Christmas is a busy time when you’re running a church.

Or at least, it should be.

If you want to get as many people involved as possible, you’ll need to act fast – getting your messages out to everyone in your community to make the most of the seasonal rise in interest.

Here are a few tips to help you get started:

Plan an ongoing campaign to build momentum

There’s an established rule in advertising and promotion.

It says that people need to see your promotion at least seven times before they’re moved to take action.

So if you want to get more people involved in your church at Christmas time, you’ll need to repeat your promotions – or have a multi-pronged approach.

Luckily, there are loads of different ways you can reach people in the weeks leading up to Christmas. And the more different ways in which you approach them, the higher your chances of getting noticed. Your church should be promoting its Christmas events with:

• Flyers and leaflets – delivered through doors, displayed in community venues and shops, or handed out at services
• Invitation cards or Christmas event schedules
• Social media, email and website updates
• Posters, outdoor banners and roller banners – both inside your church and visible from the street.

Imagine the following scenario:

Someone from your community is driving to work. They pass your church, where they see a bright and fun banner inviting them to a Christmas event.

They check their email at work to find a message from their church organiser, inviting them to bring the family along to a carol-singing group later that week.

On their way home, they stop at the local shop, where they see your indoor poster along with a set of leaflets they can pick up.

And when they get home, they see a friendly flyer that’s been dropped through their letterbox, outlining all of the exciting Christmas activities and events coming up at their local church.

That’s a lot of exposure for your message. And with these repeated points of contact, you’re cementing the idea that your church is the hub of seasonal activity in your local area.

Focus on family and community – not just religion

Lots of people love Christmas – regardless of their personal faith or how often they go to church.

That means you’ve got a huge opportunity to attract and welcome the kinds of people who wouldn’t normally take an interest in your efforts.

And bringing everyone together is one of the most important things a church can do.

So as well as the traditional, faith-based services, events and activities, carol singing etc, make sure you’re catering to the community as a whole.

Your church could be the perfect venue for things like:

• Cinema nights showing everyone’s favourite family Christmas movies
• Arts and crafts days for families and kids to make Christmas-themed creations
• Social mixers in the evenings for adults (with mulled wine and mince pies!)
• Live bands playing Christmas pop songs, or a special performance of the local school’s Christmas concert.
• Live classical music, local musicians (including children) playing themed classics.

You don’t have to bring a religious element into everything you do, and you don’t have to explicitly advertise your church services on every poster or flyer.

Instead of a poster headline that says “Carol-singing at St. John Baptist Church”, which is to be expected, you could print a poster that simply says “The Biggest Live Music Christmas Event in Town!”.

It’s an offer that speaks to everyone – regular churchgoers, families and friends, and music-lovers.

Create different sets of targeted promotions

It’s a great idea to send out a schedule that contains everything your church is doing over the Christmas period.

But if you want to really convince people (especially those who don’t normally come to your church) you’ll need a few promotions that are specific and detailed, displayed strategically in the places your target audience is most likely to see them.

Luckily, we’ve got loads of printed products with next-day delivery available in batches of all sizes – so it’s easy and affordable to get all of your different ideas into print.

You could try:

• Flyers and invitation cards aimed at getting parents and kids to come to your family-focused activities – send these out to your local schools for the children to take home to their parents.
• Folded leaflets full of your faith-based events and services – hand these out to your congregation, or have them delivered to the addresses of the people on your church’s mailing list.
• Posters promoting your musical events and concerts – get these displayed on your local school or community notice boards.
• Flyers and posters that tell people about your mulled wine and mince pie social mixers – stack your flyers and put up your posters in supermarkets, restaurants, and cafés to catch the foodies and diners as they go about their day.

There are loads of different ways to reach people at Christmas – no matter how distant they might seem. And with the right printed promotions, you can cast a wide net over the whole community for a truly festive and social holiday season.

If you’re ready to fill the pews and bring everyone together this Christmas, give us a call or send us a message – we’re always happy to help you get the most out of your promotions.

Of course, what we have suggested here doesn’t just apply to Christmas, lots of these events can take place throughout the year, brining your Church to the forefront of the community.

Afterall… a Church is for life not just for Christmas

We hope this article was of interest to you. If you need further help with suggestions on promoting your Church, then get in touch and Call: 01952 850730, email: marketing@print-print.co.uk or visit our website

Dean Williams

Dean Williams is a design and marketing blogger working for Print-Print Limited, promoting business and building brands through quality print marketing. If you’re interested in small business promotion then please get in touch hello@print-print.co.uk