For those willing to brave an in-person service at Christmas, how they see the church handling that experience will go a long way in determining whether those same people will consider coming back in the New Year.
In a normal year, Christmas usually tends to be the season where church attendance typically spikes the most. But in 2020, things have been far from normal.
For many of our churches, the upcoming Christmas season is one full of anticipation and uncertainty. While many of us may hope that it’s a dose of “normalcy” amidst a year that has been lacking in that area, there is also a wide range of variables that all have to be considered when planning Christmas events.
In a typical year, our biggest decisions may revolve around whether to keep the same type of programming as last year or whether we should up the ante to create more of a wow moment for those attending.
It’s been a year to forget. But if we plan the right way, we can craft a Christmas experience that our congregation will never want to forget.
But this year, there are three key target audiences that we need to keep in mind as we consider elements of our services, and the wow factor may not come into play with any of them.
1. The online audience.
It’s normal now for many churches to rely heavily on a video experience to share a service or event with a broader audience, whether that’s at an offsite campus, in an overflow room down the hall, through a live mobile/online platform, and via on-demand viewing online.
However, thanks to the continued prevalence of the coronavirus, more people than ever are choosing to engage with church services strictly through an online platform.
So, when planning this year’s services, catering to that audience needs to be a critical part of the programming discussion.
The audience at a satellite campus or overflow room still has the benefit of being around other attendees, being able to engage with a campus pastor, and feeling/experiencing the environment of the venue. Those watching at home have none of those benefits.
Thus, there should be a greater emphasis on trying to create some customized programming that is specifically geared for those watching online. Just because they’re not there in person doesn’t mean that they’re any less important of a member of the church family, and they all still need to feel like they’re able to be part of a high-quality experience.
If we’re doing a special musical element, or a creative piece, are our camera shots accurately telling the same story for those online viewers? Are we using wider, cutaway shots to show the broader stage, the room, the audience, etc., so viewers can feel like they’re also immersed in the experience?
Is there a way to pre-record any host or pastoral moments so that the online audience can be addressed directly? Could creative elements be shot ahead of time so there’s more margin to edit and improve audio and video quality so the experience is top-notch? Is there a way to do something special and memorable for people watching online to encourage or boost engagement?
If not, just having online attendees watch what’s happening live in a main auditorium may do nothing more than remind viewers that they’re on the outside looking in, watching others enjoy an experience they’re not able to be part of themselves.
It’s critical to not only work to keep people safe, but to do so in a visible way so as to provide reassurance to those attending.
2. The reluctant returners.
There is likely a segment of the church that has stayed distant for now, but is willing to try attending in-person services around the holidays, just because of the tradition of that season and the desire to experience those services live.
These people may have natural reservations about the process, whether that’s due to their own health or due to questions about how seriously the church is taking health precautions.
It’s critical to not only work to keep people safe, but to do so in a visible way so as to provide reassurance to those attending.
So, we can emphasize the importance of distancing, but it comes across as insincere if we’re still squishing choir members or vocalists close to each other during musical elements. Likewise, if we don’t have a plan for how to handle overflow or additional seating, that creates pressure to pack the audience into the auditorium, thus potentially creating discomfort or concern among some attendees.
It will be important to think through potential pressure points ahead of time and work to alleviate those. If attendees are concerned or on edge the entire service, that hinders their ability to actually be able to enjoy the service and engage spiritually.
Perhaps we need to create more digital resources instead of handing things out. If so, we may need to create some pre-service slides that explain how to find those resources, or even improve how easily someone can access those things on the church website or mobile app.
For those willing to brave an in-person service at Christmas, how they see the church handling that experience will go a long way in determining whether those same people will consider coming back in the New Year.
3. The nostalgic.
In a year of such uncertainty, there are many who are longing for “the way things used to be” and are wanting things to “get back to normal.”
If there was ever a year to keep a Christmas service simple, this is probably that year.
Instead of wanting to be impressed and wowed with effects and extravagance, it’s likely that many churchgoers just want to be part of something that feels familiar. There may be less demand for something big and showy and more of a need for something that feels simple and intimate.
Christmas is a season for making memories, especially with family. And a large portion of the church may be yearning for a Christmas experience that feels comfortable and allows them to reminisce about a previous time that didn’t involve COVID and lockdowns.
Try focusing on popular, traditional carols as opposed to introducing more new special songs. Don’t try a crazy new arrangement and musical style of a song; perhaps it can feel more “by the book” the way people might remember it from their childhood.
Maybe this isn’t the year for an EDM, disco version of “Silent Night,” but it could be the year to introduce string players to add a warm, orchestral feeling to the medley.
The point is, in a year that has been filled with, and defined by, a “new normal” of how to do things, there’s perhaps still a need to bring something tried and true (and even boring or predictable), simply because of the comfort and consistency it brings.
This has been a crazy year for sure. However, that doesn’t mean there has to be a crazy approach to Christmas. We can open our eyes to new possibilities while also pursuing something that brings comfort.
It’s been a year to forget. But if we plan the right way, we can craft a Christmas experience that our congregation will never want to forget.
