8 Tips for Growing Your Church by Reaching and Retaining CHREASTERS This Holiday Season

8 Tips for Reaching and Retaining Chreasters This YearDuring Christmas, you should expect to see an increase in attendance. Whether you’re holding a service on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or both, six out of 10 Americans will attend a worship service during Christmastime.

This influx of new people at Christmas (and Easter) has garnered this group of people a new name: Chreasters. A Chreaster, according to the urban dictionary (source), is a person who only attends a worship service during Christmas and Easter.

Regardless of someone’s motivation for attending your church’s service during Christmas, it’s still important to have a plan in place in reaching them with the gospel.

So, church leader: Are you ready to receive this influx of visitors and grow your church?

Will you reach out to people in your community during the Christmas season?

Do you have plans to follow up with guests?

As a church leader, we understand your time is limited and that you may be feeling a high-level of anxiety just thinking about preparing for Christmas.

To help remove the burden of planning, here are eight tips for reaching and retaining Chreasters this year.

#1. Provide multiple worship services

Prepare to hold more worship services than you usually do.

Providing multiple worship services will help you to not only accommodate more people, it will also help you to serve the people in your church and community by giving them more than one choice, which is ideal for a busy Christmas season.

#2. Update your digital presence

Did you know that more Americans search for “church” around Christmas and Easter than at any other time?

Since your church’s website is the new front door for people, it’s essential that you update your site, as well as your social media platforms, to connect with the people in your community who are searching for a church to visit.

#3. Inspire your church to bring a friend

Encourage the members of your church to bring a friend. Equip them with resources that make inviting someone else easy, such as a postcard or flyer or social media graphics.

Also, remember that more people are open to attending a worship service during Christmas and that most of these people are willing if they are asked. There’s no better time to invite someone to a worship service than the holidays!

#4. Run social media ads

The vast majority of the people in your community probably have an account on Facebook. Here are two ideas for you to consider with reaching them with ads:

• Run targeted ads in your community
• Boost posts promoting your worship service
• Retarget people who visited your website

When it comes to retargeting people who visited your website, consider running an ad that expresses appreciation for visiting your website and consider using a video inviting people to learn more about your church.

#5. Hold a brief family-friendly service

Not only are people busy during Christmastime, but holding multiple services can be taxing on your church’s staff and volunteers. To accommodate the needs of everyone and to allow for people to spend time with their family, consider reducing the time of your worship service to 30-40 minutes.

What is more, consider running a family-friendly service by allowing children to participate in the worship service with their parents. This small pivot in your service will reduce the number of volunteers you need to run your worship services, and it can also create an enjoyable experience for everyone.

#6. Welcome guests

It’s important to acknowledge your guests and help them to feel comfortable. Visiting a church can be uncomfortable for many people—especially during the holiday season.

Be sure to welcome guests and let them know you’re thankful for their presence.

#7. Prepare your next step

What is the next step a visitor should take?

When thinking this through, keep in mind your community and your new visitors. For example, many parents will attend a Christmas worship service, so consider preaching through a family-oriented sermon series in January. This is an easy way you can faithfully teach the Bible, meet the practical needs of visitors, and create a natural next step for many guests.

What would you add? What have you found helpful in reaching people during Christmastime? 

Share your thoughts in the comments below.