

The Christmas season can be an amazing outreach opportunity for church plants to reach new people for Christ. Whether it’s wanting something deeper than the mass-consumerism around them, struggles with family or maybe even a desire to reconnect with their childhood faith, many people are seeking purpose and meaning during this season.
Church plants can offer a fresh voice inviting them to find true life in Jesus—our God who draws near to us. Even if you don’t have lots of financial resources or volunteer people-power, your church plant can offer a personal touch to those who attend your Christmas services, which will help them know how much God loves them.
5 Articles on Christmas Outreach for Church Plants
How to Get Christmas Visitors to Come Back to Your Church, by Ryan Nelson
These tips apply, of course, beyond just Christmas (and Easter) visitors. However, you’ll want to put these into practice especially during this time of increased outreach. “Your follow-up plan should be a well-oiled machine that follows new people out the door and brings them back.”
8 Ways to Maximize Christmas Outreach at Your Plant, by Charles Stone
Several of these ideas are simple and easy to begin implementing quickly. In particular, developing a plan to reach families with kids is a crucial part of effective outreach during this season.
3 Ways to Turn Christmas Visitors Into Members, by Hal Seed
“Christmas visitors are not like normal visitors. Every year, a significant percentage of them will leave your Christmas services with good feelings, but no thoughts of returning. They came because it was the thing to do. They don’t expect to be back until Easter. How can you change those expectations so they’ll return sooner?”
5 Ways Social Media Can Help Churches Connect at Christmas, by Lauren Hunter
You don’t have to be a social media maven to utilize these easy—and free—tips. “Social media can be one of the most effective tools you can use during the holidays to reach out to your busy church members. Many people want to participate and engage, but are being pulled in many different directions, as we all are during this time of year.”
5 Simple Changes to Make Your Church Plant More Friendly For Unchurched People, by Rich Birch
Again, these are ideas you can use any time of the year, but will be especially important as your plant is reaching people who might have no church experience. For example, have you thought about your church’s New Here process? “What are unchurched people suppose to ‘do’ when they arrive at your church? You can’t make the ‘next steps’ you want each guest to take when they arrive too obvious. In fact, your team should regularly audit this process to ensure that it’s as clear as it possibly can be. You want to reduce every piece of potential friction toward helping people get connected to your community when they arrive.”