Lights are twinkling, mulled wine is brewing and carolers are singing. Christmas is a joyful time for many with the exchange of gifts, yummy roast dinners and the cheesy hallmark Christmas movies on TV. All these things are lovely additions to the Christmas season, but we know that Jesus is the reason for the season. It is centred on the birth of Jesus (even if people don’t know it yet) and so it is one of the easiest opportunities we have to share the good news of Jesus with students.
As students prepare to wrap up with their final deadlines, how can your Church introduce students to Jesus this advent?
Here are three creative ideas...
Post Christmas cards
Imagine if every student received a Christmas card from a local Church telling them about the hope of Jesus, wishing them a merry Christmas and congratulating them for completing the term. I’m sure that several students would sense Christ’s love for them and that it would give them a positive experience of the Church. You could buy ready-made or design your own beautiful Christmas cards, fill them with handwritten Christmas messages from people in your community and post them through the doors of students' houses.
Knock, sing and pray
It has only happened a few times in my life but I have loved it when carolers knock on my door with joyful smiles and beautiful singing. Why not gather a bunch of people in the church to dress up in Christmas outfits, knock on the doors of students, sing Christian Christmas songs and offer to pray for them? It would be a wonderful way to not only bring Christmas cheer to the doors of students but to also bring blessing and the presence of Jesus to them and their student house.
Throw a birthday party for Jesus
Who doesn’t love a party? And seeing as Christmas is all about the birth of Jesus, why not encourage any students you have in your community to throw a fancy dress birthday party for Jesus that they can invite their friends to. It is a quirky and fun opportunity to gather people together and I’m sure it will spark loads of conversations about the meaning of Christmas. Fancy dress (nativity themed?), mince pies, mulled wine, and cheesy Christmas songs are a great way to celebrate the story of Christmas that point students to Jesus.
What other missional ideas do you have this advent?
As you embrace this wonderful opportunity to share Jesus with students, I pray that they know his love, his peace and his story through your celebrations and creativity.
