Follow the Star: A pop-up Christmas journey

Product Information

What about their being kings? Probably not. Matthew calls them “wise men from the East”– MAGOI in the Greek (which is where we get our term MAGI) – probably astrologers which explains why they would have noticed and then been so excited about coming across something unusual in the sky. As they would later say to Herod, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east, and have come to worship him.” Not unheard of in that day – the idea that heavenly signs marked the births and deaths of great leaders was widely accepted.(3) What they saw excited them, even enough to make them drop what they were doing and follow the star.

Lesson 2: What you believe should determine how you behave. Be willing to put feet on your faith; then get going and follow the star; For example, you can film your choir or singing group from when they first listen to the carol preview, during rehearsal (be sure keep any bloopers as they can make great content) and any public performances they might have. This type of authentic content performs really well online because it’s relatable and inviting. Christmas 2023's digital resources unwrapped: Join the Digital Labs team for this interactive session to look at the resources available for this year's Christmas campaign. Sign up to join the webinar on Wednesday 11 October.

Amazed as they are, the shepherds take up angel’s invitation and hurry to Bethlehem. And it isn’t long before the shepherds are singing, too, praising God and sharing the good news of Jesus’ birth. The first time an Advent and Christmas campaign from the Church spanned digital, print, traditional press and broadcast in terms of promotion and awareness Starting on Christmas Eve and continuing daily (Monday to Saturday) until the Epiphany (6 January), these reflections will help you make space this Christmas. On each of the 12 days, a different contributor will share something that speaks of a Christmas invitation for them, bringing the theme to life through a mixture of personal story, Bible reading, reflection and challenge. The theme of this year's Christmas campaign is Follow the Star: Join the Song. Inspired by Luke 2.20 (GNB) it highlights how singing can draw us closer to God and to each other as we journey from Advent to Epiphany and celebrate the birth of Christ. Read more on the campaign story here. Learn how to use Join the Song with under-18s: Find out how you can engage under-18s through singing our new setting of The First Nowell. Learn about the resources available for under-18s and get practical ideas for using them in schools, church or at home. Sign up to join our webinar on Wednesday 27 September.

AN AUTUMN heatwave may be spreading across the UK, but the Church of England is already preparing for the long winter nights of Advent and Christmas. I found getting involved in the campaign was fantastic. We've had a good response from the local community and have see more new people to our church in January” If you share a Christmas event link from AChurchNearYou.com, the link preview will carry a “You’re invited” link preview graphic. For each day from Christmas Eve to the Eve of Epiphany (5 January), he offers a short reading from the Bible, a reflection challenging you to see the Christmas story afresh, an invitation to wonder what this Christmas means in your own life, and a prayer to help you treasure this story in your heart.Digital promo planner, blogs and bitesize videos from Digital Labs to support churches in using the digital resources available. Lesson 3: Scripture is a wonderful resource if you want to know God’s direction for your life; get good directions, then follow the star; Working with local churches, dioceses, colleagues across Church House Westminster, Lambeth Palace and Bishopthorpe we were able to build a campaign that engaged people across England and the Diocese in Europe. A huge thanks to everyone who got involved in shaping the strategy and being so enthusiastic throughout. Our aims were to:

Centuries later, singing is still central to how millions of people celebrate the good news of Christmas. Singing and hearing carols can enable people of all ages to get in touch with the wonder and the truth of the Christmas story. Follow The Star: The Great Invitation consists of 12 reflections from a range of contributors including the Archbishops who share personal stories exploring themes of invitation. The O little town of Bethlehem Christmas carol was a major success – used by Classic FM on social and radio and played on BBC Radio 2

It could be that you’re hoping to see an increase in the attendance of children and young people at your services and events. Or perhaps that more people in your local community will engage with your Christmas content this year. Whatever your goal is, make sure you are clear on what you’d like to achieve, and then ask yourself how the Join the Song resources can help you to meet this goal. How can you use digital platforms to help you get the word out? Last Christmas, churches across the Diocese of Gloucester extended ‘The Great Invitation’ from the Church of England to Follow the Star to their local church in person once again. One of my friends in North Carolina tells of her brother’s family driving into Thomasville [NC], where their cousins and aunts and uncles were, for a Christmas season get-together. As they passed by the Episcopal church where a manger scene was in the yard, her 5-year-old nephew asked about the meaning. “That is Mary, Joseph, and the Baby Jesus, there in the manger,” Jean’s sister-in-law explained. Finally, we’d again like to thank everyone who got involved in #FollowTheStar. The insights from 2018 will be used as we start to shape the approach to Advent and Christmas 2019. In the meantime, you can find out more about our Lent Pilgrim and Easter Pilgrim campaigns. After the success of the #FollowTheStar Campaign in previous years, the Church of England is returning to this popular theme for 2022.