The Christmas season is a time to focus on the truth of Christ’s coming to earth. What so often happens, though, is the message gets lost in the busyness of the season. Even in these COVID days, though, we can still do evangelism during this busy season. Here are some ways:
- While we’re socially distanced, give even more time to praying by name for folks to turn to Christ. The apostle Paul said his heart’s desire and prayer for Israel was that they be saved (Rom 10:1). As God breaks our heart over particular people, that ought to be our prayer as well.
- Use your Christmas letter to tell the story of Jesus. Many of us receive numbers of holiday letters, and we learn what people have been doing through the last year. This year, focus your Christmas letter on Christ and His blessings more than on yourself.
- Be up front about offering the greatest gift ever given. Contact a loved one or friend, and say up front: “This Christmas I’d love to take ten minutes to tell you what Jesus, the greatest gift ever given, means to me. Would you allow me that privilege?” Somebody might give you that opportunity.
- Give simple gospel gifts to your unchurched family members or neighbors. Even while maintaining social distancing, give a filled stocking to your neighbors, and include a simple book or tract about the truth of Christmas. Don’t overwhelm your unchurched neighbors, but get the gospel in their hands.
- Do servant evangelism during this season. Servant evangelism is doing good deeds in Jesus’ name, with the hope of gaining an opportunity to share the gospel. Shovel a friend’s driveway for no charge. Scrape the ice from a car windshield. Offer to shop for a non-believing elderly friend or family member.
- Work with your church, local social services, or schools to assist an impoverished family. Meet some needs, especially for families who’ve lost employment this year. Show them the love of God through your actions, and ask permission to explain why you’re doing what you do: because Jesus came to earth and died on our behalf.
- Use social media to do more than wish others a Merry Christmas. The greeting is fine, but do more than that: talk about how much your relationship with the Son of God born in Bethlehem means to you. Do it briefly but clearly.
- Focus on sharing the gospel with non-believing family members. When it’s tougher these days to invite co-workers, neighbors, and friends into our homes, give attention to those closest to you—whether they live with you or elsewhere. You may find that the stress of 2020 makes somebody you love more open to the gospel.
What other ways would you add to this list?
Here is a couple of more things that we can do to spread the good news this Christmas season. One think to remember is that Christmas does not end on the day after Christmas. Traditionally the Christmas season lasts twelve days and ends on Twelfth Night, the night before the Feast of the Epiphany, which by the way is the Eastern Orthodox Christmas Day. Maybe you are thinking to yourself, “I’m a Baptist. I don’t celebrate the seasons, holy days, and festivals of the liturgical calendar.” That is okay. I was involved in a Baptist new church plant whose ministry target group included lapsed Roman Catholics. The seasons, holy days, and festivals of the liturgical calendar are a part of their church background. Being sensitive to that background can be helpful in reaching them with the gospel. We made a point of observing Advent and Lent and celebrating the Christmas and Easter Seasons in a way that was consistent with biblical teaching but was familiar to the lapsed Roman Catholics that we were endeavoring to reach with the gospel. We took a hint from Isaiah 40: 3 and Mark 1:3 and used these seasons, holidays, and festivals to prepare the way of the Lord. An important step in evangelizing a people group is pre-evangelism—preparing the soil for the planting of the seed. The two ideas that I am going to share can help prepare the soil, but they can also help plant the seed. One of these ideas is to have a online carol sing involving family and friends. Christmas carols tell the Christmas story and can both prepare the soil and plant the seed. Through them the Holy Spirit can stir up a desire to have a closer relationship with God. Different households can be invited to read different parts of the Christmas story. Lighting a few candles can add ambience. People who might never set foot in a church will participate in this kind of Christmas celebration. We should not underestimate the Holy Spirit’s ability to use Christmas carols and the Christmas story to move hearts. What may be impossible for us is not impossible for God. The other idea is for your household to sing Christmas carols in your neighborhood or some other neighborhood. You might visit several neighborhoods before and during the Christmas season and sing carols. These are just two ways that you can be a blessing to others at Christmas time without endangering yourselves or others due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Also have a service of nine lessons and carols. Episcopalians/Anglicans will know this as the one that is like that at King’s College Cambridge. The 9 readings (traditionally by people of increasing rank) stand on their own as there is no homily. The final reading from the Gospel of John is the declaration and usually read by the highest ranking clergy in attendance. This service held on the third Sunday of Advent, generally, has a standing room only crowd of people who might not have attended since Easter.
You can do have the service online too.
I am organizing a Christmas Day hike with masks and social distancing for total strangers. https://www.meetup.com/adventurers-139/events/274909854/
Currently I have 11 as of 12/3/20. Currently half I have never met. By Christmas day I should have 18 and 2/3 I have never met. Unofficially this is my biggest Catholic event of my calendar year, 11% of America are disconnected Catholics. I also will get Hindus with a Christian understanding on this particular hike. Last year I reached out to a stalking victim and got to talk about Christ and Christmas to others.
Ok some really good ideas. In our city we cannot have live services, just online. Here are some of my ideas. Go carolling in small groups, perhaps as families. Another thing my church did once is giving out boxes or Chinese oranges. Sadly our church stopped doing it