Anyone who has been around the church long enough knows there are generally two times per year when people are more open to attending church. Easter and Christmas. And while some of these people who only attend at these times may, in fact, have a thriving relationship with Jesus, it is safe to assume that many of them do not. Maybe somewhere along the way, they were taught that going to church was important but never really adopted that practice into their own life. But Christmas and Easter are the two times per year when they actually act on that belief.

It is important to see these two seasons as a great opportunity to engage with people your church may not get to engage with very often. So, how do you make the most of these opportunities? We would encourage a two-part strategy: Invite them in and Go to them.

1. Invite them in… Presumably, one of the main reasons outsiders will never visit your church is because they don’t know about your church. OR they don’t know it’s also for them. You’re having services and events that you are doing for your congregation. What would it take to get the word out to invite people in the community into what your church is already doing this season? Perhaps you could engage in a direct mail campaign. Maybe purchase some social media ads to raise awareness in the community about your events. Empower your members with invitation cards to invite their friends, coworkers, and neighbors to church during this season, where they may be more likely to attend than at any other time during the year.
2. Go to them… Sadly, many churches apply the first part of this equation (invite them to what you’re doing), but fail to apply the second part. Don’t just send an invitation and expect people in your community to want to jump in on what you’re doing. But find out what is already happening within your community and be a part of that. Maybe there is a city-wide Easter egg hunt in your city, and you could get a group of volunteers to help run a part of the event. Maybe, at Christmas time, there is a gift drive your church can be a part of to bless people in need. Whatever it might be, don’t just sit back and wait for people to come to you. Go to where they are and engage them in their setting.

In any context, showing somebody the love of Jesus is just as important as telling them about the love of Jesus. When you engage with them in both contexts, you have a better chance of communicating this very important message. 

If you need any signage or print materials for your Christmas or Easter celebrations, email us at [email protected], and our team will be happy to walk you through some options that might work well for you.

Pro Tip: Consider using a stretch tension display as a photo opportunity backdrop so families can get a quick picture before or after your service on a weekend when they are likely to be all together. 

Pro Tip: Consider a double-sided stretch tension display with an Easter graphic on one side and a Christmas graphic on the reverse side.