December outreach effort builds on simple theory

By Rachel L. Toalson
Staff Writer
It all began with a simple and widely known theory: Visitors are most likely to enter a new church on Christmas Eve.
That’s the basis for what’s become the annual Home for Christmas outreach campaign in Southwest Texas. That eight-week effort begins Sunday.
The Home for Christmas idea was born in 1998 in Dallas. The late Bob Robertson, then North Texas Conference communications director, and Tim Crouch, a member of the conference communications commission and owner of a Denton advertising agency, brainstormed how to entice wanderers into United Methodist churches on the day unchurched people are most likely to attend worship.
Their focus became candlelight services that, in North Texas at the time, were common in United Methodist churches but not in many other Protestant congregations.
“The idea was if this is the time of year when people without a church home are most open to visiting church,” Crouch said, “and we have this wonderful service we do on Christmas Eve, let’s make a point to say this is a place you want to be on Christmas Eve. It has really rung true.”
Crouch and Robertson tested their plan first in the Wichita Falls District of the North Texas Conference in 1998. In 1999 the initiative spread into the entire North Texas Conference. The Southwest Texas Conference joined the outreach effort in 2000.
Today Crouch said his company, The Crouch Group—which provides Home for Christmas promotional materials—works with congregations in 40 of the 50 states.
The Home for Christmas campaign follows on the tail of Open House Month, which ended in September. During the eight-week Home for Christmas initiative, churches use direct invitations to those who do not regularly attend church.
Crouch said his company recommends that churches have a follow-up plan for January as well.
“Follow-up is critical,” he said. “You have to create the perception that there is something really exciting happening in January that people won’t want to miss. We want that to be the perception every Sunday, but we want to play that up even more in January.
“Christmas Eve is a service that can set the tone for the next year.”
Crouch said several North Texas congregations have added Christmas Eve services because all their others have been full. For example, one Plano church typically schedules about 12 services between Dec. 23 and Christmas Eve.
“Then, coming out of that, in January they set all kinds of records for attendance,” he said. “And, ultimately, that’s the bottom line. We want lots of people there on Christmas, but we want to make sure we invite them to come back in January and be incorporated into the life of the church.”
The Rev. Laura Brewster, pastor of First UMC, Edinburg, agrees.
“(Christmas Eve) is the number one time people are accepting an invitation to the church,” she said, “so we have to take advantage of that opportunity. This happens only once a year, and we have to be as proactive as we can using every opportunity to reach every person for Christ.”
Brewster’s 436-member congregation is scheduling Christmas Eve services at 5 and 7 p.m.—the first as a Holy Communion service and the second as a candlelight service.
Members and leaders currently are going door-to-door to invite neighbors, Brewster said.
St. Peter’s by the Sea UMC, Corpus Christi, is planning an 11 p.m. Christmas Eve service, said the Rev. Harold M. Onwiler, pastor.
Representatives from the 112-member congregation intend to place door hangers throughout the community in an effort not only to publicize the service but to raise awareness about the church.
“Home for Christmas is important to our congregation because it raises our visibility—especially since we have a low profile,” Onwiler said. “It’s important to get people to become involved in the Christmas season in a way other than Wal-Mart.
“The church offers the real meaning of Christmas, and if all we can get is the Christmas Eve attendance, we’ll take it. You never know who you’re going to reach with something like this.”
Crouch said now is the time for churches to be putting together their information and solidifying plans for any Christmas Eve services.
The Home for Christmas campaign follows a step-by-step plan of prayer, invitation and follow-up. Publicity, advertising and other promotional activities support the invitation effort.
The Southwest Texas Conference hopes to have money to provide regional newspaper and radio ads just before Christmas Eve. Newspaper ads would list all United Methodist candlelight services in the areas served by each daily.
Congregations wanting to be listed in the regional newspaper advertising need to provide information about Christmas Eve service times to the Communications and Public Witness Office the SWTXC by Nov. 15.
Plans for the Home for Christmas campaign are detailed in a 146-page Igniting Ministry Campaign Workbook for the Southwest Texas Conference. The Communication and Public Witness Office prepared the book in 2002.
Home for Christmas is one way the Southwest Texas Conference tries to empower ministries in local congregations so they can offer Christ to all.