Want More Christmas Eve Visitors? Try These Digital Strategies

Listen to this episode on Spotify | Watch on YouTube

Christmas can be a natural time for someone to say yes to a church invitation. It helps when people can picture what to expect—and when someone makes the invitation feel personal.

In a webinar for church communicators, Zack Esgar shares a digital outreach plan built around four tools: a Christmas landing page, Google Ads, Facebook and Instagram ads, and personal invitations from the congregation. Here’s how churches can put those ideas to work.

Related reading: Get your seasonal outreach organized with our Christmas Checklist for Churches.

Start with a Christmas page on your own website

Create a dedicated page that brings together your Christmas service details and makes it easy for visitors to decide whether to attend. Keep it on your church’s main domain—for example, yourchurch.org/christmas—rather than sending people to a separate site.

Publish early. A new page needs time to be discovered online, and early publication also gives you one clear destination to share in ads, social posts, emails, and printed materials.

Make the page’s title and description specific to this year. Include the year, your service time, and your location so people can tell that the information is current. If you reuse a page from a previous Christmas, update its details rather than leaving old dates in place.

Use language that matches what people may search for. The webinar notes that searches can vary among terms such as “Christmas service,” “Christmas Eve service,” and “candlelight service.” If your church offers a candlelight service, say so clearly on the page.

If you have older Christmas pages, consider redirecting them to the current page so visitors land on up-to-date information.

Help more people find your church online. Explore our practical website visibility guide for more on using familiar local language, making page information clear, and keeping your website mobile-friendly.

Use search ads to meet people who are looking

Churches that qualify for Google’s nonprofit program may be eligible for advertising credits. In the webinar, Zack describes the grant as offering up to $10,000 per month, while cautioning that grant-funded ads may not appear as consistently as paid ads.

Potential search terms mentioned in the webinar include “Christmas Eve,” “candlelight service,” “church Christmas,” and “Christmas story.” Churches in smaller towns may find that a clear, useful landing page is a good place to focus; the right mix of website improvements and advertising depends on the local context.

Whatever approach you choose, make sure the ad and landing page agree about the event. A clear invitation should lead to accurate service details—not outdated information or a generic homepage.

Curious about Google’s advertising grant? Read Free Google Ads for Churches to learn about eligibility, the application process, and ways to use advertising credits for outreach.

Use social ads to reach people who aren’t searching

Google Ads can connect with people actively looking for a service. Facebook and Instagram ads can put an invitation in front of people who may not be searching but could be open to attending.

The webinar recommends beginning creative planning well before Christmas. Start by gathering photos and videos, then edit and prepare campaigns in advance. Ads can begin with a modest budget and be adjusted as Christmas approaches, based on how they perform and when people are more likely to make plans.

Holiday advertising can become more competitive as more organizations promote seasonal events, so churches should plan their budgets accordingly.

Before you launch your campaign, read 3 Biggest Mistakes Churches Make with Christmas Social Media Ads for tips on local targeting, landing pages, and testing your creative.

Show visitors what the experience will be like

An invitation is easier to consider when people can imagine the visit. Photos and videos from a previous Christmas service can show the atmosphere, music, and how people dress. Zack notes that video can be especially helpful for conveying that experience.

Possible ad creative includes:

• A short video invitation from the pastor, ideally 30–90 seconds.
• A personal invitation from a family or staff member who would welcome guests.
• A brief clip that connects the Christmas service to a question or need people may be thinking about.
• A sermon-series graphic or images from a past service.

The landing page should answer the practical questions a first-time visitor may have: Where should I park? What should I wear? What are the options for children? A “Plan a Visit” option can also help someone signal that they intend to come, giving the church a chance to send a welcoming follow-up.

Need help creating your invitation videos? Read Maximize Your Church’s Reach This Christmas with Social Media Ads for recording tips and ideas for pastor, staff, and family invitations.

Make personal invitations simple to share

Digital outreach can support personal invitations, not replace them. The webinar describes using printed invitation cards and a QR-code tool that creates a shareable invitation. People can scan the code, open a message, and send an invitation to someone they know.

Zack also shares a college-ministry story about a visitor who found an invitation card stuck to the bottom of a shoe. The person had been considering attending church, and the card gave them a simple reason to act. It’s a reminder that an invitation doesn’t need to be elaborate to make a difference.

Whether you use cards, a QR code, or a text message, make the next step easy: provide the service details and a link to the Christmas page.

Create an invitation your congregation can share: Use the free Tent Apps Christmas invitation tool. There’s no cost and no account required.

How the invitation tool works

Your church enters its name, Christmas page URL, and service times, then edits the invitation message. You can download a 1920 × 1080 slide graphic, a square graphic, and the QR code.

When a congregant scans the QR code, they reach a short invitation page. They tap Open Messages to see a prewritten text that includes your Christmas page link, choose a recipient, and send it from their own phone. The invitation is not sent automatically, and this is not a church mass-texting system. The congregant decides whom to invite and sends the message themselves. If opening Messages doesn’t work, they can copy the message and paste it into their messaging app.

Four simple steps for your church

1. Create the QR code and slide. Enter your church name, Christmas page URL, and service times in the invitation tool, edit the message, and download the graphics and QR code.
2. Display the slide before and after worship. Add the 1920 × 1080 graphic to Proclaim or your usual worship presentation software so the invitation is visible while people are arriving and leaving.
3. Give congregants a moment to scan and text a specific friend. Explain what the QR code does, then pause so people can open the invitation, choose someone they know, and send a personal message from their phone.
4. Test it before you use it in a service. Scan the QR code from the back of the room, follow the invitation through to Messages, and check that the Christmas page link works and all service details are accurate.

A simple text invitation

Replace every bracketed placeholder below with accurate details before using this example. Congregants can personalize the greeting and invitation for the person they’re contacting.

Hi [friend’s name]! Would you like to join me for Christmas Eve at [church name] on [date] at [service time]? Here are the details: [Christmas page URL]. Let me know if you’d like to come together.

A practical announcement example

Use this announcement when the QR slide is on screen:

“Think of one friend or neighbor you’d like to invite to Christmas Eve. You can scan the QR code on the screen, tap Open Messages, and choose that person. The message includes our Christmas service details and a link to our Christmas page. Feel free to make it sound like you, then send it from your own phone. Nothing sends automatically. We’ll give you a moment to do that now.”

Printed invitations can still be part of the plan, especially for people who prefer handing someone a card.

Give your congregation something easy to share. Get the Free Canva Christmas Invitation Card Template and customize it with your church’s branding and service details.

A coordinated plan makes the invitation clearer

Connect each part of your outreach:

• Build and publish a current Christmas page on your church website.
• Make the page useful to newcomers, including service details and visitor FAQs.
• Create ads and social posts that show what attending could feel like.
• Give church members an easy way to invite someone personally.
• Review and adjust your campaign as Christmas gets closer.

A landing page, an ad, or a QR code can help someone discover your service. A personal invitation may be what helps them feel comfortable saying yes. What’s one step your church can take this week to make its Christmas invitation clearer and easier to share?

Ready to put the pieces together? Use our Christmas Checklist for Churches to organize your website updates, advertising, creative, and visitor information.