Brace yourself.
If you’re a leader in a local church you know that the wave of ministry overload is about to hit you and your team, if it hasn’t already.
To survive, it is vital that you as a church 
leader provide clarity to your team as to why you are hosting 5 Christmas concerts, 14 Christmas Eve Services, 4 Christmas Day services, and a couple of Christmas banquets.
Without that clarity you can easily fall prey to the 5 Myths of Church Christmas Craziness.
MYTH #1: CHRISTMAS PROGRAMS LEAD TO AN ATTENDANCE SPIKE IN JANUARY
This rarely happens. Unchurched people from the community may, indeed, attend your Christmas concert, but rarely do they arrive en masse to weekend services in the New Year.
MYTH #2: CHRISTMAS PROGRAM TRADITIONS ARE SACRED
No, they’re not.
Don’t drop a tradition on a whim, but be very clear why you are about to present The Christmas Handbell Choir Concert for the 93rd consecutive year.
MYTH #3: IF WE DROP OUR CONCERT EVERYONE WILL GO TO THAT OTHER CHURCH’S CONCERT INSTEAD
Indeed they might.
Take a deep breath.
Get over it.
MYTH #4: CHRISTMAS CONCERTS ARE MISSIONAL
A Christmas concert can indeed lead to missional activity, but it is not in and of itself missional.
A friend of mine used to invite upwards of 20 co-workers to our church’s annual Christmas event, and afterwards would bring them all back to his home for a Christmas party where they could discuss their experience at the church.
That’s missional.
MYTH #5: A CHRISTMAS EVENT GIVES PEOPLE A TASTE OF WHAT OUR CHURCH IS LIKE
Beware the temptation to bait and switch.
Many churches present Star Wars-like production in their Christmas program, with the unspoken promise that “this is what our church is really like”. Better to convey genuine authenticity than a promise of a weekly Cirque du Soleil production.
My wish for you this Christmas is that all that you do as a church will truly impact your congregation and community in a profound way.
Just remember, that without providing crystal clarity as to why you’re doing all you’re doing, you can easily be blind-sided by Church Christmas Craziness.
What myths have you learned with respect to Christmas programs?
