Hot cocoa and Christmas tunes
Volunteers from Maize Manor United Methodist Church and its national congregation gathered outside the North Market on Monday afternoon in front of a big, cheery-red truck.
The truck was surrounded by giant candy canes, decorated in jaunty lights and playing Christmas tunes from its speakers. Nearby stood a Christmas tree.
The truck drew North Market shoppers in with free hot chocolate, a photo booth, craft station and the chance to engage with others about the traveling truck’s theme: “Unwrap the True Meaning of Christmas.”
Curious passersby approached the Christmas scene despite the drizzle to talk to people they, at first, perhaps didn’t know were evangelists spreading the message of God and a local church.
The approach, known as experiential marketing, is not unlike what companies such as American Express, Anheuser-Busch, Southern Comfort and others have been doing for the past 20 years, said Kerry Smith, founder of Event Marketer magazine, which helps those in the marketing business stay up-to-date on trends and practices.
Now, churches and other houses of worship are trying the technique. And instead of waiting for people to come to them for religious services, they’re going out to the community.
“Traditional media is becoming less effective because of clutter,” Smith said, adding that people can Jani McClenathan, a volunteer with Maize Manor United Methodist Church, decorates a Christmas card while waiting for people to pass by at North Market on Monday. The church visited North Market to share the meaning of Christmas while handing out hot chocolate.
largely decide what they see — or don’t see — through their smartphones. “One of the best ways to connect with people is face-to-face.”
The United Methodist Church, based in Nashville, Tennessee, first debuted the truck three years ago after trying to figure out a way to show that the Christmas season is about closeness, said Ryan Dunn, minister of online engagement for the national church. This year, the truck will visit 11 cities; Columbus was the second stop before it heads to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday.
“The idea is going to a place where people are kind of moving through their holiday motions and interrupt that a little bit. Get them to slow down,” Dunn said.
Geena Soliz, of the North Side, and her 4-year-old daughter, Fiona, stopped by for a free photo among the candy canes and then grabbed a cup of hot chocolate while chatting with Maize Manor member
Jane McClenathan about the church and its playground.
“It was a nice opportunity,” Soliz said of the unplanned stop after meeting friends for lunch.
Street campaigns and other events that reach out to people, such as the church’s use of the truck, are a way to enhance customers’ experiences without interrupting them like a commercial during the Super Bowl might, Smith said.
“The goal today is not to interrupt and distract people, but to enhance the experience they’re having,” he said.
Making that connection is important, Dunn said, because dread can run deep for people around the holidays and they might be feeling lonely or worn out by its fast pace.
“I was a little skeptical going into last year, but the first person I met was a man who had just moved into town,” he said of the “Unwrap Christmas” campaign. “I handed him this cup of cocoa and he started crying. He was so moved.”
Dunn said he introduced the man to local church members.
“Now, he does have somewhere to belong,” he said. “I think this is the beginning of a relationship in many cases.”
The truck and the Unwrap Christmas campaign isn’t traditional evangelism, Dunn said.
“We are seeking to share an experience with people and not talk at people,” he said.
Reynoldsburg United Methodist Church is also reaching out to the community during the holiday season. Though it won’t have a truck, church members will be at the city’s Christmas on the Towne event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, handing out hot cocoa.
Lord of Life Lutheran Church on the Northwest Side is welcoming families and others at Random Precision Brewing from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 13 for a familyfriendly event with beer, crafts and carols.
The event began as an attempt to connect church members with one another, said Suzanne Rippel, the church’s connection coordinator. But it’s grown into a way to bring the larger community together to relax, enjoy time together and help others. A dollar of each beer purchase will go to charity, she said, and attendees are encouraged to bring hats, gloves and socks for local children.
“It’s just taking a moment to stop and be together and experience that joy of the season,” Rippel said.