Outreach: Church communication and marketing tools

1. Nativity Christmas Eve Service

By the time your church celebrates Christmas eve, many people in your community will have seen the Nativity Story movie. What many won’t understand is how the story of the Nativity can have a personal meaning to them. For Christmas Eve, invite your community to personally experience the meaning of the nativity. Consider using these FREE Sermon ideas and video clips.

2. Nativity Message Series

Plan a multi-week nativity message series leading up to Christmas Eve. The movie comes out Friday December 1st and many churches will start a four week Nativity message series on Sunday December 3rd, concluding on December 24th. Download the “Experience the Nativity” sermons.

3. Nativity Personal Invitations

Equip your church members to invite their family and friends with Nativity invitations, evangelistic pamphlets, giftbooks or postcards that showcase beautiful designs, and communicate a clear message to every recipient: come experience Christmas as never before!

4. Nativity Video Clips

Help your church members better understand the meaning of the nativity by showing video clips  of the movie during your weekend services. These video clips can help your congregation experience the nativity at a deeper level and can also be used to promote your Christmas outreach events. The compelling images are sure to inspire your church to reach out to their friends and neighbors through this upcoming film.

5. Watch the Nativity Together!

Consider purchasing a block of tickets  or reserving an entire theater for your church and community to watch The Nativity Story together. Make tickets available for sale to church members and their friends, and create an easy opportunity to invite non-believers to the movie. After the film, follow up with an invitation for the attendees to celebrate Christmas at your church and to explore the personal meaning of the nativity.

6. Nativity Direct Mail Invitation

Mail a Nativity ImpactCard to your neighbors to promote your church’s Christmas activities. Call today to reserve your favorite design for the areas within driving distance of your church – preventing other churches from order the same Personalized ImpactCard for that area. Consider a consortium mailing, whereby multiple churches can join together and cooperatively mail to every home in their community inviting the whole community to experience the nativity. To reserve a design, contact an Outreach Specialist at 800-991-6011.

7. Neighborhood DoorHanger Outreach

Leave a special surprise hanging on the door of each of your neighbor’s. Distribute Nativity DoorHangers to the homes surrounding your church and invite them to see the movie and attend a Nativity-related event with your church. Pray for your neighbors as you leave DoorHangers at each home. Include church members of all ages to help with this Nativity outreach.

8. Nativity Q&A Session

Host a Nativity Q&A session at your church or at the theater addressing critical questions asked by skeptics and seekers, such as: Why did Christ have to come on earth? How can Jesus be fully divine and fully human? Why did Mary have to be a virgin?

9. Scripture Distribution

After presenting the Nativity Story’s dramatic version of the events surrounding Christ’s birth, give your congregation and visitor’s a chance to read the real thing! Purchase and distribute very affordable bible or New Testaments from Outreach. Slip in an ImpactCard or InviteTicket to your Nativity-related events and regular church services.

10. Movie Theater Outreach

Get permission from theater managers to post church members outside your local theater to pass out invitations for your Nativity-related events. Encourage those going to a movie to see the Nativity Story and those leaving to attend your church. Pass out copies of “The Nativity Story, Behind the Scenes” evangelistic pamphlet. This new exclusive resource has a full gospel presentation and explains how the nativity leads to eternal life.

11. Book Give Away

Invite the community to come receive a free Christmas gift book. For as little as $1.99 each, visitors and movie goers can receive a copy of “Why a Manger?” by Brock and Bodie Thoene. This easy to read book explores the historical and biblical evidence for the nativity.

12. Nativity Splash

Promote your Nativity and Christmas events to your neighbors and drive-by traffic with a large outdoor banner.

13. Family Service

One of the significant themes of the Nativity Story tells of how parents Mary and Joseph brave the perils of the wilderness for the sake of their unborn child. Create a chance your church to learn of the importance of family by holding a joint service. Encourage children to stay in church with their parents and to participate in a Nativity-themed gathering. Show the Nativity trailer and have a Nativity message appropriate for children and adults alike.