Scripture:

Luke 2:1-20

Bulletin cover/worship slides:

If you are using our worship resources, use the bulletin cover and worship slides that say, “Finding the true meaning of Christmas,” with the image of the three Wise Men. Additional resources here!

Focus:

Our Advent video ends with these words, “Finding the true meaning of Christmas. That’s Church.” This week is different from all the other weeks because the Scripture speaks for itself. It is up to you to build your sermon. These past few weeks, we have turned secular traditions like checking, decking and dashing on their head and explored what it means to infuse these verbs with peace, love, joy and hope. This sermon starter series has been about how to find the true meaning of Christmas and help others find it.

You may wonder why the worship slides this week show the Wise Men. We know the stories about the timeline of when they actually came to see Christ. These men were on a journey to find Christ, and that is the spirit of this night. This time of year, many people are searching. We do not always know where they are in their journey. On this particular night, Christmas Eve, you will have many coming, wanting to hear the message of Christmas. Some have traveled great distances to be with family; others may live around the corner. It takes effort to take time out of the Christmas Eve celebration to attend a service. Think about what that means as you prepare this week. Give them a simple message by telling the story and using the elements around the message to set the tone. What you say is important, but what you do is even more important. Therefore, focus on visitors for this service. Christmas Eve is one of the biggest times of the year for visitors. Rethink Church urges you to look at these tips to remind your congregation how important it is to be ready for visitors.

Forty percent of visitors make up their mind about a church before they even see the pastor, according to Barna Research. Within two minutes of the beginning of a service, visitors have formed an opinion about whether the congregation is friendly.

• In the services leading up to Christmas Eve, talk about hospitality and how members can reach out to people they do not know.
• Ask church members to sit in the pews where visitors most commonly sit, often near the entrance or in the back.
• Have clear exterior and interior signage that guides visitors everywhere they need to go. Have plenty of greeters on hand for this service.
• Identify greeters and ushers with a special badge or nametag so visitors can easily identify them.
• Station greeters at all entrances, in classroom areas and in the parking lot or entry walks, if appropriate.
• Escort newcomers to the nursery, classrooms, coffee hour and so forth. Do not just point the way or give directions.
• Plan a compelling sermon series for the beginning of the year and distribute information about it at the Christmas Eve service. You could display it on the screens in your church, if you have them, and announce it in the service.We hope you will come back and join us for...

Christmas Eve Advent candle reading:

We have been through a journey of Peace, Love, Joy and Hope that has led us to find the true meaning of Christmas. On this night, we celebrate the one who brought light into this world. As we light this Christ candle, let us take the light we have received and shine it in the world.