Nick Davies, Team Rector in South Cheltenham writes …
Last year, our church used the #FollowTheStar materials in social media, posters, Church decorations and branding to try to get messages reinforced through differing media- and we had a lot of fun along the way!
Arts and Crafts
We ordered the cardboard stars to hang in our Church porch as people entered Church. We also made our own big star to hang on our chancel screen using bamboo poles and ropes of Christmas lights attached with cable ties.
Schools work
We then used the star as the focus for our School Christmas service. Picking up on Richard Branson’s recent attempts to fly planes into space we explored ‘Flying through space, touching the heavens and following a star.’ We projected a star on to the inside of the Church roof, moving it towards our chancel screen and remembering the wise men following the star. The punchline was that ‘we don’t need a spaceship to find where heaven meets earth, we just need to follow that star’. The big reveal was the illumination of our large star on the chancel screen.
Print Media
We used the background graphics for our Christmas card and poster outside Church. Inside our church Christmas cards, we listed details of the Christmas services alongside this message:
“We all follow our dreams, but the Christmas story tells of wise men following a star which led them to a child who was beyond their wildest dreams. A child offering hope, joy and love to a troubled world. We invite you to follow the star with us this Christmas and to see what you find…”
Social Media
Using an iPhone, Videorama, imovie and Adobe Spark Apps we then created a number of animated posts for our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds.
Advertising services
Plugging the crib blessing
Booklets
We then gave out the Follow the Star booklet with orders of service at Nine Lessons and Carols and midnight Mass.
Conclusion
Well it was a lot of fun and, as a vicar, I always need something new to spark my imagination and get the creative juices going. What worked for us is having a broad brush theme and flexible resources that we could explore in various media without having to spend much money.
The only challenge now is what to do this year!
Nick Davies
Team Rector, South Cheltenham
@nickduffdavies
News Hub
