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Small churches show the love of Jesus as they brighten the holidays for those in their communities. These ideas are from those in small churches, many just like yours. They share how your small church can brighten the holidays for senior adults, less fortunate families, or those grieving a loss.
The definition of compassion is a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another person who is hurting, in pain, or in a difficult situation. This feeling is usually accompanied by a strong desire to help ease their suffering or lighten their load.
Of course, Jesus Christ is our greatest example of someone with true compassion. Not only did He have compassion and heal people from physical suffering and afflictions, but He also showed the greatest compassion for all mankind. He willingly died on the cross to take the punishment for our sins! Christmas gives us the opportunity to reach out with compassion and caring and to share the truth of the ultimate gift given through Jesus!
We know. It’s not always easy to show compassion. So many of you shared about the generous ways your small churches are reaching into your communities and touching your neighbors’ lives during the holiday season. Hence, we knew we just had to let others know about them!
Outreach Christmas Ideas For Small Churches
Without a doubt, Christmas is the perfect time to share God’s love physically and spiritually. As we reach out to individuals and families who are hurting, lonely, and in need, we follow Jesus’ example and fulfill the true spirit of the season. We are, in fact, celebrating the reason for the season!
Provide Gifts For Foster Care Families
Adre Hurst’s church does an amazing event. They partner with their local Department of Human Services to provide gifts and fun things for families with foster kids. What a wonderful way to think of a population of people that is often overlooked. Her church also does a Family Style Christmas Eve Worship night, encouraging all families to celebrate the season together with worship!
Pin Donation Money On Church Christmas Tree
Christie Anderson remembers a church she attended as a child had a very special tradition of providing for those less fortunate. The church placed an undecorated tree up front, in the church. Families in the church were encouraged to bring a special Christmas love offering and place it in a colorful envelope. Everyone at different times during the service brings their envelopes up front, grabs a clip from the basket, and places it on the tree. By the end of the service, the tree is decorated with beautifully colored envelopes representing love for others. The church uses the offerings to help families in need.
Imagine your small church could easily replicate this idea with a simply undecorated tree, with white lights only, placed in your worship area. In the first week of Advent, have your first candle represent compassion. Distribute colored envelopes (red/gold/white) for each family to take home and pray about the monetary love offering they will give.
Designate the Sunday before Christmas for all to bring in their envelopes and have a “march” offering, where families hang their envelopes on the tree.
Provide gifts to a needy family or two in town or a missionary family you support. Have a prayer circle around the tree when the offering is complete and sing a carol together!
Give To Nursing Home Residents For Christmas
Remember senior citizens during the holidays. This is important, as many can be lonely, depressed, or feel like they are forgotten.
Angela Tucker’s church does a simple task that makes a big impact. They make Christmas cards, and then everyone donates so they can place a ten-dollar bill in each card. They deliver the basket of cards to the residents at their local nursing home. Angela tells us the residents are absolutely thrilled by this gift!
Buy Gifts On Children’s Wish Lists
Many of you shared your church participates in some sort of caring program for families in need in your community. Rachael Swihart shares their church “adopted” a couple of families in need and showered them with Christmas gifts and love!
They reached out to the middle school (because their church is across the street) and asked the student services coordinator for 2-3 families they could contact. They asked the parents of these families for wish lists for each child, clothing sizes, any special needs, like shoes, etc., and what were some of the interests of the children.
Rachel took the wish lists and separated them out into cards for members of the church to take as many cards as they wanted. She also worked it so each child ended up with basically the same number of gifts.
One additional thing they added was to give each child their own bath towel. This is something not usually thought of, but it gives a special feeling to a child to have their “own.”
They gave their church congregants 2 weeks to shop and bring gifts back (wrapped), and then Rachel arranged pickup times for the parents to get the gifts. Upon pick up, they prayed with each family and extended invitations to join them for the Christmas Eve service.
Optional: Instead of having everyone purchase gifts separately, ask church members to donate to the gift fund. Then, take the parents out to do the shopping. After shopping, bring them back to the church to wrap gifts. This allows for an extended time of connection and perhaps building some relationships with the entire family.
Partner With Local Schools To Help Families
Partnering with local schools can be a great way to identify families in need. Amy Burkholder’s small church participates in a program called “Light Tree.” They partner with the local school system and help to sponsor several families. Many of these families are going through times of crisis (i.e., death or illness of a parent or child, house fire, loss of job, etc.). Some of the families are in a financial crunch and need assistance. Church members help in buying several presents from each child’s wish list, along with the fixings for a holiday meal and a gift card for each family to help with groceries and other needs.
Amy tells us it’s one of their church’s favorite initiatives. Their church has a tree display where you can grab an ornament that contains the information for a specific gift, or you can donate funds toward the family gift cards.
They continue their partnership with the school throughout the year by purchasing snacks for teachers’ classrooms. This school has 33% of students on the free lunch program even though they are in one of the most affluent parts of north Atlanta. Events and programs like these can be critical in building relationships with people in the school system and not just at Christmas.
Blue Christmas Service Offers Hope
Many in our small church community participate in the Blue Christmas service at your church.
Linda Gerke says their church likes to host this event each year to provide space for those who may be grieving a loss, lonely, or just going through depression or some other emotional issue. Small Church Ministry has a complete Blue Christmas Service resource pack available. It provides an explanation of why the service is important and who it targets. It also includes the service template with all the readings, setup, and ideas for follow-up as well.
Looking for a way to bring some hope and healing to this holiday season?
Check out the Blue Christmas Service Pack.
Adopt A Nursing Home For Christmas
Beverly Thornburg’s church focuses on seniors as well. They adopt the local nursing home and provide gifts for every resident! They have had this tradition for 4 years now. It is a great outreach that gets their entire church family involved and brings joy to the residents and their families at the nursing home. Not to mention it’s also a great witness to the employees of the nursing home as well.
Small Churches Help Children Purchase Gifts
Monica Luithle was so excited to tell us about a 40-year tradition they have in their church to help the kids in their church be able to give gifts to everyone in their family. The event is called the Christmas Extravaganza.
This program takes planning, so in September things get rolling in the children’s program where their kids can start earning points for various things. Adults are asked at the same time to start bringing in new and nearly new items to use in their “store.” They are also encouraged to bring in gift bags and empty boxes.
When December rolls around they are ready to go! The first Wednesday night of December they set up the Christmas store. Children are invited to “shop” with the points they have earned. Each child is escorted through the process by a youth buddy. This is a great way to involve people of all ages. The children bring their list of who they need to shop for and how many points they have.
After shopping, they head over to the wrapping table and someone wraps and labels all their gifts! Parents don’t come to the event. This lets the gifts be a surprise. This event gives a sense of pride to the children, a sense of involvement to the youth as they help, and a sense of giving and joy to all who participate.
Monica shares her personal experience. There have been many memories made over the years, but the most special stories are of the single moms who didn’t have any way to give anyone Christmas gifts except for what their children brought. These moments speak to the entire church family.
Widow Outreach Idea For Small Groups
Carolyn Ramsey’s church is all about helping their community at Christmas. They have a program called Love Out Loud, where they offer multiple projects for people in their church to be involved in. Some projects are done each year, and others are new additions to the list. They have a sign-up sheet on their website for church families to sign up and be part of one or more of the service projects.
One of their projects is the Sing Out Loud Carolers. The people volunteering for this project set out to entertain and bless widows and then those in assisted living or nursing homes. First, they stop and carol at the homes of the widows in their church. On another day, a few volunteers visit church members who are in assisted living or nursing homes. They bring along care packages, accompanied by carol singing.
Give Advent Readings For Candle Lighting
Sarah Harlow and her women’s team made “Advent In a Bag” gifts for church families or to bring to families in the neighborhood. Invitations to the Holiday events are included in each bag so each family is aware of all the holiday church services.
Include something for families to experience each of the 5 senses during their devotional times:
- A Candle for experiencing the sense of sight and the light of Christmas
- Christmas simmering potpourri (dried orange rinds and spices) for the sense of smell
- A packet of hot cocoa, peppermint tea, and a candy cane stir for the sense of taste
- A sprig of evergreen, tied with a bow for the sense of feeling
- An ornament with a piece of hymn/carol sheet music glued on to represent hearing
Inside the box is a list of which week each item should be used. They also give a suggestion of lighting advent candles of some sort in their home and a list of devotional readings or scripture passages to read as a family.
Try An Advent Scavenger Hunt
Small churches can encourage families to celebrate the season of Advent. Provide
each family with daily reading/devotions. Include question/answer sheets for children to answer and discuss.
Include the 5 senses like the idea above, but add it as a scavenger hunt. Children find something that represents each sense, but they must find it around their house. Do a different sense category each week of Advent. Have kids take selfies of their sense finds and post them on your church’s social media page.
Show God’s Love To Your Community
Jesus sums it up clearly in Matthew 25. “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’… ” [verses 37-40 NIV].
So go ahead, small churches, and reach out to your communities. Identify those who need help and shower them with God’s love and compassion.
If you feel you’re not big enough or have enough volunteers to make a difference, consider Shineka’s small church story of how their small church went from feeding one to feeding hundreds with God’s help.
Or, be inspired to get your whole church involved in reaching out in several ways with this One Day Event To Widen Your Outreach.
Whatever outreach you do this Christmas or throughout the year, know you are doing what Jesus called us to do! Don’t forget to continue to share with our Small Church Ministry Community about your events and what God is doing through your church. We love to cheer you on! Share your ideas and pictures in our Facebook community.
Looking for something fresh and new for the holiday season?
Check out the Blue Christmas Pack & the Advent Worship Pack!
Read More:
Christmas Ideas For Outreach And Connection
Small Church Cookie Events For Any Season
Tips To Include Children With Special Needs In Christmas Activities
