{ Christmas Gatherings Manual

Become a Speaker

Aim

To relate to the guests at a Christmas Gathering and present a well-prepared, Christmas message that clearly includes the gospel.

Prayer

Ask God’s guidance over every detail of your preparation to speak. Enjoy the growth experience of trusting Him and being His instrument. You will find the Spiritual Preparation section helpful (see Spiritual Preparation page).
 

The Christmas Gathering Talk


 
As you prayerfully prepare your 10-15 minute talk, remember the focus is on the guests who will be attending. Their hearts have been prepared by much prayer and by the invitation’s statement about your inspiring message. God has sovereignly arranged for both their attendance and your presence there as a speaker. He will use you to touch lives with the love of Jesus Christ. We encourage you to use the Christmas Gathering talk verbatim, personalizing where necessary (see The CG Talk page).
Your talk should include the following:

  1. A. An introduction:
  2. B. A clear Gospel message with a Christmas theme:

What is the gospel? I Cor. 15:1-4 describes the Gospel that saves us as, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day.”
The Gospel presentation should be Christmas-oriented, low-key, and non-threatening. It contains the following essential components for an authentic Christmas Gathering:

  1. God’s Love
  2. Man’s sin and separation from God
  3. God’s provision, Jesus Christ—His death and resurrection
  4. Our response to Jesus Christ

C. A prayer to receive Christ:
You may be wondering how does someone begin a relationship with Jesus Christ. We begin by simply telling God the desire of our hearts and the way we talk to God is by praying. In a moment, I will say a simple prayer similar to what I prayed when I received Christ. Would you please listen carefully to the words of my prayer? If they express what you would like to say to God today, I invite you to pray silently along with me. Could we all bow our heads?
“Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me so much that you sent your Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross for my sin. I open the door of my life and invite Jesus to come and live in me. Make me the kind of person that You want me to be. Amen.”
Why include a prayer?

  1. We are modeling conversational prayer.
  2. We do not want anyone to miss the opportunity to begin a relationship with Christ.
  3. Even though guests may not make this choice now, they will know how to receive Christ when they are ready.

D. Presentation of Comment Cards:
Comment cards are essential for the host to know the responses of the guests and to know how to follow up the Gathering. Following the prayer, take out cards and pens (usually in a basket) and explain their purpose.
I want to thank {Host} for inviting me here today, and I want to thank you for listening to what I have shared. Now I want to give all of us the opportunity to communicate and reflect on our time together. I have some cards and pencils which I will pass around, and this is what I would like us to do with these cards. You might like to take a moment and share with {Host} how you felt about being here today and spending time together. I would welcome your honest comments about what I had have shared.
{Host} is considering staring a basic 4-6 week Bible study (discussion group) in January. If you have never been in a study before, this would be a great opportunity to learn more about God. Please write the words “Bible Study” on your card and include your name and phone number if you would like more information. Finally, if you listened to my prayer and prayed silently with me, would you indicate that on your card by putting an X or the words “I prayed with you.” Thank you for taking the time to communicate with us. When you are finished, please put your card in this basket on the table.
You may need to repeat some of the information while they are writing on their cards.
Be comfortable allowing time for silence and writing.

Your Preparation with the Host

A. Be sure you have the name, address, and phone number of the host.
B. Call the host to get clear directions to the home and reconfirm time and date of Gathering.
C. If possible, visit in the home of your host and pray together for your Gathering.
D. Ask questions about the guests:

  1. Approximate age
  2. How they might dress
  3. Special prayer requests
  4. Any uniqueness about group or type of party or particular guests

E. Ask host about willingness to offer a Bible study and choose appropriate closing for the talk.

Your Preparation for the Party

A. Bring plain 3×5 or 4×6 note cards (may be decorated with a Christmas sticker) and pens in a small basket or container.
B. Bring an inexpensive gift such as an ornament or candy, wrapped or in a gift bag.
C. Arrive 30 minutes in advance to pray with the host and help with last minute preparations
D. Discuss with the host where you will sit to give your presentation and where the host will sit. With an average-sized group, you will sit as you give your talk.
E. As guests arrive, try to connect with as many as possible. Enjoy them! Your love for them may speak louder than your message. Try to remember and use their names.
F. As you share your talk, let your love for Jesus Christ be seen. Smile! Don’t lecture, but share lovingly from your heart. If you are nervous, tell your audience, “I’ve never done anything like this before, but I am very excited about what I have to share with you…”
G. After the guests have left, read the comment cards with the host to help determine what type of follow-up is needed and pray together. Please leave the comment cards with the host. Follow-up suggestions are on the Follow-up page and the Resources page.

Timetable

Party should be two hours in length.
Sample schedule for an evening gathering:

  1. 7:00-7:30 Arrival, conversation and refreshments
  2. 7:30-8:00 Sharing of traditions
  3. 8:00-8:30 Speaker and comment cards
  4. 8:30-9:00 More refreshments and conversation

Note: Remember the length of your talk is 10 to 15 minutes. The additional time allowed is for comment cards.

Points to Remember

1. Although you will use the talk verbatim, there are two places where you will personalize:

  • The introduction and tradition.
  • Your brief testimony.
  • Use words a non-Christian can understand.
  • Avoid Christians clichés.

2. To underscore the gospel, a few well-selected Bible verses have been used, in the talk.
3. Do not mention names of denominations, church groups, Christian celebrities, or organizations. Keep the focus on Jesus Christ.
4. Be sensitive to your listeners’ perspective. Ask yourself, “Will this be clearly understood? Is this controversial? Does this need to be included?”
5. Allow yourself plenty of time to prepare your talk. Your prayerful preparation is essential for the comfort level of all involved.
6. Get started on your talk as soon as possible so that you can polish, practice, and gain confidence in giving it. You may wish to practice with someone.
7. Feel free to use note cards as you deliver your message. Some have used transition statements as prompts. Others feel more comfortable putting the complete talk on cards.
8. Following the Gathering, prayerfully read follow-up (page 26) to determine the next steps God would have you take to help and encourage your host in follow-up.
9. If you are part of coordinated effort in your church:

  • Notify the coordinator of scheduled Gatherings for prayer calendar.
  • Turn in your personalized talk.
  • Attend Praise Gathering, Follow-Up and Bible Study Meeting.
  • Send speaker evaluation to coordinator.

 

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