Then let members read along as a volunteer reads aloud. The volunteer should have an animated voice and must have good voice quality. Serve hot drinks with cookies after for fellowship.
- Blue Christmas
Honor members of the church who have passed away within the year. Celebrate their contributions and volunteerism in the church by remembering them and dedicating a Blue Christmas for them. Have a solemn prayer of thanksgiving for their lives and the impact they made.
- Holiday-themed movies
Spend time with each other by having a holiday-themed movie night, not just for church members but for everyone in the community. Have the pastor share a short message to grab the opportunity to win visitors and first-timers to Christ.
- Talent Show
Recognize the talents of church members by having your own “Church Got Talent.” Every aspiring singer, dancer, instrumentalist, etc. gets to showcase their talent in a fun and creative way.
Participatory:
Some members might be left out during church presentations. However, when you plan activities that will involve everyone in the church, you’re making sure that nobody feels excluded while promoting unity within the group.
- Gift Giving
It’s the giving season, after all. Receiving Christmas gifts is one of the most anticipated (if not the most) parts of the Christmas season.
Hand out gifts to everyone who is part of the church. Pick gifts that don’t only come from the heart but would actually help people build their faith. This can be as simple as a Bible, a journal notebook, a mug with a printed verse, and others.
Attach a personalized Christmas card to make the gift more impactful. Also, don’t forget to prepare gifts for any visitors and first-timers. Encourage everyone to bring gifts to church so that they can participate in this activity.
- Potluck
Bond over food by having church members bring in their favorite homemade dish to church for everyone to share. This will promote church friendships and create new ones. Level it up by announcing that the most unique and creative dish gets an award.
- Wreath hanging or hang the greens
It is a traditional Christian ceremony where everyone brings in their Christmas decorations such as a wreath or green plants to decorate the church and prepare it for the holidays. Include verse readings, prayers, and worship hymns as the greens are being hung in your program.
- Wreath making
A wreath is not just a beautiful Christmas adornment but it is a representation of eternal life. This activity is a great reminder for church members of the free gift which is eternal life. Prepare materials and hold a wreath-making activity in the church.
- Christmas Countdown Challenge
Elevate excitement by having a countdown challenge. Everyone who will join must document all the preparations they did before Christmas Day. Then you can present it during the church service.
Some challenge that your church can try is 25 days before Christmas which involves giving out 25 encouraging cards to 25 of your co-workers. Another one is 24 days before Christmas where participants get to treat 24 kids in the community with ice cream, and so on.
- Carols Sing-a-long
You may also come up with Christmas carols sing-a-long with the choir. Provide lyrics of traditional Christian Christmas songs and let everyone sing along with the choir. Choose songs that carry the gospel message.
- Church-wide Kris Kingle
Have an online registration for members to register their gifts. Then let them draw the name of the person to give their gift. To assist you with online registration, partner with Event Smart. Manage your church Christmas program or any future church events with the assistance of Event Smart and have hassle-free online registrations.
- Church decoration party
If hanging the greens is not to your liking as it limits your creativity to only the color green you can try mixing it up with other adornments. Get the creativity of the congregation going by letting them bring in their favorite Christmas decorations like Christmas lights, candy canes, Christmas balls and others to church. Then have a church decoration party with a hearty meal.
- Competitions
Have a healthy competition by hosting Christmas games. Select a panel of judges to assess presentations with compliments to encourage the development of skills and talents. Hold dance competitions, singing competitions, art competitions, etc. among church members. Make it a winning event where members can bring in their friends and loved ones to church.
Create a Memorable Church Event with Event Smart
Since Christmas is the most momentous time of the year, come up with the most festive and memorable church Christmas program ideas. Everyone in the church will surely not just enjoy and relax but also get to bond with family and friends and win others to Christ.
Ready for the most joyous church Christmas celebration? Collaborate with Event Smart to make your Christmas events or any church events stress-free and hassle-free. With Event Smart you get it all, from event registrations, seating limits, ticketing options, and more. Create a event website today for free to get started.
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