Bill Easums Observations

Many church leaders fail to understand the outreach importance of Christmas Eve.  It is one of the two or three main return points for lasped Church members as well as one of the main times people who have never been to church decide to go for the first time.

So, it is important that three things happen on Christmas Eve.

• The members are ready to recieve new people and to go out of their way to make them feel at home no matter how they might show up - belly-button rings and all. They need to know that hospitality is a God thing required of all Christians and they need to go out of their way to show it.
• The service including the message be designed with them in mind so that they can hear the specific story of what Christmas symbolizes.  Don’t make the mistake of thinking that singing some carols and reading some Scripture is sufficient; it’s not.  they need to hear the Gospel message of hope and grace that Christmas shouts to those who understand what it took for God to act.
• A follow up within 48 hours is planned to those who share their home information with you.

You should expect almost double the number of people  on Christmas Eve that you average during the year.  Can you really expect to ignore the latent potential of this day and simply make it an inhouse event? I don’t think so.

Bill
www.easumbandy.com