December can be a busy month; there’s no question about that. With office parties, traveling for the holidays or hosting family, shopping for presents and visiting friends, there’s so much on your congregation’s to-do list. But don’t let a busy schedule keep you from maximizing your church’s impact.

Careful planning can make a big difference when you’re reaching lost people for Christ this Christmas. It’s a lot like any other part of the holiday season. Those who do their Christmas shopping early always seem to have more time later. Preparing well enough in advance gives you more margin to enjoy the moments when they happen. The same goes for your church’s calendar.

If you start with a plan and stick with it, you’ll save a lot of time and headaches. Planning helps you exchange a chaotic schedule for a stress-free calendar. Remember the goal this Christmas is to make an impact for the Kingdom. More and more, we’re seeing people prioritize church attendance at Christmastime. So make the effort to be ready when they show up.

Start with the Big Event

I’m sure you know the old adage about filling a large container with rocks, pebbles and sand. If you don’t get the big rocks in place first, you won’t have room for the smaller stuff later. It’s not about cramming as much in as possible, of course. It’s about prioritizing the more important aspects of your calendar first.

Decide what’s vitally important this Christmas season. It may be an outreach event, a large Christmas production or a church-wide celebration. Whatever it is, get it on the schedule first. Give yourself plenty of time to prepare for it, too. Make sure the staff members who are responsible for pulling it off have enough margin to do an excellent job. And then go all out with it.

Starting with a big event doesn’t mean you minimize the rest of the schedule. It just means you build around that. Some churches are finding that putting the big event earlier in the month can help the flow of services the rest of the year. Others find it best to put all their emphasis on Christmas Eve services.

However you do it, make sure that all your efforts go toward building up to that big day, and then focus on how to follow up afterward.

A Seasonal Sermon Series

The Christmas story may be the most well-known Bible story of them all. But it’s also the most beloved. It’s OK to preach from the same texts each year at Christmas. In fact, most people are expecting it. Don’t save it for just one Sunday. Use the entire month to push a seasonal sermon series.

Careful planning can make a big difference when you’re reaching lost people for Christ this Christmas.

The challenge of such a well-known story is how to make it fresh. There are plenty of angles to take with the story, though. And there are different ways to approach the text.

You might find a way to preach from the Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled in Bethlehem that night. Or find key words that stand out, and preach a series of topical sermons from that. Don’t let the familiarity of the text keep you from being creative.

Make sure the series is also relevant. It’s OK to go deep into the theology of the Incarnation, the Trinity or even the virgin birth. But make sure that each week you give your audience members something to think about and apply to their own lives. Whether your services are contemporary or more traditional, you can still make the application relevant.

Finally, remember to keep the sermons evangelistic. Again, this is a time when you’ll likely see a jump in visitors. Many of them don’t have church homes and have never made a decision to follow Christ. Don’t let the season pass by without giving them an opportunity of a lifetime to accept Christ as King.

Be Intentional About Downtime

As you plan out your calendar, think through when to schedule time off. It’s important not to overload schedules. That means building in breaks for your staff and volunteers. And honor their time while they’re at church, knowing that their personal schedules are just as packed.

However, that doesn’t mean we should shut down. In fact, the Christmas season, when most people take time off work, can be very productive for your church. If we use that time to ramp up rather than wind down, we can get ahead of the opportunities that are just around the corner.

I think churches assume they should take a lot of time off or give their whole staff a few weeks off. But in my experience, that is a mistake and a missed opportunity. The reality is that ministry never takes a holiday.

In fact, the month of December can be the hardest for many of your church members who suffer seasonal depression or who have lost a loved one. It’s during this month that we need to be as present as possible.

But it’s also an opportunity to follow up with new converts. This is a great chance to reach out to kids who are out of school. It’s a time when you can get ready for the month ahead. It’s also a great way to get some needed work done around the church.

Be clear with your staff, especially the younger ones, about the expectations during the holidays. It’s a time to lean in and not relax. The balance is finding ways to reward and honor your staff during this time of year while also motivating them to keep up the great work.

The month of December can be just as impactful as any other, maybe more. But it takes careful planning and follow-through. Get a game plan early, and stick to it throughout the month. When you do that, you’ll find yourself launching into the new year with renewed energy and influence in your community.