Online Christmas Event Ideas for the Advent Season

The holidays can be a busy (and sometimes overwhelming!) time for churches and faith communities. Altar Live hopes to come alongside you during this season to bring stress-free digital tools and resources to make the holidays the wonderful and joy-filled time they’re intended to be.

Ideas for Advent Season Events + Worship Services

List of Online Event Ideas for Advent Season

• Christmas Movie Night with Discussion Afterwards
• Christmas Party for Staff and Members
• Four Sundays of Advent Evening Service
• Hot Chocolate Children’s Story Time
• Christmas Breakfast 
• Christmas Pageant 
• Christmas Eve Service
• Christmas Wrapping Party 
• Christmas Craft Day for Ornaments or Christmas Cards
• Operation Christmas Child Box Assembling Event 

Advent Prayer and Contemplation

Advent is a time of waiting and contemplation. In this season, invite your community to meet at Tables regularly for time of reflection, prayer, and encouragement.

Advent Devotionals and Discussion

Reading an advent devotional as a community can help prompt your community to prepare their hearts as they reflect on the holiday season. After the reading of the devotional, meet at Tables, Rows or Rooms to discuss and pray together.

Poll Palooza

Send out a poll and create Tables named after the answers. Once people vote, have them move to the Table and watch the discussion unfold!

Candlelit Service

The candlelit service doesn’t just have to occur in person. For this event, ask each Row to turn their cameras on and lights off and have a candle burning during the service.

‍

Flexible Christmas Event Ideas for Big Events or Small Groups

Secret Santa

Secret Santa doesn’t always have to be about finding the perfect material gift! Have your community bless each other by  building one another up with encouragement. Within each Row assign each person to someone to pray for or send a note of encouragement.

Christmas Party

Gather with your team, friends, and family in Rooms and celebrate the season. Rooms fit up to 500 people and have video and audio share for party music, videos, slideshows and more!

Christmas Trivia

Use Video & Audio share in Rooms to stump your attendees by playing Christmas music from your Spotify account or play short clips from classic Christmas movies for an awesome trivia night!

Christmas Decoration Contest

Within a meeting room, challenge each attendee to transform their space beforehand so when cameras are on, attendees are greeted with a winter wonderland, Santa’s workshop, or a Christmas tree farm! Each attendee can take turns introducing and welcoming you into their special holiday space. (No virtual or store bought backgrounds allowed!)

Christmas Readers Theatre

Pick a classic Christmas story and assign people sections to read or characters to play for an entertaining and interactive event. You can even adapt stories into a short script or write your own Christmas adventure!

Christmas Game Night

Whether it’s 5 or 500 attendees, Christmas games never fail to bring on the holiday competition! Bring out the Christmas themed bingo or face off with other fun virtual party games!

‍

Christmas Events for the Family

Hot Cocoa Social – For Kids & Adults!

Brew some cocoa, get in your favorite jammies and mingle from Table to Table for a time of cozy conversation. Prepare topics for each Table to get some lively conversation going! Close out the event with a devotional in the Event space or in a Room.

Christmas Card Making

Break out the scissors, glue, paper and glitter... it’s time to get creative! Everyone appreciates receiving some holiday greetings, and there’s no better time to share the joy of crafting than in community together. This fun activity is easy and accessible for anyone to do with whatever materials they may have at home!

Christmas Cookie Decorating

Gather with friends and family at Tables for a night of cookie-decorating fun! Send out recipes beforehand if needed but have everyone prepare their own cookies and frosting... share some holiday audio... and let the sweet fellowship time begin!

Christmas Story Hour

If you want a more interactive experience, try having a Christmas Story hour in Rooms! Perfect for families and the children-at-hearts. Pose discussion questions and save time for journaling and reflection.

• Perfect Read Aloud Books:
• The Nativity Story- Luke 2:1-20
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
• The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
• The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

‍

Just because your family members or friends can’t be in person, doesn’t mean you can’t experience a worship service or Christmas play together - in real time! Altar Live offers a way for grandparents, aunts and uncles, and friends to sit together and see and hear each other over video conference while watching their cousins perform a play or hear their daughter sing in the choir. It might even be an opportunity to invite someone to your church for the first time!