Church Online

This is a guest post from Brian Russell, find him on Twitter or on his blog. If you would like to write for Church Online, please let us know!

Perhaps more than any other season or celebration Christmas conjures up fond memories of family, food and festivities. Certainly for retailers and owners of evergreen farms, it is a time for rejoicing. I love, too, that it is smack dab in the middle of what would otherwise be the most depressing time of the year in the northern hemisphere. Days are their shortest, nights are their coldest, and beaches seem furthest away. Yet, much of the world anticipates this season with great expectation and hope for merriment.

Having celebrated Christmas in six different countries, I’ve also learned that it is a time which offers unique opportunities for teaching and modeling the message of Christ. The whole world is aware of this holiday, even if they don’t fully understand its meaning. We’ve lived in a couple of countries whose populations are more than 99.8% Muslim, yet the large department stores carry reindeer and Christmas trees in December. Heck, the People’s Republic of China is probably the greatest producer of “He is the reason for the season” bumper stickers.

My hope this time of year is that we who call ourselves Christ followers would proactively seek out to maximize the potential this period offers. And I’m not talking about hanging Santa Claus on a cross in the church parking lot or competing with the church down the street for the cheesiest cliché to put on the drive-by placard. Each of us as the capital “C” Church can look for relevant ways to impact those around us. Here are a few ideas.

1. Throw A Party. I’m talking eggnog, loud music, white elephants, Christmas lights and even Santa if you’re so inclined. There are stories of Jesus in the Bible and descriptions of heaven which show that God enjoys a celebration as much as any of us. He is the author of party. And I’m not sure that it’s even necessary to stop the party to sing classic Christmas songs or to read the story of the Magi. The whole purpose of this party may simply be to….well, party. The unique opportunity here is that you can be strategic about who you invite, intentionally aiming to build deeper friendships with those on the fringe of your relationship sphere. Christmas offers a great chance to welcome them further into your home and life. This may be a catalyst which encourages them to be more receptive to Christ. It may not. Frankly, the end result may just be that you’ve loved your neighbor.
2. Bless in Groups. In many places of the world, there is a palpable inclination toward giving and sacrifice in the air during the Christmas season. Combine this with the fact that it is also usually the period right before the tax year ends (and, thus, the final chance for individuals and companies to get deductions for charitable donations) and the time is ripe for blessing those less fortunate. There is a twofold prospect of impact here. Most obviously, we can help make the lives of others more comfortable, productive or merely happier through our giving and service. Secondly, though, we can get non Christians working alongside us, actually showing the love of Christ to others themselves. Picture if you will a group of three believers inviting three of their unbelieving friends to join them in modeling the heart of Christ to those less fortunate, delivering presents to kids in the hospital, serving food in a soup kitchen, or decorating an elderly person’s home. Showing others the gospel of Christ in action can be a more effective way to touch them than solely giving verbal assent. And this is the time of year when others are most likely to jump in with you.
3. Debunk. Peoples’ concept of Christmas is largely shaped by Hollywood, advertising and Rudolph. Often as Christians we focus on the negative implications of this. But, I actually see something very positive here. This is the very thing that opens up the unique opportunities we have during the holidays. In other words, the fact that Christmas has largely morphed into a secular holiday means that non Christ followers get all caught up in the spirit of it. We can invite them to parties and ask them to help us serve others by virtue of the fact that they’re already participants in the season. Even anti-Christian governments and peoples open the door to Christmas due to its materialistic nature. That in and of itself is not necessarily positive. Yet, if we proactively seek occasions to counter this mindset, the potential for transformation is great.

   My wife and I experienced this in our years of living in the Islamic world. Muslims tend to view all Westerners as Christians. In their minds Lady Gaga, Billy Graham, LeBron James, and Angelina are all equally “Christian”. This thinking opened a door to explain to our Muslim friends that not all Americans are Christians and explain what “being Christian” meant to us. In fact, if their definition of Christian was limited to “a Westerner”, then we wouldn’t even call ourselves “Christian”, but rather “followers of the Messiah” or some other more clarifying description. The point here is that debunking the assumptions of others can be an effective way to reach them. Using their preconceptions to clearly explain in what way you see yourself as different can sometimes help the light bulb shine in a way it wouldn’t otherwise. Taking time to explain to people what Christmas means to you, or why you and your family do certain counter cultural things during December can be a great way to get people to stop and think. It doesn’t really matter whether Jesus was actually born on the 25th day of the 12th month. The important thing is that He came into the world and this is the day we choose to proclaim and celebrate it. And more than rejecting the world’s forms and mode of celebrating Christmas, simply displaying how you experience and enjoy it at an even deeper level can be a magnet which attracts the intrigue of your friends and colleagues.

You may notice that I have not put “inviting your friends, coworkers and family to a special holiday service” as one of the strategies. I’ve intentionally not listed this for a couple of reasons. One, not all of us reside in a context where this is feasible. However, each of the other suggestions is possible no matter where you find yourself. Also, many believers can get stuck on this one opportunity. For a lot of us, this is the limit of our Christmas season “outreach” efforts. I see this as a given for any of us who desire to point people to Christ during the holidays and are located in places where such gatherings are accessible. This can truly be a great way to get seekers to hear the Gospel and get connected with Christ followers during this time. Yet, I challenge you to do this in addition to other intentional acts of loving, serving and Good News proclamation this season.

We’d love to learn from you and your experiences as well. Please offer your insights and join in the discussion below. How have you seen God work in unique ways during this season of commemorating His Son’s birth?