Organize a Christmas Event in July
(or August or September!) for Ministry Leaders

Invite Church Ministry Leaders to Begin Thinking about How They will Reach out to Your Community at Christmas

To introduce the Share the Good News of Christmas program, consider hosting pastors and other church ministry leaders in your store for a Christmas event in July (or August or September!). Give them your testimony about why you do what you do as a Christian-store retailer, and offer them your service in helping to promote or organize their Christmas outreach. Express your appreciation for their ministry.

Crossway’s Share the Good News outreach kit includes a video of Pastor Max Lucado endorsing the outreach program and supporting churches’ role in community outreach and service. You can share this video at your event to help set the stage for participation. Also consider giving out sample outreach kits to the pastors, to build up their enthusiasm for connecting with their community at Christmas.

You might want to use the following research in your presentation to local church leaders to build your case for the potential of this program:

  • According to 2008 research by George Barna, “Among those who normally avoid church, 13% said they might attend a church service or event during the Christmas season.
  • Researcher Ed Stertzer found when they surveyed more than 15,000 people in 2009, most people said they would be "willing to receive information about church in a personal conversation with a family member, friend or neighbor.” Stertzer also found that, “47% of those surveyed said they were more open to matters of faith during the Christmas holidays.”

Here are a few ideas for putting your event together:

  • Identify and list the and ministry leaders at your community churches.
  • Create an invitation that is either e-mailed using the Crossway-provided e-mail template or mailed using the downloadable card design.
  • Use endorsements from church leaders about the value of this program in your invitations and materials.
  • Plan an agenda or program that would be of interest to pastors and ministry leaders in your area, perhaps asking two or three of them to share stories of changed lives in their churches or even getting a panel of several of them to present the best book they read recently and the book they hope they’ll get for Christmas (if not before).
  • Announce a drawing at the event to win a gift certificate to the store.
  • Send invitations and follow up with personal contact.
  • Decorate and present food using a Christmas theme.
  • Keep the food simple so you don’t pour your budget into food costs. Consider a simple coffee with pastries or lunch buffet with sandwiches and soft drinks.
  • Create a “drama” scene acted out by store staff or event attendees depicting the presentation of the Share the Good News of Christmas bag to a friend or neighbor.
  • What other gifts would your pastors appreciate? Create a give-away bag or box of items as a token of your appreciation for their service and calling.
  • Send Thank You cards afterwards.