Advent & Christmas eResources Room at the Inn Pastoral Planning Kit to Prepare for Christmas Visitors

On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, your parish is likely visited by many unfamiliar faces.  Here is a great opportunity for you to make an impression on these occasional visitors: to make them feel welcome and make a case for why the Catholic faith and your parish matter in their lives.  Don't miss your chance!

This very practical guide includes:

• suggestions on how to form a "Room at the Inn" team and structure meetings
• single-page handouts on key approaches with specific ideas for implementation, designed for easy group discussion
• a calendar listing suggested action steps by when they should occur
• links to two of our free resources that can be used as gifts for your attendees

The guide (briefly) covers the following topics:

• Putting on their Shoes - Look at your parish from the perspective of a visitor
• All Hands on Deck - Hospitality requires everyone from the pastor to those sitting in the back pews to be intentional: here's where to start
• Check Your Attitude - Subtle judgmental attitudes can undermine your attempts to be welcoming: here's how to get on the same page
• First Contact - Visitors' first experience will be through your website or phone line: don't lose them before they set foot on your grounds
• Make the Invitation - Personal and impersonal invitations can make a big difference: make sure visitors know you want them to come
• Entering Bethlehem - Make sure your visitors get into your pews feeling welcomed, not grumpy
• At the Service - Engage your visitors during the service and lay a foundation for future contact
• The Message - The homily is one of the largest factors determining whether visitors will return: here's what to say (and not say)
• Send a Gift Home - Give visitors something to remember you by and enrich their faith
• Next Steps - Learn from your efforts and follow up with your visitors

Make a difference to visitors this Christmas, and use this as a launching point to become a more welcoming community throughout the year.

Paul & Ann married in 2004, when they committed to a common rule of life. They live in Alameda, California with their daughters Madeleine (10) & Rachel (7), and five chickens.  Their family operates their mini-urban farm, loves to bike around town, and find creative ways to build community in their neighborhood. They do their best to navigate parenthood based on Gospel values. 

Cover photo by Doremo, Creative Commons Share-Alike 3.0.