Opportunities to Connect With Community at Christmas
Although we know that a lot of our community only attends at Christmas and Easter, how do we reach them for Christ?
Here is the thinking behind outreach at BP Church, Calgary.
We do three things at Christmas to build relationships with and reach our community.
Opportunity for Community
The Christmas Hampers were started years before I arrived. The church gave out about 20 hampers to members of our congregation and a few to our local school. Members of the church brought items from the shopping list, and the church supplied a gift card for meat. Our Christmas hamper campaign has grown from 20 to 120 hampers. This Hamper Campaign increased when it was viewed as an opportunity to create community, not as a charity.
Families from our congregation pick up an empty hamper at the beginning of December, along with a packing list. Each family packs the hamper with the designated items and special items they enjoy at Christmas. The cost of packing the hamper, along with a $20-25 gift card, usually costs a family $75-$80.
Hampers are received and designated to a family in need. Those families have the choice to pick up their hamper or have it delivered. A tax receipt is issued if the families bring their gift card receipts.
The Hamper Campaign has grown, and the relationships have expanded. The hampers now go to three local public elementary schools, a special needs high school, and a high needs junior high school. Along with local schools, they go to homes in our community. We have seen great connections from our community as we have expanded our reach in our community. The outreach has opened doors for our church, meeting needs at Christmas and collecting and donating warm winter clothes. Our seniors knit over 50 toques last year for the school children.
Involving Children
The second Christmas outreach is when kids perform during the main service. The presentation is a great opportunity for families to invite their friends and family members to church for a service in December. This weekend is unique because food is offered after the service, and special evangelical gifts are given out to the kids that Sunday. All children receive a special "Christmas Gift." The gift typically has an Advent or Christmas Story theme. The presentation requires special Christmas rehearsals and prep. Families are keen to commit to having their children be involved. The Children's Choir performs at all three services on the weekend and grandparents and family who can't attend love watching their kids online via the live stream.
Generosity
The third Christmas outreach that we prepare is Christmas Eve. The community attends our Christmas Eve service, which has a candlelight service. To meet the demand and provide choices we usually host 2-4 services. The service also has a lot of creative elements that share the gospel and, of course, great music and carols. At the end of the evening, candy bags are handed out to all the kids that attend. Since staff and volunteers are involved for the day, the gym is designated as the "Green Room," and food is available for them throughout the day. My only role in this event is to provide nut-free candy bags and usually prepare 200-400 bags. These bags don't usually run at a high cost, but the children and the families feel the generosity.
Whatever your resource base at your church, you can create an environment to minister to people and share the gospel. If you go to your community first, asking them to come to you is much easier. Ask God this season what you can do to meet your community's needs and bring the message of Love, Joy, and Peace during the Christmas Season!
Alayne Durand is the Family Ministries Pastor at BP Church and has served on staff in various roles for 11 years. As the Children's Ministry Department, we want each child to attend our services, camps, activities, or community events to know that BP Church is the best place for them to be.
Bob Jones is the founder of REVwords.com, an author, blogger, and coach with 39 years of pastoral experience. Bob is also an Advance Coach with the ABNWT Resource Centre. You can connect with Bob here.