5 ways to support families at Christmas

In many churches Christmas is a frenetic time – extra services, special family services, late night services, school carol concerts, school assemblies, nativity plays, youth and children’s parties, ‘seniors’ parties, special events for the homeless, and so on. And at this time of year families may need more support than usual.

For example, after the Christmas season, there is often a rise in the number of couples separating, with a peak for the year around Valentine’s Day*. Money advice lines report a spike in calls immediately after Christmas every year. Many people who get in touch with organisations like Care for the Family for support say it can be a time of crushing loneliness.

So, how can church leaders and pastoral teams reach through the tinsel and glitz of Christmas to meet the needs of families in the community? Here are 5 ways you can Support Families at Christmas:

1) Take a closer look

It can be easy to assume that everything is fine, because that’s what people say when we ask them how they are. And because we’re busy, we may accept their answer and move on. But ask more questions – sometimes “fine” means “I’m just about keeping it together”.

2) Ease the pressure on parents

Christmas is a highly commercial holiday and parents often bear the brunt of dealing with their children’s demands for more and more presents.

Care for the Family has produced a very useful booklet called Pester Power – Families Surviving the Consumer Society. You can read a PDF version here and order printed copies to give out to parents in your church and community. There’s also a great article featuring tips from parents about handling ‘pester power’ at Christmas on the Care for the Family website, which you may want to reproduce in your Christmas edition of your church magazine.

3) Remember those who are mourning

The first Christmas after the death of a family member or close friend can be exceptionally hard for people. Some churches have begun running special ‘memorial services’ at Christmas-time for all those who wish to remember those who have died in the preceding year (or longer).

If there isn’t space in your church schedule to include another service, consider some short pastoral visits or sending a ‘thinking of you’ card to those you know are facing their first Christmas after bereavement.

4) Publicise your plans for the New Year

The Christmas services are a great place to inform both your regular attenders and others from the community about your plans for January and February. If, for example, you’re going to be running a course to help people look after their money more wisely, like Care for the Family’s The Money Secret Adult Education Course, include the details in your Christmas communications.

5) Be proactive

Take the first step in opening up a dialogue with people who may be finding the Christmas season tough. You could print off the ‘Christmas – how you can make the most of it’ Support Net sheet from the Care for the Family website to give out to people who come to your services, parents in your church toddler group, people who attend the courses you run, and so on. Encourage them to pass on the information too, and let it be known that you are there to help during the Christmas season.

*Bankwest research, published 2009

Last Updated 06 December 2010