4 Ways to Attract More Guests to Your Church This Christmas

Christmas presents such a great opportunity for outreach in your church.

Because even the unchurched let their guards down, even if just a little, when it comes to church at Christmas, your ability to speak to those far from God can be pivotal.

Rather than squander the opportunity, make the most of it. In fact, start with a commitment to draw more guests to your Christmas (or Christmas Eve) services.

Here are 4 ways your church can attract more guests, specifically this season:

Make it easy for your members and regular attenders to invite people. This effort obviously depends on a number of factors, including budget. But a few great ideas for invitations include:

IDEA ONE: A simple invite card (business card size) with the name, location, and service time(s) of your church.

Be sure to use a a headline like ‘You’re invited” or some other warm, welcoming phrase.

Here’s why it’s great to use invite cards to draw guests to your church.

It involves members, not just staff and leadership. As such, you need to make it easy and non-threatening for people not accustomed to doing outreach to invite people to church. In fact, with invite cards, it can be as simple as instructing them to leave a card everywhere they go.

Invite cards can also be a very cheap way of spreading the word that your church wants outsiders at its services this Christmas season. Probably even better than placing an ad in the local paper.

IDEA TWO: Shoot a welcome/invitation video from your pastor.

Post it to Facebook and ask all your members/followers to share on their Facebook.

The ability to go viral in a socially connected world is vital to publicity.

IDEA THREE: Offer a free gift to EVERYONE (members and guests) who show up to your Christmas services.

There are several things you can use that would qualify as a free gift. What we suggest is a copy of “What Happens When You Attend,” which not only thanks people for coming to church but encourages them to come back. (Which is what you want, right?)

IDEA FOUR: Be sure to have a special service for young children.

People not accustomed to coming to church often your their own kids as an excuse as to why they don’t come. “I can’t get them to sit quietly?” or “What if they act up?” or “What if I have to walk out with them?”

As much as it’s in your power to do so, be sure to have a special program for young children so that mom and dad can sit in the main service and not be distracted. Taking away that excuse will go a long way to attracted those who don’t normally try church.

One more thing …

How do you preach to unchurched guests on Christmas?

That is a very important question. And that is a topic we will be discussing at our next Preaching Rocket NEXT training session with Ben Crawshaw. It’s this Thursday, December 15 at 2pm eastern.

Now … what is Preaching Rocket NEXT? It’s a monthly mentorship program at the Rocket Company where pastors like you can learn to preach better sermons in real-time.

Every month there is a live, small group coaching session exclusive to Preaching Rocket NEXT members.

Members also get to download new and timely resources each month, like original giving talks and new sermon stories.

So as not to miss out on this month’s very timely training session, and downloadable resources, go ahead and jump in to Preaching Rocket NEXT today and save $50.