Date: 16 December 2021
Towards the end of last month the national Church of England team launched their Christmas campaign theme for 2021, ‘At the heart of Christmas’. The theme hopes to draw families, friends and communities together to focus on the birth of Jesus over 2,000 years ago and significance that had, and still has, for all.
This year’s campaign is bigger and more interactive than ever before. As well as resources for churches to use and pass on to others over their Advent and Christmas events, there are also:
- Daily Advent reflections via the At the heart of Christmas app (available on Apple and Android devices)
- An online family activities Advent calendar
- Daily Christmas reflections (24 Dec – 6 Jan) via email – sign up via the At the heart of Christmas webpage.
- Reflections via Amazon and Google smart speakers
- Online Advent and Christmas services
- Plus, even a Christmas single – there’s still time to get it to Christmas number 1!
Churches across the diocese are making use of the resources and finding amazing creative ways to spread the message of the heart of Christmas. Busbridge & Hambledon Church in Godalming have created a wonderful large wicker heart which is now hanging, wrapped in fairy lights, and shining outside the front of their church building (see image below).
They have even got their local school, Busbridge Junior School, involved along with their Kids’ Church by helping create some colourful hearts to hang inside the church (see image below).
Revd Simon Taylor, Rector of Busbridge & Hambledon Church, says:
“We’ve worked with a creative group of local people, our fantastic church school and with church members to create a message of Christ is the heart of Christmas. The children designed Christmas hearts and we’ve used these to talk about important Christmas themes of love, family, gathering, gifts, brussel sprouts (!) and, ultimately, that God’s heart for us is this Christmas – to know Him and His comfort. We’ve been surprised at the community engagement and at one point there were 25 people in the church after school all seeking their heart that they had made so they could show their families. We’ve been told that the wicker heart has brought comfort to people as if it is a giant heart over the community – which is a great comment on why Christ came that first Christmas.”
We would love to hear and see more of what you get up to this Advent and Christmas period, and especially what creative ideas you are using that others can be inspired by!
