As we publish this, it is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception…this year, December 9th. That means there are 16 days to Christmas–or less if you read this later.

Admittedly, the best time to plan a Christmas invitation campaign is at least two months ahead. But this is for all those Church leaders out there who remember that Jesus loved the people who were “hired in the 11th hour.” There is still work to do, and things that could be done. Between the solemnity, the Posadas, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and numerous other festivities…it HAS to be simple. So, some suggestions:

1. Charge the people of the parish with a spontaneous invitation campaign: Invite one person to come to Mass. Create a simple postcard, like this example right here (and I’ll share it with people who have Canva, just ask). Hand them out before Mass begins, and the pastor or deacon can bless them after communion, with explicit instructions to give it to someone and invite him or her to come to Mass (or mail it if you’re chicken)! Send a reminder email to the whole parish in 24 hours and tell them to do it now. At Christmas: welcome all newcomers, and encourage them to collect the gift at the side of the church. Bless some rosaries and place them in small gift bags with an instruction prayer card in each. Or if your parish gives Christmas participants a book for the new year, you can use that!
2. Get the parish to go caroling in groups and hand out flyers inviting people to come to Mass: We have a weekend before this Christmas 2024, which falls on a Wednesday. Sunday or Monday night is a great time to print out Christmas Mass flyers (or those postcards above) and go caroling door to door. Youth groups are great for this, as well as the choir. Sing a carol, shout merry Christmas, hand them a flyer. Don’t have a neighborhood set up for caroling? Ask if you can do it in the parking lot of a local store the weekend beforehand. Or a mall. And have someone in the front handing out invitation flyers.
3. Invite people to an Epiphany Party! Buy yourself some time…and stop competing with everything else going on leading to December 25th. Throw an epiphany party for the neighborhood with a last singing of the carols, good pot luck-supplemented food, “three kings”-themed activities for the kids, and laughter. It’s also a great time to let people know what is going on at the parish this coming year! This is an ideal shallow entry invitation for those unfamiliar with Christianity, and makes it easier to step inside the Church property.

Anything worth doing is worth doing less than perfectly. Take the risk, make the ask, and prepare for people to come and rejoice in the Incarnation of God, Emmanuel.