Christmas is a season of joy and deep spiritual meaning. It celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, who brought light into a world longing for hope and peace. It is a reminder that love came down and lives among us.

Across the Diocese of Manchester, Christmas is a time when churches, schools, and communities come together in celebration. From candlelit carol singing to nativity plays and special services, we share the news of Jesus’ birth as Emmanuel (God With Us). In the stillness of winter, we rejoice in the warmth of faith, fellowship, and the message that God’s love is for all.

National Christmas Campaign

The joy of Christmas lies in the good news proclaimed by the angel to the shepherds. Reflecting this message, the Church of England’s Advent and Christmas theme for 2025 centres on joy. At the heart of this year’s campaign are three creative and compelling publications designed to inspire and engage:

• The Grumpy Owl and the Joy of Christmas is a heart-warming retelling of the Christmas story, to help schools and churches share the joy of Christmas with children and families. Illustrated by Jago, the award-winning illustrator of The Jesus Storybook Bible, The Grumpy Owl and the Joy of Christmas tells the story of Jesus’ birth through the eyes of an owl who seems determined to miss all the excitement. Written by Jonathan Maltz and Christopher Poch, it comes as a picture book by Church House Publishing and is available to order now. A wealth of supporting digital resources for schools, churches and households are also available.
• O Come Emmanuel is a unique Advent resource exploring the symbolism behind the hymn ‘O Come Emmanuel’. It includes daily reflections by Jane Williams, Chris Russell, Esther Prior, Philip North, Muthuraj Swamy, Tanya Marlow and David Hoyle, and is made to help congregations prepare for the joy of Christmas. O Come Emmanuel is available as a full-colour book from Church House Publishing, and you can view downloadable sample pages here. The reflections will also appear on the Everyday Faith app from 1 to 24 December, accompanied by a range of online music, artwork and creative suggestions for local use. You can download an outline of these reflections, including themes and Bible verses.
• In Twelve Joys of Christmas, The Very Revd Nicholas Papadopulos, the Dean of Salisbury, explores twelve classic hallmarks of the festive season – from Christmas jumpers to the Pantomime – in search of a deeper truth about the good news of God’s love. The booklet is available to order individually, in discounted packs of 10 or packs of 50 and in large print. These printed versions – ideal for giving away at Advent and Christmas services – will be accompanied by free digital versions in the Everyday Faith app, and printed prayer cards to point visitors and worshippers to them. Sample pages of the booklet are available here.

Webinars

The national Church of England team provide webinars to help you prepare for Advent and Christmas. These are designed to help you make the most of your social media and digital giving over the festive period.

• 5 ways to thrive on digital this Advent and Christmas: This webinar explores the Advent and Christmas theme, the digital resources available, and how you can make the most of the festive season.
• 2025 Advent and Christmas Resources: This webinar explores the resources for churches that are available this Advent and Christmas. The Church of England’s Advent and Christmas theme for 2025 revolves round a single word: Joy! The national resources offered this year are designed to help all ages be drawn into the joy of the first Christmas.
• Sharing The Joy of Christmas with children, young people and families: This special webinar will give you plenty of ideas and unpack the resources available for churches, schools and individuals as part of the Church of England’s Advent and Christmas theme, The Joy of Christmas.
• Digital Giving at Christmas: This webinar dives into Digital Giving and how it can help your church, whether it’s online donations or contactless and in-person. It looks at the theme and resources for Advent and Christmas 2025 and how these can help you; templates for promoting donation QR codes, and sharing on giving devices, and how to edit these on Canva; and how you can maximise opportunities for giving over the Advent and Christmas period.
• Livestreaming and Recording Church Services at Christmas: Get advice and learn how to make the most of these opportunities while engaging your community. We look at top tools and tips for recording and livestreaming church services, as well as how to use service clips to create engaging digital content.
• Church websites at Christmas: This webinar helps you make strategic use of your church’s online home, whether it’s on AChurchNearYou.com, another website, or both. Get advice and exercises to help you optimise your website, and use AChurchNearYou.com to share church events and help people find you online.
• Social media tips for Advent and Christmas: In this webinar you can get tips to help you make the most of social media opportunities across December. Two members of the Church of England’s social media team also share ideas, inspiration and resources for what you could be sharing online.

Resources from A Church Near You

A Church Near You is also providing lots of Advent and Christmas resources, which can be found under the Resource Hub. There are Advent activities and colouring sheets for children, and resources to help boost your church’s digital giving.

Advent and Christmas provide a powerful opportunity to encourage giving in your church. To help churches make the most of this season, the Digital Giving Team has created a Give A Little campaign template and a GWD Attract Loop image that you can use to encourage giving opportunities. Find all of this and more on AChurchNearYou.com.

Find a Service

Explore our map of churches or visit your local parish website to see what’s happening near you this Advent and Christmas. You are welcome, just as you are.