Christmas Starts With Christ

Next Steps for Churches

Background: The Christmas story has been around for a long time, but today it's being forgotten. Just 12 per cent of adults know the nativity story, and more than one-third of children don’t know whose birthday it is. Meanwhile, 51 per cent of people now say the birth of Jesus is irrelevant to their Christmas.

Christmas Starts with Christ is a campaign aimed at helping churches to make Christ and the amazing story of his birth the focus of the nation’s favourite time of year. It is supported by the Church of England, the Bible Society, Premier and the Methodist Church.

This year a special investment of advertising spend is being piloted in Bristol and Newcastle to measure the impact of the campaign on people’s beliefs. It will be supported by posters and local radio commercials.

Message from Bishop Mike:

If You Do Just One Thing: Download and personalise the Christmas Starts with Christ posters and use them for your church.

Next Steps

1. Resourcing Churches

A list of materials is available on the website: www.ChristmasStartsWithChrist.com

These are available to download free of charge for churches and groups. They include the logo, 8 church posters for various events, 3 radio adverts and Help Save Christmas leaflets. There may be costs associated with media space for adverts or printing.

2. Keeping Informed

Anyone can join the campaign by completing the form on the website. Everyone who registers will then be kept informed of what’s happening before and during the campaign.

There are links with Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ChristmasStartsWithChrist

 and Twitter www.twitter.com/christmasstarts

3. Christmas Starts Sunday

The campaign kicks off on December 1st this year with the first-ever Christmas Starts Sunday, at the beginning of Advent. This is the focal point for all that will follow.

4. Church Pack

This will be provided to those who register during the coming weeks.

5. Partner Materials

• The Real Advent Calendar through Traidcraft and Tesco from the people who made The Real Easter Egg www.meaningfulchocolate.co.uk

• A range of print material which can be personalised by CPO http://www.cpo-online.org.uk/catalogue.aspx?cat=5010

• Paperless Christmas, Messy Christmas and Gingerbread Christmas through BRF www.brf.org.uk

Further Information

Gordon Hindmarch at gordon a_t ccisr d_o_t org d_o_t uk or Christmas Starts at info a_t churchads d_o_t org d_o_t uk

- See more, including a message from the Bishop Mike Hill at: http://www.bristol.anglican.org/2013/christmas-next-steps