Virtual Christmas

There is so much to celebrate this Christmas season! Whether your Christmas Eve service will be in-person, virtual or a hybrid of both - you can celebrate in a way that is meaningful for all.

Some ideas:

• create a virtual candle lighting video highlighting families in your faith community lighting their candle and passing the flame to the next person

• ask key leaders to host an outdoor candlelight service in the their neighborhood

• create an outdoor space on Christmas Eve where families can come when it is convenient to take communion and light a candle

• wrap a box filled with Christmas Eve service supplies in your favorite Christmas paper and leave it at parishioners' front doors

• Bring back a musical you have done in the past that won’t require lots of rehearsing.
• Create a way to present much of the musical with solos, duets, small ensembles, etc.
• Pick two or more pieces to put together virtual choir numbers. With this, a few live singers can begin the song in person, to be joined by the masses in the virtual choir on screen and in the house audio. This can be extremely powerful while negating some of the risks.
• Utilize the arts in many ways with monologue, drama, readings, Bible reading, and more.
• If you have handbells, you can have each player have two bells at a music stand, spaced out in a safe distance and playing songs that can be achieved without table effects or bell changes.
• Make use of Zoom (or other platform) rehearsals to learn the music. (Reference: Kenny Lamm, "What Are You Going to do with Christmas?, Renewing Worship)

Christmas Caroling may be extra special this year as faith communities prepare to celebrate Christmas with physical distancing restrictions in place. Christmas Caroling brings much cheer to hearts and is a fun way to celebrate the reason for the season!

With physical restriction guidelines in mind:

• Send a few choir members to predetermined street corners to bring good cheer for all to hear

• Encourage families to carol in the neighborhood and provide them with a Christmas tract or Christmas booklet to leave as a gift

• Find out if your local nursing home will allow you to carol outside residents windows, bringing hope and connection to the elderly

If your VBS was cancelled Summer 2020, perhaps your church will have an opportunity to host a Winter Break VBS! This may be just the opportunity you are looking for to connect with families in your community in a meaningful way.