Lets do Christmas

November 30, 2008

Lets do Christmas

Official figures  show the numbers packing the pews on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day last year rose by 7.5 per cent .The figure has risen by 37 per cent since the Millennium and many churches face turning hundreds of people away from their carol events and midnight services.With many churches planning and strategising to “do Christmas “in a big way.

The phenomenon has astonished Church leaders accustomed to declining congregations, especially as many churches also saw a rise in Christmas attendance of four per cent last year.

Many believe that an increasing number of Britons are seeking to recapture the sense of mystery and spirituality of the festival that has been stifled by for many years by growing commercialisation in society.

The Rev Lynda Barley, the head of the Church of England’s  research and statistics department, said “rumours of the demise of Christmas are baseless”. “It will be standing room only at many cathedrals and churches,” she said. “The dormant desire to recapture a sense of the wonder of the Nativity, to share with others in the singing and praying, and to glimpse something of the spiritual meaning of the Christmas story draws people to churches across the country.”

There is undoubtedly a growing number of  people interested in spirituality in general  as good attendances are reported at mind,body and spirit fairs up and down the country with people often prepared to pay good money for the spiritual services provided..
Also this year it remains to be seen how many will be affected by gloomy economic news and prophecies of world-wide recession and therefore drawn to church.
A survey conducted among 1,000 people at special christmas events last year also suggests that Christians are using these “flagship” events to encourage friends and contacts to attend services, with more than a third of respondents saying they heard about the events from friends.

This year we need to be looking to up our game in terms of using Christmas as part of an ongoing “big event strategy”to invite as many as we can to our Christmas events at Life Church.We may well be surprised by the favourable responses.

Why do you think people are attracted to church at Christmas?

Written by william · Filed Under Pastors Blog 

Comments

2 Responses to “Lets do Christmas”

  1. Ross Cornwall on December 2nd, 2008 11:41 am

    I think people want hope at Christmas.

  2. Aiden Garrett on December 7th, 2008 5:54 pm

    “With many churches planning and strategising to “do Christmas“ in a big way.” Surely it would make sense then to do God in a big way? And not just for Christmas, but throughout the whole year?…

    “This year we need to be looking to up our game in terms of using Christmas as part of an ongoing “big event strategy”to invite as many as we can to our Christmas events at Life Church. We may well be surprised by the favourable responses.”
    But, for people to come to our church and be attracted enough to want to stay, then we have to up our game in general by finding out what the congregation want, and accomodating that?

    Perhaps in the run up to Christmas, we reconsider our values, both as individuals and as Life Church Lincoln so that in the new year the church has changed as a whole, not only for the good of the people in it, but to better serve the Lord as he deserves the best :)

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