The holiday season is one of the busiest times for local churches. Not only does the Christmas holiday bring in large congregations, but this is a significant fundraising period. Churches often ask families to donate toys, coats, food, and money to help the less fortunate, so everyone can have a little joy on Christmas. It’s not too early to start planning for Christmas, even if the leaves haven’t started to change for fall. Keep these steps in mind to make sure you have everything covered.
1. Order extra service items.
Christmas Eve brings in some of the largest church services of the year. Some churches even have to offer four or five services to accommodate everyone in the community. For many people, Christmas Eve is the only day they go to church each year. This means church leaders want to create a positive impression to bring them back more often.
Order ahead to make sure you are ready for the service. This means ordering extra communion wafers if your church practices it, printing more programs than normal, and preparing for large crowds.
This year, keep in mind that the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t over. Even if your flock is vaccinated, you may want to ask attendees to wear masks and use hand sanitizer ahead of the sermon. Ordering extra masks can also help in case people forget.
2. Create a Christmas tree plan.
It’s much harder to buy Christmas trees for a church than a company or private household. Work with your church elders or holiday planning committee to determine how many trees you need. A small church might only need one or two small trees and can reuse artificial Christmas trees each year. However, a larger church might want a holiday tree in the entranceway and then multiple trees in the sanctuary including a tower tree that serves as a centerpiece. Calculate the number of trees you need and their location ahead of time so you can order commercial Christmas trees ahead of the holiday season.
3. Look for durable outdoor decor.
Once your indoor sanctuary is festive, identify ways to spruce up your building’s exterior for the season. For example, many shopping centers wrap garland around their light posts and on their front entrances. You can create a similar feel for your church with the same items.
If you are investing in outdoor decor, consider buying durable, artificial materials that will last. You should be able to use the same decorations for up to five years, which means the choices you make today are an investment in your church’s future.
4. Consider whether you want to use candles.
Candles symbolize hope and light. They are flicker through the Christmas holidays creating warmth and pushing out darkness. However, they are also a fire hazard. Even a small open flame is dangerous if it gets knocked over or catches the sleeve of a congregant.
Evaluate where you can have candles in your church and where you need to use tea lights or faux options. A plastic bulb is much safer because it doesn’t give off heat and won’t break when it is dropped. For example, if your Sunday school kids are putting on a Christmas pageant, they can each hold tea lights. However, your head pastor can likely use a real candle safely. Planning your candle usage now can help you order enough lights for Christmas.
Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but it also represents a period of community, friendship, and family. By preparing your church for Christmas, you can become a focal point in your community for supporting those in need and finding hope and love.
