If you’re looking for creative ideas for Christmas, we’ve listed a few below.
If you’re planning anything that’s slightly out of the ordinary, please let the communications team know so we can share it with other parishes and local media where appropriate. And don’t forget to update your website (including on A Church Near You & A Christmas Near You) so those looking for a service can find up-to-date information.
10 CREATIVE IDEAS
1) Make a Reverse Advent Calendar
From 1 December add a non-perishable food item each day to a box, and on Christmas Eve donate the contents to a food bank. More here.
2) Organise an Advent youth sleepout challenge
An idea from the Bradford Episcopal Area which incorporates the Church Urban Fund Advent Sleepover Challenge, and is designed to re-engage young people with the Christmas narrative. More here
3) Set up an Advent discussion course
York Courses have produced a four-session Advent course, Living in the Light, written by Canon Robert Warren – more here.
4) Sing the top 10 carols in your community
Order the free HOPE No 1 Carol Booklet to bring your community together with a carol singing event. Order here.
5) Give away a glossy Christmas magazine
Order the free HOPE for Christmas - a 28-page glossy magazine (featuring Mary Berry and Bear Grylls) to give away door-to-door in your neighbourhood. Order here
6) Buy the Real Advent Calendar - and sell it or give it away.
7) Create a life-sized Advent Calendar - two good examples are: Farsley’s shop window Advent Calendar or Brighton beach huts.
8) Live stream your service using Periscope
Periscope allows users to live stream video from mobile phones all over the world. All you need is a smartphone with the Periscope app installed and wifi/signal. It has all sorts of other uses too, see here and here.
9) 3 possible parish magazine articles
- 9 Things you might not have known about Christmas
- The 1 Corinthians 13 of Christmas
- 7 tips for a stress free Christmas
10) Add your Church Services to A Christmas Near You
Between 1 November - 1 December go to achristmasnearyou.org/upload and complete a simple form to register your Christmas Services to appear on a new website and app launched by the Church of England to be advertised to the public from 1 December using the hashtag #joytotheworld.