Activate Team Member

John Lewis has done it again! I was unexpectedly watching TV last night and an advert came up with a little boy who is desperate for Christmas to arrive. Without any warning, I was all emotional, drawn into the story that is created and following the cute little boy as he waits for the 25th of Decemeber to arrive. I should have worked out it was the John Lewis advertising team and their five million pounds that provoked such a response in me – I have fallen for it again.
I don’t want to spoil the punchline, but when you discover what the little boy is actually looking forward to then it is a good reminder of the joy of giving.
Try watching it and add your comments below…

The carols have started playing in the shopping malls and the coffee shops have begun offering Christmas themed hot drinks. For some people a gingerbread latte is part of their yearly celebration, I tried a salted caramel mocha and will be trying it again as often as possible!!Many Christians loathe the early rush to make Novemeber and December a busy materialistic frenzy. I try instead to see it as a great opportunity to reach out with the message of Jesus. I beleive it is the easiest time of the year to invite people to an event and talk about faith. Like it or not, people around us who have not been in church all year still like to feel ‘Christmassy’ which gives us a unique opportunity to set up meetings, gatherings and conversations that they will join.
Over the last five years we have posted many articles with craft ideas and event inspirations on this website. If you put ‘Christmas’ into our little search box at the top right hand corner you will be able to read a little treasure trove of articles.
This year I am hoping to concentrate on four events, and I am thinking of it in terms of four different circles.

-Front door – I am going to invite my next door neighbour and her husband round for a meal. This past year I have been able to get to know her more and hope that a night together will be the next natural step.
-Street- I am going to invite the neighbours in my street to a mulled wine and mince pie coffee morning, with carols playing in the background and printed invitations to our church services lying on the table. The mince pies will be bought ( as I can’t make them very well) and I find that the mini ones go down really well.
-School gate – we have a new vicar and I will use this as an excuse to ask some of the local school mums to ‘come and hear him’ at one of our Christmas services. There is a traditional candlelit carol evening service and a contemporary children’s morning event, so I will try to pick the right one for the right friend.
-Town – I am a helper at a Christmas crafts event at our local church and will be helping thread fresh cranberries onto garden wire to make cranberry hearts, along with 150 other women. This year we will be selling our tickets in pairs so that everyone remembers this is an outreach event. Felt covered matchboxes, garden greenery wreaths, tissue covered glass vases, willow stars and dried orange and lime garlands will be made. Piano music carols and mince pies will be served surrounded by fairy lights and the aroma of mulled wine.

As I write this, on a quiet early November morning I feel excited at these opportunities ahead but I know that as December arrives I will feel busy, overwhelmed and shy as I actually approach people to ask them. The fear of rejection, even polite, ‘not this time, thank you’ rejection will be there in my mind and I will want to find excuses not to go ahead with the ideas I have planned above. Maybe that is why I have written them down so that I will actually be accountable now and do them!! If you want to make a commitment now to create an event or ask someone to church, then contact us and tell us about it. We will pray for you and by supporting each other we might encourage each other to be more proactive this year. Wouldn’t it make Christmas the best ever if one of your friends came to understand this year for the first time that Jesus is the saviour of the world?

Are you looking for a new theme for your next outreach event? How about a gathering based round a ski lodge? This might work in your own home, in your church hall or in a hired room in a hotel. Create an atmosphere by borrowing as many cosy rugs, fake fur throws and woollen blankets as possible and draping them over the chairs and floor. Have the lighting low with lots of candles and just a few table lamps rather than anything overhead. A few sets of white fairy lights go a long way to creating a special ambience. You might like to borrow some ski wear: drape the chairs with a few goggles, woolly hats, gloves and the odd pair of fluffy boots. The extrovert guests will soon be wearing them. You could create a snow background photo shoot area to allow guests to dress up in warm jackets and pose with some skis.

Background music might be ‘snow’ themed song choices-there are lots out there, but try to choose ones that don’t make it sound like the naff sound tracks within a department store!
If you are feeling really brave then you could borrow or hire an indoor snow machine and have snowflakes blowing past people as they arrive. Or just a bulk order of white fabric draped round the doorway might work. Of course, if you are fortunate enough to be in a room with a fireplace the flames would become your focal point.
Food for the evening could be fondue sets, filled with cheese and served with plates of chopped up crusty french stick bread. A mixture of swiss cheese with cheddar works well. Other plates could offer grapes, carrot sticks, vegetable crudites and apple slices. Group a few small tables with chairs around so people will gather in groups to eat and chat. Ski themed drinks might be mulled wine or ‘gluhwein’served in little mugs with orange segments. Warm apple juice with cinnamon spices works well if you want to avoid alcohol.Hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows is always a favourite.
Many people will be happy to sit, eat and chat but you may feel brave enough to offer a ski activity. Many play consoles have ski jump, ski racing or snowboarding game options. Borrow a playstation, wii fit or x-box and set up a gaming corner with the action displayed on a tv or screen so that others can watch. Make sure you have had a go beforehand so that you can help out, demonstrate and facilitate others to enjoy the equipment. A rolling leaderboard with high scores displayed might encourage those with a competitive mindset.Prizes for the best score, the worst score and the most stylish player will be appreciated and they could be toblerone or milcha chocolate bars.
As part of your welcome or your ‘wrap-up’ talk you could build a short message round God. Show some pictures of beautiful snow-clad mountains as you talk from Job 38 of God with the storehouses of snow within his sight and power.
Or you could talk briefly from Psalm 51:7-
‘Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.’
A more simple message could focus on the unique nature of every snowflake ever created and how meticulous God as creator is, he enjoys the beauty and diversity of each snowflake, just as he has made us all different, unique and beautiful.
A relationship with him gives the security and comfort of a warm blanket wrapped round our shoulders on a cold night.
Pick a theme that is appropriate to the group you have gathered.Be sensitive to where they are in their journey.
Whether you live in a place the gets snow often or a community that rarely sees snow, hopefully these ideas will stimulate you to create and event that is welcoming, memorable, fun and creates a great atmosphere for building friendships and having great conversations that lead the women we invite closer to God.