Make your online carol service one to remember

The carol service has always been a part of the CU calendar. I know when I was a student it was by far the easiest thing to invite my unbelieving friends to, and they absolutely loved it. But, why bother this year? We can’t pack our friends into churches or even football stadiums and can’t belt our favourite carols at the top of our lungs…

Christmas is a time for hope, and it goes without saying that people are in desperate need of that right now. As CUs, we still have an unmissable opportunity to share the hope we have as a result of God coming to us in His Son.

So, now is the time to get creative. How can you achieve that warm, Christmas-y feeling that everyone loves in your carol service this year?

1 - Get technical

If you are running your service in-person, it’s a good idea to stream it online so that people who are isolating can access it. Consider which platforms are best to reach your audience! YouTube and Facebook are good for running livestream events, as they are high quality, wide reaching and easily shareable. But don’t forget Instagram is one of the most popular platforms among students. Here are some tips for how you could use it:

• Post a good quality trailer there to point people to your stream.
• Run a livestream on your Stories just before the event is due to start, where different students can join and share where they’re watching and show off their high-quality decorations.

But maybe you don’t want to livestream. Instead, could you put together a pre-recorded video with some carols and a talk that CU members can watch with their friends in their own time?

2 - Get cosy and get generous

As many students will be locked down when you’re running your event – bring the service to them! How can you encourage CU members to initiate a generous ‘Christmas spirit’ where they live, as they watch the service together?

• You could run a competition for the most high-quality or creative Christmas decorations in flats on your CU social media.
• A favourite part of Christmas is the food… could your CU give its members some money towards making their friends a Christmas dinner?
• You could even put together packs, including mince pies, hot chocolate sachets and QR codes that link to wherever your event is online and information about your CU, and then deliver them to whoever wants one.

3 - Get the word out

Social media is going to be even more key in your publicity this year, especially if you can’t hand out flyers.

• Competitions are a great way to engage people: create a hashtag that is short and catchy that people can use to submit their entries and build the hype.
• Teaser-trailer style videos are always good when done well, make a video sharing a snippet of what to expect and set the scene for what your event will be like.
• If you can use physical publicity: stick big, eye-catching posters wherever you can that grab people’s attention. Again, use QR codes on these that people can scan to find where your event is.

4 - Get people connected

Make sure you make it easy for people to connect with the CU after your event. Where do they go to sign up for your follow-up course, or get in contact with a CU member? Signpost clearly and make contact easily accessible.

We will be praying that many are able to hear the gospel and respond to the hope on offer in Jesus through CU carol services this year!

This blog was written by Alyssa Carey, Staff Worker in Reading.

Keep an eye out on the UCCF website and Instagram for more ideas of how to reach your friends with the gospel this Christmas.