Christmas in our Communities

Carols by Candlelight, Christmas Fairs, Blue Christmas, Nativity Plays, preparing gift hampers and fundraising drives…there are many ways congregations are able to connect with their wider community in the Christmas season.

As Christians across the world prepare for Advent, we’ve decided to take a look around our Uniting Church WA congregations to see some of the unique ways they are sharing the message of Christmas with their local communities this year.

Sometimes it’s Blue

Christmas is not always a time of joy and celebration for some people, especially those who have recently lost loved ones, or are feeling disconnected from family and friends at this time. Some congregations offer a special ‘Blue Christmas’ service, which are usually more reflective in nature, allowing people to take some time out of the busyness of the season for quiet prayer, reflection and remembrance.

St Augustine Uniting Church in Bunbury have been running a Christmas Memorial Service now for close to 18 years. The service is held in partnership with local funeral directors William Barrett and Sons. Rev Greg Ross prepares the service, inviting ecumenical clergy to be involved as well as others such as grief counsellors and chaplains from the community. Local church choirs and school groups will also often contribute to music for the service. In the lead up to the memorial service people are invited to send photos of loved ones to William Barrett’s who create a memorial slideshow to be played during the service.

Costs of running the service are shared between the congregation and William Barrett’s. They share in administration, hosting, hospitality and content depending on the particular skills and strengths of each group.

People attend from around the community, many who have lost loved ones and wish to pause and reflect to honour their life and their memory. After the service each family is given a thoughtful gift to take home with them. They often have between 250 – 300 in person, as well as the service being available via livestream. After 18 years in the community, this annual service has become a special tradition where everyone is welcome.

Christmas Community Fairs

Some of our congregations hold Christmas Fairs or Markets at this time of year. In 2024, Nedlands Uniting Church held a successful Christmas Fair and this year have decided to reimagine this concept for their local community with their Counting to Christmas event.

The vision is to help their community intentionally prepare their hearts and homes to celebrate the birth of Jesus. They’re planning an interactive event that brings in all aspects of their church life, with a focus on serving others through giving, sharing, and faith-focused activities, donating and making gifts, enjoying fellowship with refreshments, games, music, and discussions about church programs like playgroup and the Alpha course.

Fiona Salter, volunteer coordinator and member of Nedlands Uniting Church, said “We want to engage with the Nedlands community and beyond, and invite others to join us in this endeavour. In doing so we hope that when Christmas Day arrives, we will all genuinely experience the hope, peace, joy and love that comes through knowing Jesus Christ.”

The event has been well supported by many members of the congregation who have been making fabric Advent calendars for children, preparing craft kits, baking, preparing gardening activities, and sourcing dress ups for the ‘Nativity Selfie’ stall. There will also be stalls from the various charity organisations that Nedland Uniting Church support, as well as information about their regular services and activities.

The Christmas Fair was well attended and received by the local community last year, and they hope this year’s Counting to Christmas event will bring further opportunities for connection on the day and beyond.

Advent Calendars with a Difference

Some churches have the benefit of location, and it’s great to hear of congregations finding creative ways to utilise their visibility to connect with their community.

A simple example of this comes from St Aidan’s Uniting Church in Claremont, which is located in a busy area with a lot of foot-traffic. People often cut through their courtyard to get to the shops or nearby schools. They have placed a ‘Little Library’ in the courtyard which also draws attention from passers-by.

At this time of year, you will also find the ‘Community Advent Calendar’ displayed in the courtyard. The congregation felt that it would be a simple way to encourage people to reflect on the meaning of Christmas. This is the fourth year of this concept, and each year has been different in its approach. The first year they used an Advent kit with laminated images, the next was dioramas made from shoe boxes. This year the plan is to create 2D Christmas ornaments to string up. We look forward to seeing the creations develop as we move through the Advent season!

The Community Advent Calendar has been a positive way to engage community in conversation. Rev Elaine Ledgerwood, Minister at St Aidan’s said, “Almost every time I’m out there hanging up the next day’s addition to the Advent calendar I end up having a conversation with someone walking past. Smaller children enjoy the bright colours and Christmas decorations. People of reading age often comment on a reflection. It gets people thinking.”

Elaine feels that although it requires some regular commitment to hang up something new every day, she feels it’s well worth the effort for the opportunities it has created for community connection.

A Time to Party!

We know many workplaces and organisations hold Christmas parties at this time of year. Some of our congregations do the same in the form end-of-year windups for some of their activity groups, such as Messy Church ‘Messy Christmas’ and other themed celebrations.

Maylands Mt Lawley Uniting Church have begun hosting something a little different in the form of a Family Christmas Party which is aimed to have a wide appeal, drawing in current and past families from their ‘Music and Play’ playgroup, as well as people connected to other aspects of congregation life. The party is also promoted to residents in the local community through letterbox flyers, signage and at their regular Treasure Markets and Family Movie Nights.

The party begins with a gathering in the church with a particularly child-focused session with the singing of child-friendly Christmas songs, sharing the nativity story, and the arrival of Saint Nick (Santa) who brings gifts for the kids. A shared dinner in the hall follows, allowing people of all ages to mix and mingle. After dinner they enjoy a singalong where the talented church pianist takes requests for carols, along with some musical contributions from the singing group. Children are able to continue playing with toys and there are activities available for them to enjoy if they wish.

This year is the second time they will be offering this event, with last year bringing in families and people from all aspects of Maylands Mt Lawley church and community life. The relaxed festive atmosphere of the event allows connection and interaction across the congregation and community. Reflecting on the community response from last year, David Beards, Chair of the Maylands Mt Lawley UC Church Council said, “people appreciated a low-cost family-friendly event where they can meet others in a non-worship setting.”

The Family Christmas Party fits in with the wider mission goals of the congregation, to show welcome, offer support and enable connection. David said, “Our main goal across all these activities is to form genuine relationships and provide meaningful support by offering a variety of engaging events that appeal to different people and different stages of life.”

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We know this is just a small snapshot of the great work of our congregations as they interact and serve the communities around them during Christmas, and throughout the year. Thank you to our congregations who are sharing the message of hope, peace, joy and love during the Christmas season and beyond!

You can find information for Advent and Christmas services on our Christmas Event Calendar here – https://unitingchurchwa.org.au/christmas

Article by Wendy Hendry