7 Unique Ideas for Your Christmas Church Service

Who doesn’t love the traditions of Christmas?

Every year, many of us celebrate the season with the same time-honored rituals: setting up a Nativity scene, following an Advent calendar, lighting a Christmas tree, picking out presents for loved ones. 

But sometimes, these routines can obscure the real meaning of the holiday. It can be easy to forget what the birth of Christ is really about–and what it was really like–when we’re busy icing gingerbread cookies or singing carols.

A unique Christmas church service can help point your church members back to the real meaning of the season. Here are 7 ideas for making Christmas memorable and thoughtful at your church.

Christmas Service Ideas 2022

A Christmas service typically falls on December 23rd or December 24th, but it’s up to you when you want to hold a special time of celebration for the birth of Christ. 

Regardless of when you host a Christmas service, think creatively about how your service will align with the values of your church. 

For example, if you’re a church that has a special focus on the local community, then think about hosting a meal for the homeless (see idea #3). Or, if you’re a church that emphasizes the arts and creativity, then a Christmas variety show might be perfect for your congregation (see idea #1). 

Here are 7 ideas to help you get started.

#1: Plan a Christmas variety show. 

Is your church family full of talented (and outgoing) people? Then a variety show might be a great option for a Christmas service. 

To keep your variety show Jesus-centered, encourage participants to think of performance ideas that either incorporate the Nativity story or emphasize Scriptural themes. Your variety show might include skits, scenes from the Bible, a live musical performance or dance, or even a spoken word poem. Give participants a 10-minute time limit, make sure you’re prepared with music and/or props, and don’t forget to hold a rehearsal!

#2: Use film clips to tell a story. 

If you’d like to tell the story of Christmas to your church in a creative way, try drawing on outside resources. There have been a number of excellent re-enactments of the Nativity story, including The Nativity Story (2006) and the The Shepherd, the pilot episode for the television series “The Chosen.” Showing video clips alongside a sermon on Christmas can help drive home the emotional impact of an incredible story that’s been told for two millennia. 

Note: Make sure to check any copyright protections over the content before displaying it!

#3: Host a meal for the homeless.

For many of us, the holidays are an excuse to eat all of our favorite foods. But an abundance of delicious eats should also be a reminder that there are people right in our communities who don’t have enough, or who are struggling to put food on the table. 

Instead of planning a Christmas party or conventional Christmas service, why not plan a meal for the homeless or for another marginalized group in your community? Hosting it potluck-style with the rest of your church community makes it cost-effective and easier to plan. And bringing others into the process of preparing and serving food will help everyone remember what Christmas is really about–mercy, humility, and love.

#4: Organize a gift drive for families in need. 

From the outside, Christmas looks like a season of abundance and giving. But for many families, it’s incredibly challenging. In 2020, more than 1 in 10 families in the U.S. lived below the poverty line. And in 2021, there were 11 million single parent families–most headed by single mothers, and many living in poverty.  

In your community, these demographics may be more starkly represented. Or, you may only know of a few families or individuals in need. In any case, consider organizing a gift drive to collect presents for families in need. Ask every church member or family unit to contribute one or two gifts–you can make suggestions for items that would be helpful–and plan a fun event to collect, wrap, and deliver the gifts.

#5: Do Christmas outside. 

The holidays might make us think of sitting with a cup of cocoa and watching holiday movies, but the real Christmas story was much…colder. Jesus was born outside, at night. Mary and Joseph had been traveling outside for days. They likely didn’t even have warm water to clean up after the birth! In any case, it was cold, messy, and uncomfortable. 

No need to force your church members to spend the night outside, but having an outdoor service–weather permitted–can help drive home a powerful point on Christmas. Pass out hand warmers, set up seats outside, and plan for a short message on a Christmas that was anything but cozy. The point? Jesus entered the world in humility, discomfort, and even relative poverty–to become like us, so that He could take on our sin.

#6: Put Christmas in perspective. 

One interesting way to explore the Christmas narrative is to look at it from the perspective of different men and women in Scripture. How would the gestation and birth of Jesus felt to Mary? How would Joseph felt about marrying a woman who was about to give birth? What do you think the shepherds thought when they saw the glory of God appear to them in a field?

Considering the experiences of different men and women involved in the Nativity story can help bring new life and depth to the Christmas story for your church members.

#7: Plan a Christmas market. 

The Christmas market has been a tradition in some parts of Europe for centuries, celebrating the season by selling goods and food items in a festive atmosphere. Why not take a cue from this festive tradition, and plan a Christmas market for a cause? 

Choose a specific financial need in your community, and then band together as a church to create a fundraiser that will make an impact. Church members can bake cookies and make candy, donate merchandise from their businesses, make jewelry, knit and crochet items, and create Christmas crafts. Then, spread the word around your community. The benefit is twofold: you raise money for a good cause, and help raise awareness of your church.

Celebrate Christmas with Breeze

Planning a Christmas service requires the right administrative tools to keep you organized and connected to your church body. 

Breeze is an easy-to-use church management platform that can make event planning and coordination simple. Breeze also helps you engage your church members via text or email, and allows you to receive online donations or gifts.

To learn more about how Breeze, click here.