Well, you're doing physical & digital Christmas services. How in the world are you going to make that happen? Here's 10 creative ideas to help you get started.
- Physical Watch Party: Encourage people to create Watch Party Experiences during their holiday traditions. Average person already has massive plans for the holidays with friends and family. Create an experience for home screens, and whether watched Christmas Eve/Christmas Day watch the experience with family/friends. Challenge people to incorporate these plans into what they're already doing.
- Digital Watch Party: Encourage physical attenders as they're leaving the service to connect with their circle of influence and watch/share a digital experience. As people leave your physical experience, give them a postcard with a QR code that they can scan and see digital experience. Challenge them to watch either physically or digitally with someone.
- Tangible Objects: Tie the service into tangible objects in the house. A Coffee Mug, an Ornament, a hook, the Nativity Scene. Ground the digital service in a physical experience. Give people some sort of multisensory takeaway that will remind them of the service.
- Christmas in a Box: Create a Physical/Subscription Box with items that relate to the Christmas Service. Phygital element tying into message. Box of hot chocolate. Fruit cake. Postcard with QR code linked to a youtube Christmas music playlist, etc. KidsMin materials. Make it fun, give people a piece of church bling. Oh, and bonus points if you make it messy and stuff the box with confetti.
- http://kahoot.com: looking to bring some levity or lightheartedness into an opener? Check out Kahoot. Awesome game-show feel, uniting physical & digital audiences.
- #uglychristmassweater: Have a Physical & Digital Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest on Social Media. Winner gets a digital gift card to Amazon. Show results pre-service, or incorporate into services.
- Adult Coloring: Wrap message around a certain imagery. Turn that imagery into a page from a coloring book. Encourage adults to color it. (Don't laugh, I've seen it work effectively).
- Online Polls: Create some polls where people can vote online, and results are shown physically/digitally. Rank the Top 5 Christmas Movies. Share results in Physical/Digital services, and on social media.
- Chat Open on Christmas Day: Christmas is an emotionally hard time for many. Create a list of volunteers or staff who will babysit a Facebook Messenger account/Google Voice (texting)/Intercom.com account. Communicate this resource is available for those who need some extra care during the holidays. Heavily effective for Christmas.
- Christmas Message: have your pastor preach the last point of the message online only, like in a clip on YouTube. "If you want to see the last point of the message, you're going to have to go to youtube.com/yourchurch... and while you're there, subscribe.
Remember, this is just the start of the conversation. Have a great time planning your phygital Christmas!