By Cyndee Ownbey
There’s something about the excitement of Christmas—the décor, the gifts, the music, and most importantly, Christ’s birth—that draws women in.
Everywhere we go, we are reminded that Christmas is coming. The focus might be secular rather than religious, but there’s no escaping the constant reminders: “Christmas is coming!” From the grocery store to TV commercials, sales notices in our email boxes, and social media posts highlighting the latest Christmas decorating trends and apparel, Christmas is everywhere!
As the world prepares to celebrate the holiday season, there’s a desire to be kinder, give more, and serve others. Hearts are softer and ears are more open to the message of the Gospel.
How can we use the momentum of the world to point women to Christ?
- Our Christmas event must focus on Jesus. That may seem obvious, but when we look at the agenda for our gatherings, they’re often dominated by games, gifts, and food. If there’s a Christmas message or teaching, it’s often a minor part of the evening instead of the focus. Highlight Jesus this year in our message, décor, and music.
- Channel the desire of women to bring gifts into giving gifts to those in need. Instead of a gift exchange, partner with a parachurch ministry or a school in your area to provide Christmas gifts for a family (or families) in need. If your church already has an angel tree, volunteer to have your women organize, wrap, and deliver the presents.
- Just as Christ served others, offer service opportunities during the Christmas season. If you’re gathering at church, assemble care packages to send to those who are serving in the military. Or take your gathering on the road and serve as a group at a food pantry.
- Guests gravitate toward Christmas gatherings. Challenge your women to bring a guest. Assemble a guest gift bag with a small Christmas favor (CTA has some fabulous options) and information about your women’s ministry. Be sure to include a save-the-date card for upcoming events. If possible, record their email or cell number so you can connect with them at a later date.
Even though Christmas gatherings can be the best attended event of the year, it can be tempting not to add one more thing to your women’s ministry calendar. It may feel like there’s enough on the church calendar. And it can be hard to find volunteers for a big Christmas event.
Planning a Christmas gathering doesn’t have to be labor intensive or time consuming. CTA – Christ to All has two women’s Christmas event kits—Jesus, the Heart of Christmas and Love’s Pure Light—that will ease the burden of planning and executing an event at Christmas. Each kit contains detailed instructions and ideas for tailoring the event to your specific group of women. Jesus is the focal point of each event. Offering something new and different this Christmas will garner the attention of your women.
Let us not miss the opportunity God has given us to remind women of the real reason for the season.
Editor’s note: Check out the Jesus, the Heart of Christmas line of products to find additional items that will coordinate with the event or that can be used as lovely gifts with an Christian message.
You are welcome to copy this article for one-time use when you include this credit line and receive no monetary benefit from it: © 2022 CTA, Inc. Used with permission.
