By Dec 2020, the novelty of Zoom church had certainly worn off for us! After nine months of trying to use snacks and excessive enthusiasm to make ‘going to church’ an event for the children, we were all growing tired. So when we began to organise the Christmas service, we were delighted to find that the team at Faith in Kids had put together an incredible service idea and resources for an online Christmas event. We made use of the witty and well thought through Zoom nativity and added a short and accessible epilogue. Our Christmas service ended up being hugely successful, an event that everyone in our church family and beyond enjoyed. More importantly, the good news of the gospel was proclaimed, offering hope to many after such a hard year.
The feedback we received was positive. The Nativity in particular was a favourite amongst many families and all age groups, from young children who found it hilarious and fascinating that Mary and Joseph also used Zoom(?!), to the adults who found the content relevant and inspiring. One family told us that it had been ‘the best nativity they’d ever seen’. We found it so incredible that the Lord could use something like Zoom to retell his Christmas story in a way that helped people connect to it so profoundly.
The most uplifting feedback about our Christmas service was the stories of people inviting friends or family who aren’t churchgoers to watch along as well. I think perhaps people found it easier to invite others to watch something online, rather than to ask people to physically cross the threshold into a church building. An older member of our congregation shared with us that she had asked her grown son and his family to watch along. For the first time in as long as she can remember her son said he really enjoyed church. Our friend was so delighted that her son and his family had heard the gospel and enjoyed the service. Our prayer is that the Lord would continue to use that first seed of interest, bringing him back to church to hear more of God’s word once church reopens and we can all be together again.
While the prospect of doing Easter services online might feel a bit sad, we can testify to the Lord’s kindness in using this time and these services in the most beautiful and profoundly touching ways. It’s incredible that the Lord can take the creativity and hard work of the Faith in Kids team and our willingness to embrace the situations we’re in and use them for his glory and to proclaim the good news of his gospel to many!
Download the Easter Zoom script and backgrounds here.
A guest blog by: Tim and Susie Graham
