Everyone's humming Silent Night and Away in a Manger.
There's no easier time to bring up the gospel than when everyone else brings it up first. But don't be fooled: it takes planning on your part to make the most of the season's opportunities.
Throw a Party
- For adults: Consider a non-threatening party planner that shows you how to connect Jesus, the Greatest Gift, to Christmas traditions, all in the context of a festive Christmas party. Invite adults in your neighborhood, from your office, your hobby or club. Learn about hosting a Christmas Gathering, which details each step, making it a very do-able outreach.
- For teenagers: High School Ministru of Cru offers several creative ideas on how to connect teenagers to Jesus Christ during Christmas.
- For young children: Invite the neighborhood children over for a birthday party for Jesus. Have a cake, play birthday and Christmas games (like Pin the Tail on Mary's Donkey), tell the story of Jesus' birth, and talk about His life. You might also show them The Story of Jesus for Children. Afterward, serve birthday cake and give each child a copy of the DVD to take home.
Put It in Writing
- Send Christmas Cards
When Mary Jane Morgan became a Christian in 1962, she began inserting a gospel tract like the Four Spiritual Laws into her Christmas cards. "They just had pretty cards back then," she says, "but nothing with the gospel. So I just put the gospel in." As a child, Mary Jane's neighbor Patti Hallberg remembers talking to her mother about the gospel because of the tract Mary Jane had sent. As you send cards, pray for the people as you sign the cards. Pray also for the people you get cards from.
Invite People to Church
- People are most open to visiting church during Christmas.
Invite everyone you know. Also invite them to special church programs like a children's pageant, live Nativity scene, or Christmas cantata. Engage them in conversation afterward. Ask questions like: "Did your family have any religious traditions during the holidays?", "Where do you see yourself on your spiritual journey?" and "Would you like to know God personally?"
- Go caroling.
Invite people in your small group to serenade your neighbors, and at each home, leave a printed invitation to your church. You might also consider leaving a small gift, like a Christmas ornament or an evangelistic book, like Josh McDowell's More Than a Carpenter. The JESUS film DVD is based on the Gospel of Luke. Each version of the JESUS film invites the viewer to respond to what they've seen by surrendering their lives to Christ.
Volunteer
- You never know whom you might meet.
Ring the bell for the Salvation Army, play Santa Claus, or serve in a soup kitchen. Visit prisons, hospitals or nursing homes. Talk about the reason for the season.
- Do something nice for a neighbor.
Shovel someone's sidewalk or offer to help put up Christmas lights. It's not just about giving gifts; it's about giving of ourselves. You can bring up the fact that Jesus gave of Himself -- the Greatest Gift of all -- and we each can receive Him.
