North Carolina Church Commemorates Christmas With Baptism Trees

One year, Elevation Church in Charlotte, N.C., featured trees decorated with ornament tags that represented every baptism at the church since its inception—nearly 2,000 in all.

“People were very amazed when they understood what each ornament on the tree represented,” Connections Pastor Larry Brey says. “They were an overwhelming testimony of changed lives.”

Elevation’s “Baptism Trees” coincided with the church’s capital campaign for new facilities. During its annual leadership weekend, Elevation featured the trees on stage, and leaders received a gift box with a pledge card inside. The trees stood as a reminder for what their money would ultimately go to: changes lives.

Your church may use such trees similarly or simply to celebrate what God is doing through your church.

Find more Christmas outreach ideas »

Find more winter outreach ideas »

Outreach Magazine
Outreach Magazinehttp://outreachmagazine.com

Outreach magazine publishes ideas, innovations, resources and stories to help church leaders reach their communities and change the world. Founded in January 2003 by church communications company Outreach Inc., Outreach is an award-winning, bimonthly periodical for church leadership and is available by subscription and on Amazon.com. Find out more at outreachmagazine.com

Expect to Be Different

Avoiding interaction with the world will ensure not only that the world dies but that your church will too. This is the way salt works: it is either used proactively or it becomes destructive to the one who has it.

The Strengths of Smaller Healthy Churches

Small churches can create a family environment for disconnected people if they lean into the built-in intimacy they already have.

Dave Ferguson: Multiplying Leaders

Every leader needs to have an apprentice. Even the lead pastor, as you're thinking about what's next, you need to have an apprentice so you can put that person in that role and you can commission them to go.