Laura Heikes shares an easy, low-barrier Christmas outreach idea that can involve your entire congregation and extend an invitation to worship that is warm, non-coercive, and inviting. Best of all, you can help your congregation get to know your community in an easy, non-threatening way.
Christmas is the perfect time to help your congregation share God’s love with their neighbors in a way that also provides an open invitation to worship. An easy and heartfelt way to do this is through little bags of homemade Christmas cookies that worshippers carry out into the community. Here’s how your church can plan and execute a simple yet impactful Christmas cookie outreach project that comes together on one Sunday.
Choose a Sunday in Advent.
Pick a Sunday when the congregation will distribute cookie bags to your community. The Sunday before Christmas Eve works well, as those who receive cookies might be looking for a place to worship. If your church has other special Advent services, consider distributing the cookies the week before those special events so that you can invite your community to those (and then ask them to return on Christmas Eve).
Organize sign-ups.
Once you’ve chosen a Sunday, create an online sign-up where participants can pledge to bring ten bags containing 3-5 homemade cookies each and/or sign up to staple cards onto completed cookie bags. Have the bakers drop their cookie bags off about an hour before worship to give volunteers time to staple cards to each bag.
Baking volunteers need to package the cookies themselves and bring the finished bags to church, ready to have tags attached. It’s a good idea to keep a box of Ziplock bags on hand, just in case someone forgets or brings cookies on a plate instead of pre-packaged!
Aim to bake and assemble enough bags of cookies for everyone in worship to take at least one to distribute. If baking isn’t an option for some, invite them to use store-bought cookies instead.
Prepare the bags.
On your chosen Sunday, once volunteers bring their bags of cookies before service, a team can staple a card to each with a message such as:
“Wishing you peace, joy, and a little sweetness this season. May this treat remind you that you are loved and appreciated, by God and by us. Merry Christmas! – Your friends at [your church name]”
Leave space for a personal note, your church’s website, or a list of Advent and Christmas Eve worship times. And as volunteers staple the cards onto the cookie bags, encourage them to pray for each person who will receive the cookies. Once assembled, place the completed bags into baskets for people to grab on their way out of worship.
Encourage participation.
Introduce the cookie outreach project in the bulletin and other publications leading up to distribution day. On your chosen Sunday, during announcements or before the offering, explain the outreach effort. At the end of the service, hold up a cookie bag and remind everyone to take one to give to someone who works during the Christmas season and might not have time to worship.
Suggest taking cookies to someone along their drive home. Places like gas stations, retail stores, hospitals, or fire stations work well. You might also suggest that the congregation take bags with them as they run Christmas errands and give it away to a worker they encounter. Going to the mall or a busy shopping center is a great idea.
Children of any age and even well-behaved pets can be creatively included in distribution. The most beloved cookie-distributor we’ve ever had is a chocolate lab who carries a basket full of cookie bags into stores. Workers look forward to this visit each year, take pictures, and some even visit our church!
Share stories and celebrate.
Invite participants to take pictures of the places and people they visit and encourage them to share their stories on social media, tagging your church. Feature these moments in your church newsletter or on your website to inspire others to join in next year. Make sure to celebrate the love you’ve shown your community during Christmas!
Why It Matters
This simple act of kindness is an easy, entry-level way to involve your entire congregation in serving the community. It’s an opportunity to connect with neighbors, show them God’s love, and invite them to worship during the Advent and Christmas season. Best of all, your congregation will love this! They are longing for ways to serve, and you’re making it easy for them. A little sweetness can make a big difference in your community this Christmas!
Related Resources
- 5 Ways to Reach New People by Singing More Christmas Music During Advent by Jessica Anschutz
- Reaching New People This Christmas Is More Important Than Ever by Doug Powe and Ann A. Michel
- 7 Suggestions for Reaching More People This Christmas by Ann A. Michel
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