How can your church get involved in #FollowTheStar, our 2018 Advent and Christmas campaign?

Our main aim with #FollowTheStar is to encourage people into a local church service or event to share in the joy of Jesus’ birth.

Here are five ways in which your church can get involved:

1. Order the #FollowTheStar: A Journey Through the 12 Days of Christmas booklets. The resource has been written by The Revd Dr Isabelle Hamley and features a welcome from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. The booklets are available individually and in bulk-savings packs for congregations and visitors to your church to use. View a sample copy and buy copies from Church House Publishing. From late November 2018, users can sign up to receive the daily reflections by e-mail and through an Android or iOS app.
2. Download and buy posters, logos and other resources. We’ve partnered with CPO on a range of resources that can be bought on the Church Print Hub website. In addition, digital resources can be found on our website.
3. Update your church page on A Church Near You! The site receives more than 10 million page views each year and 50% more services and events were listed last year than the year before on the website. Make sure you tag your services with ‘FollowTheStar’ as well as ‘Christmas’, ‘mince pies’ ‘mulled wine’, ‘Advent’ and ‘Christmas carols’ as appropriate.
4. Encourage churches in your diocese to be ‘star churches’ by displaying stars prominently. The bigger and more visible the better. If possible, illuminate at night and share on social media on Friday 21st December to be part of the ‘night of the stars’. More details in this blog
5. Help us to share our Christmas videos and social media posts through your diocesan and local church social media accounts. We’re producing an interactive family Advent and Christmas calendar and videos to encourage people into local churches.

Here is a link to the full Christmas presentation if you would like to use at PCC meetings and other church events.

There has been great collaboration across Church House, Lambeth Palace, Bishopthorpe Palace, diocesan communicators and members of General Synod on this year’s campaign.

If you have any comments or questions, please do get in touch with the Communications department.

Our hope and prayer is that #FollowTheStar allows people across the country and Diocese in Europe to take the life-changing Christmas journey this year.