How to Reach and Retain More Families During Christmas and Easter
Here's how to reach more families during one of your biggest opportunities of the year: Christmas.
6 Foolproof Holiday Outreach Ideas for Churches
Christmas is the time of year that brings everybody together. Neighbors are friendlier, families get closer, and people across the world become more generous, thoughtful, and giving. The holiday season sees more people attending church than any other time of year, but what if you could keep these holiday attendees coming throughout the year?
A recent study conducted by Lifeway Research found that 6 out of 10 Americans will attend church annually. That is far more than the number of people who go to church every single Sunday. Many ministries struggle with retaining newcomers to their church, but there are ways to harness the Christmas spirit to boost your church attendance long-term.
Keep reading for six holiday outreach ideas to maintain new attendees in the wake of a Christmas and Easter spike.
Provide Multiple Worship Services
Plan an increase in the number of services you host, so people have ample opportunity to attend. Christmastime and Easter are a busy period for everyone, and carving out space to accommodate everyone is a touch that will not go unnoticed. Get creative with the things you have on offer, and include services at different times of the day.
Ideally aiming for two service times on Sunday, because this will be best to optimize the right amount of volunteers for both services. More than two services may put a strain on volunteers for the middle service. That’s why knowing the length and time of the services is critical to success.
Churches at Christmas and Easter are incredibly busy, so take the strain off your church workers and volunteers by enlisting the help of church presentation software. Keep in mind more volunteers will be needed with the influx in families, so have technology to help the volunteers play videos and lessons for the kids is important. Playlister will make preparing for impressive holiday services smoother than ever before, keeping your digital media at your fingertips to play in the rooms you need it and schedule what lessons show up where in your building.
Learn more about how you can set up Kids Curriculum in less than five minutes with Playlister here.
Tune Your Social Media
The more you post on social media (within reason, of course), the more people will think about your church. During busy periods like Easter and Christmas, it is essential to level up your digital presence to keep people interested and inclined to return for more. Share your holiday outreach ideas loud and clear on social media.
Nowadays, curious minds are far more likely to search your church on Google, Facebook, or Instagram than to stroll into a service. Your church's social media strategy is one of the most important elements of your ministry to new people — invest in it. Share news of your services and events on your social media for increased engagement.
Think of January Sermon Series Ideas
As the dust settles post-Christmas and New Year, the world is thinking about their resolutions and how to be better people. Although people may be exhausted from the festivities, this is the ideal time to get newcomers engaged and ready for the upcoming year.
Have a January sermon series mapped out before Christmas begins, giving your holiday attendees something to look forward to. Encourage them to commit to something in January; hold them accountable by making a plan. Also, advertising what the kids will be learning in January can keep families coming back. Orange Curriculum has a ton of thought out, exciting themes that sync automatically with Playlister, so your teams can be prepared for a sneak peek.
Make Families Comfortable
If you are a parent, you have probably lived through more than a few embarrassing run-ins where your little one just can’t sit still. The truth is, it is a little unfair to expect really young kids to sit still through a two-hour-long service that they probably don’t understand.
Normally Sunday school does the trick here, entertaining young and restless minds while their parents can focus on the sermon. But for families coming to church just for Christmas, this is hardly an option. Reducing the time of your celebratory sermons to just 45 minutes will make them family-friendly while reducing strain on your workers.
Start an Invitation Initiative
Often, people don’t attend church because they feel out of place. When looking from the outside in, it’s easy to believe that your church is an ultra-tight-knit community that wouldn’t welcome you in. When invited to church by a friend or family member, far more people are inclined to attend.
Suggest to your congregation that they bring a plus one, or even a whole family, along to a Christmas and Easter events. Having a friend who is already a member will strengthen their connection to your church, making them more likely to become regular members of your church network.
You can use a Church Management Software like Breeze to run reports of your families that attend the most and text then not to forget to ask their family and neighbors to attend one of the services with them.
Follow Up With Your Newbies
Having a welcome team ready to get contact information from everyone who walks through your door will help you ensure nobody slips through the cracks. Instead of leaving your newbies hanging, let them know how grateful you are that they came to say hi, and tell them how much you would love to see them at your church again.
A simple email, phone call, or even Instagram follow is all it takes to invite a friendly face to your church. Keeping track of your visitors isn’t easy, but another benefit of the Breeze church management software, otherwise known as Tithely, it’s done automatically. Use the software to create a four-step follow-up process that ensures no one gets left behind.
Conclusion
If you are wondering how to boost church attendance, the best plan of action is to start the new year strong. Don’t lose all the energy built during Christmas at church, but continue your holiday outreach ideas into January with a sermon series that encourages newbies to stick around.
Adapt these church Christmas outreach ideas to any time of year, just give them a different spin. All holiday outreach ideas are adjustable to fit the theme of Easter, summer, and more! It’s always a good idea to have procedures in place to follow up with one-off visitors — don’t let them slip through the cracks!
Sign Up for Product Updates
Tithely provides the tools you need to engage with your church online, stay connected, increase generosity, and simplify the lives of your staff.
With tools like text and email messaging, custom church apps and websites, church management software, digital giving, and so much more… it’s no wonder why over 37,000 churches in 50 countries trust Tithely to help run their church.
6 Foolproof Holiday Outreach Ideas for Churches
Christmas is the time of year that brings everybody together. Neighbors are friendlier, families get closer, and people across the world become more generous, thoughtful, and giving. The holiday season sees more people attending church than any other time of year, but what if you could keep these holiday attendees coming throughout the year?
A recent study conducted by Lifeway Research found that 6 out of 10 Americans will attend church annually. That is far more than the number of people who go to church every single Sunday. Many ministries struggle with retaining newcomers to their church, but there are ways to harness the Christmas spirit to boost your church attendance long-term.
Keep reading for six holiday outreach ideas to maintain new attendees in the wake of a Christmas and Easter spike.
Provide Multiple Worship Services
Plan an increase in the number of services you host, so people have ample opportunity to attend. Christmastime and Easter are a busy period for everyone, and carving out space to accommodate everyone is a touch that will not go unnoticed. Get creative with the things you have on offer, and include services at different times of the day.
Ideally aiming for two service times on Sunday, because this will be best to optimize the right amount of volunteers for both services. More than two services may put a strain on volunteers for the middle service. That’s why knowing the length and time of the services is critical to success.
Churches at Christmas and Easter are incredibly busy, so take the strain off your church workers and volunteers by enlisting the help of church presentation software. Keep in mind more volunteers will be needed with the influx in families, so have technology to help the volunteers play videos and lessons for the kids is important. Playlister will make preparing for impressive holiday services smoother than ever before, keeping your digital media at your fingertips to play in the rooms you need it and schedule what lessons show up where in your building.
Learn more about how you can set up Kids Curriculum in less than five minutes with Playlister here.
Tune Your Social Media
The more you post on social media (within reason, of course), the more people will think about your church. During busy periods like Easter and Christmas, it is essential to level up your digital presence to keep people interested and inclined to return for more. Share your holiday outreach ideas loud and clear on social media.
Nowadays, curious minds are far more likely to search your church on Google, Facebook, or Instagram than to stroll into a service. Your church's social media strategy is one of the most important elements of your ministry to new people — invest in it. Share news of your services and events on your social media for increased engagement.
Think of January Sermon Series Ideas
As the dust settles post-Christmas and New Year, the world is thinking about their resolutions and how to be better people. Although people may be exhausted from the festivities, this is the ideal time to get newcomers engaged and ready for the upcoming year.
Have a January sermon series mapped out before Christmas begins, giving your holiday attendees something to look forward to. Encourage them to commit to something in January; hold them accountable by making a plan. Also, advertising what the kids will be learning in January can keep families coming back. Orange Curriculum has a ton of thought out, exciting themes that sync automatically with Playlister, so your teams can be prepared for a sneak peek.
Make Families Comfortable
If you are a parent, you have probably lived through more than a few embarrassing run-ins where your little one just can’t sit still. The truth is, it is a little unfair to expect really young kids to sit still through a two-hour-long service that they probably don’t understand.
Normally Sunday school does the trick here, entertaining young and restless minds while their parents can focus on the sermon. But for families coming to church just for Christmas, this is hardly an option. Reducing the time of your celebratory sermons to just 45 minutes will make them family-friendly while reducing strain on your workers.
Start an Invitation Initiative
Often, people don’t attend church because they feel out of place. When looking from the outside in, it’s easy to believe that your church is an ultra-tight-knit community that wouldn’t welcome you in. When invited to church by a friend or family member, far more people are inclined to attend.
Suggest to your congregation that they bring a plus one, or even a whole family, along to a Christmas and Easter events. Having a friend who is already a member will strengthen their connection to your church, making them more likely to become regular members of your church network.
You can use a Church Management Software like Breeze to run reports of your families that attend the most and text then not to forget to ask their family and neighbors to attend one of the services with them.
Follow Up With Your Newbies
Having a welcome team ready to get contact information from everyone who walks through your door will help you ensure nobody slips through the cracks. Instead of leaving your newbies hanging, let them know how grateful you are that they came to say hi, and tell them how much you would love to see them at your church again.
A simple email, phone call, or even Instagram follow is all it takes to invite a friendly face to your church. Keeping track of your visitors isn’t easy, but another benefit of the Breeze church management software, otherwise known as Tithely, it’s done automatically. Use the software to create a four-step follow-up process that ensures no one gets left behind.
Conclusion
If you are wondering how to boost church attendance, the best plan of action is to start the new year strong. Don’t lose all the energy built during Christmas at church, but continue your holiday outreach ideas into January with a sermon series that encourages newbies to stick around.
Adapt these church Christmas outreach ideas to any time of year, just give them a different spin. All holiday outreach ideas are adjustable to fit the theme of Easter, summer, and more! It’s always a good idea to have procedures in place to follow up with one-off visitors — don’t let them slip through the cracks!
podcast transcript
Tithely provides the tools you need to engage with your church online, stay connected, increase generosity, and simplify the lives of your staff.
With tools like text and email messaging, custom church apps and websites, church management software, digital giving, and so much more… it’s no wonder why over 37,000 churches in 50 countries trust Tithely to help run their church.
6 Foolproof Holiday Outreach Ideas for Churches
Christmas is the time of year that brings everybody together. Neighbors are friendlier, families get closer, and people across the world become more generous, thoughtful, and giving. The holiday season sees more people attending church than any other time of year, but what if you could keep these holiday attendees coming throughout the year?
A recent study conducted by Lifeway Research found that 6 out of 10 Americans will attend church annually. That is far more than the number of people who go to church every single Sunday. Many ministries struggle with retaining newcomers to their church, but there are ways to harness the Christmas spirit to boost your church attendance long-term.
Keep reading for six holiday outreach ideas to maintain new attendees in the wake of a Christmas and Easter spike.
Provide Multiple Worship Services
Plan an increase in the number of services you host, so people have ample opportunity to attend. Christmastime and Easter are a busy period for everyone, and carving out space to accommodate everyone is a touch that will not go unnoticed. Get creative with the things you have on offer, and include services at different times of the day.
Ideally aiming for two service times on Sunday, because this will be best to optimize the right amount of volunteers for both services. More than two services may put a strain on volunteers for the middle service. That’s why knowing the length and time of the services is critical to success.
Churches at Christmas and Easter are incredibly busy, so take the strain off your church workers and volunteers by enlisting the help of church presentation software. Keep in mind more volunteers will be needed with the influx in families, so have technology to help the volunteers play videos and lessons for the kids is important. Playlister will make preparing for impressive holiday services smoother than ever before, keeping your digital media at your fingertips to play in the rooms you need it and schedule what lessons show up where in your building.
Learn more about how you can set up Kids Curriculum in less than five minutes with Playlister here.
Tune Your Social Media
The more you post on social media (within reason, of course), the more people will think about your church. During busy periods like Easter and Christmas, it is essential to level up your digital presence to keep people interested and inclined to return for more. Share your holiday outreach ideas loud and clear on social media.
Nowadays, curious minds are far more likely to search your church on Google, Facebook, or Instagram than to stroll into a service. Your church's social media strategy is one of the most important elements of your ministry to new people — invest in it. Share news of your services and events on your social media for increased engagement.
Think of January Sermon Series Ideas
As the dust settles post-Christmas and New Year, the world is thinking about their resolutions and how to be better people. Although people may be exhausted from the festivities, this is the ideal time to get newcomers engaged and ready for the upcoming year.
Have a January sermon series mapped out before Christmas begins, giving your holiday attendees something to look forward to. Encourage them to commit to something in January; hold them accountable by making a plan. Also, advertising what the kids will be learning in January can keep families coming back. Orange Curriculum has a ton of thought out, exciting themes that sync automatically with Playlister, so your teams can be prepared for a sneak peek.
Make Families Comfortable
If you are a parent, you have probably lived through more than a few embarrassing run-ins where your little one just can’t sit still. The truth is, it is a little unfair to expect really young kids to sit still through a two-hour-long service that they probably don’t understand.
Normally Sunday school does the trick here, entertaining young and restless minds while their parents can focus on the sermon. But for families coming to church just for Christmas, this is hardly an option. Reducing the time of your celebratory sermons to just 45 minutes will make them family-friendly while reducing strain on your workers.
Start an Invitation Initiative
Often, people don’t attend church because they feel out of place. When looking from the outside in, it’s easy to believe that your church is an ultra-tight-knit community that wouldn’t welcome you in. When invited to church by a friend or family member, far more people are inclined to attend.
Suggest to your congregation that they bring a plus one, or even a whole family, along to a Christmas and Easter events. Having a friend who is already a member will strengthen their connection to your church, making them more likely to become regular members of your church network.
You can use a Church Management Software like Breeze to run reports of your families that attend the most and text then not to forget to ask their family and neighbors to attend one of the services with them.
Follow Up With Your Newbies
Having a welcome team ready to get contact information from everyone who walks through your door will help you ensure nobody slips through the cracks. Instead of leaving your newbies hanging, let them know how grateful you are that they came to say hi, and tell them how much you would love to see them at your church again.
A simple email, phone call, or even Instagram follow is all it takes to invite a friendly face to your church. Keeping track of your visitors isn’t easy, but another benefit of the Breeze church management software, otherwise known as Tithely, it’s done automatically. Use the software to create a four-step follow-up process that ensures no one gets left behind.
Conclusion
If you are wondering how to boost church attendance, the best plan of action is to start the new year strong. Don’t lose all the energy built during Christmas at church, but continue your holiday outreach ideas into January with a sermon series that encourages newbies to stick around.
Adapt these church Christmas outreach ideas to any time of year, just give them a different spin. All holiday outreach ideas are adjustable to fit the theme of Easter, summer, and more! It’s always a good idea to have procedures in place to follow up with one-off visitors — don’t let them slip through the cracks!
VIDEO transcript
6 Foolproof Holiday Outreach Ideas for Churches
Christmas is the time of year that brings everybody together. Neighbors are friendlier, families get closer, and people across the world become more generous, thoughtful, and giving. The holiday season sees more people attending church than any other time of year, but what if you could keep these holiday attendees coming throughout the year?
A recent study conducted by Lifeway Research found that 6 out of 10 Americans will attend church annually. That is far more than the number of people who go to church every single Sunday. Many ministries struggle with retaining newcomers to their church, but there are ways to harness the Christmas spirit to boost your church attendance long-term.
Keep reading for six holiday outreach ideas to maintain new attendees in the wake of a Christmas and Easter spike.
Provide Multiple Worship Services
Plan an increase in the number of services you host, so people have ample opportunity to attend. Christmastime and Easter are a busy period for everyone, and carving out space to accommodate everyone is a touch that will not go unnoticed. Get creative with the things you have on offer, and include services at different times of the day.
Ideally aiming for two service times on Sunday, because this will be best to optimize the right amount of volunteers for both services. More than two services may put a strain on volunteers for the middle service. That’s why knowing the length and time of the services is critical to success.
Churches at Christmas and Easter are incredibly busy, so take the strain off your church workers and volunteers by enlisting the help of church presentation software. Keep in mind more volunteers will be needed with the influx in families, so have technology to help the volunteers play videos and lessons for the kids is important. Playlister will make preparing for impressive holiday services smoother than ever before, keeping your digital media at your fingertips to play in the rooms you need it and schedule what lessons show up where in your building.
Learn more about how you can set up Kids Curriculum in less than five minutes with Playlister here.
Tune Your Social Media
The more you post on social media (within reason, of course), the more people will think about your church. During busy periods like Easter and Christmas, it is essential to level up your digital presence to keep people interested and inclined to return for more. Share your holiday outreach ideas loud and clear on social media.
Nowadays, curious minds are far more likely to search your church on Google, Facebook, or Instagram than to stroll into a service. Your church's social media strategy is one of the most important elements of your ministry to new people — invest in it. Share news of your services and events on your social media for increased engagement.
Think of January Sermon Series Ideas
As the dust settles post-Christmas and New Year, the world is thinking about their resolutions and how to be better people. Although people may be exhausted from the festivities, this is the ideal time to get newcomers engaged and ready for the upcoming year.
Have a January sermon series mapped out before Christmas begins, giving your holiday attendees something to look forward to. Encourage them to commit to something in January; hold them accountable by making a plan. Also, advertising what the kids will be learning in January can keep families coming back. Orange Curriculum has a ton of thought out, exciting themes that sync automatically with Playlister, so your teams can be prepared for a sneak peek.
Make Families Comfortable
If you are a parent, you have probably lived through more than a few embarrassing run-ins where your little one just can’t sit still. The truth is, it is a little unfair to expect really young kids to sit still through a two-hour-long service that they probably don’t understand.
Normally Sunday school does the trick here, entertaining young and restless minds while their parents can focus on the sermon. But for families coming to church just for Christmas, this is hardly an option. Reducing the time of your celebratory sermons to just 45 minutes will make them family-friendly while reducing strain on your workers.
Start an Invitation Initiative
Often, people don’t attend church because they feel out of place. When looking from the outside in, it’s easy to believe that your church is an ultra-tight-knit community that wouldn’t welcome you in. When invited to church by a friend or family member, far more people are inclined to attend.
Suggest to your congregation that they bring a plus one, or even a whole family, along to a Christmas and Easter events. Having a friend who is already a member will strengthen their connection to your church, making them more likely to become regular members of your church network.
You can use a Church Management Software like Breeze to run reports of your families that attend the most and text then not to forget to ask their family and neighbors to attend one of the services with them.
Follow Up With Your Newbies
Having a welcome team ready to get contact information from everyone who walks through your door will help you ensure nobody slips through the cracks. Instead of leaving your newbies hanging, let them know how grateful you are that they came to say hi, and tell them how much you would love to see them at your church again.
A simple email, phone call, or even Instagram follow is all it takes to invite a friendly face to your church. Keeping track of your visitors isn’t easy, but another benefit of the Breeze church management software, otherwise known as Tithely, it’s done automatically. Use the software to create a four-step follow-up process that ensures no one gets left behind.
Conclusion
If you are wondering how to boost church attendance, the best plan of action is to start the new year strong. Don’t lose all the energy built during Christmas at church, but continue your holiday outreach ideas into January with a sermon series that encourages newbies to stick around.
Adapt these church Christmas outreach ideas to any time of year, just give them a different spin. All holiday outreach ideas are adjustable to fit the theme of Easter, summer, and more! It’s always a good idea to have procedures in place to follow up with one-off visitors — don’t let them slip through the cracks!
Sign Up for Product Updates
Tithely provides the tools you need to engage with your church online, stay connected, increase generosity, and simplify the lives of your staff.
With tools like text and email messaging, custom church apps and websites, church management software, digital giving, and so much more… it’s no wonder why over 37,000 churches in 50 countries trust Tithely to help run their church.
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