Download the 20 Follow-up messages to share with your Christmas visitors
Tools & resources to make disciples in a digital age, straight to your inbox.
Fill out the form below to schedule a demo or call our sales team at
469-564-3922
The Christmas season is one of the busiest times of the year at church. With so many new people filling out connection cards, the post-holiday season offers a prime opportunity to connect with those who are considering calling your church home!
Does your church have an effective plan in place to communicate with new visitors after the holidays?
Without a follow-through plan, church leaders are left scrambling to connect with new visitors—or worse, visitors are forgotten. In short, your Christmas momentum is lost forever.
To help you get started with your post-holiday communications, we’ve created 20 follow-up messages to share with your new visitors—including an email welcome series, text messages, push notifications, and social media templates. Edit each template to match your church’s style and tone!
With the right messaging, your visitors learn more about your church and the next steps to get plugged into your community.
It’s important to think about your visitors’ perspective, including questions they may have and how they can be welcomed into your church.
Think through the following:
Church emails are one of the most effective ways to reach your congregation and community. Consider using your email welcome series to connect your visitors with:
When crafted with intention, an email welcome series can help turn first-time visits into lasting relationships and guide people toward meaningful next steps in the life of your church. Most importantly, they help answer the simple question, “What do my visitors need to know next?”
Here are five post-holiday follow-up email templates to help you get started with your email welcome series!
1. Subject Line: “Thank you for celebrating Christmas at [Church Name]!”
Timing: After Christmas
Purpose: General welcome & connection
Dear [First Name],
Thank you so much for celebrating Christmas at [Church Name]! It was an honor to have you with us. Our prayer is that [Church Name] becomes a place where you’ll grow closer to God and build relationships with others people along your faith journey.
You might be wondering, what’s next?
Hope to see you next Sunday at [Service Time]! If you can’t attend in person, you can always watch our online services here [Insert link].
We are so excited you are here and want to welcome you to our church. God has a special plan for your life, and our mission is to help you grow into who God’s called you to be.
It’s going to be an exciting new year!
Blessings,
[Pastor Name]
2. Subject Line: “Happy 2026, [First Name]! 🎉”
Timing: One week after email #1
Purpose: Share church mission & invite for coffee
Dear [First Name],
Happy New Year!
Can you believe it’s already 2026?! We are so excited for what God has in store for [Church Name] this year!
To help you get to know us, we’d love to share a little bit about our church’s history and mission.
At [Church Name], our mission is to [Insert mission]. [Church Name] was founded by [Names] in [Date] with the purpose of [Brief description of church history].
That mission continues to this day, as we connect with our community and continue to help others through missions, outreach, and giving initiatives.
Now, we’d like to get to know YOU! 😀 ☕
We’d love to share a cup of coffee with you and hear your story, your prayer requests, and where you’re at in your faith walk. Please click the link below to schedule a time of meaningful conversation with [Staff Member & Role]—we can’t wait to connect with you!
[BUTTON: Click here to schedule a coffee meet & greet!]
We hope and pray your spirit was blessed this holiday season with the greatest hope available—the Good News of the Gospel. Regardless of your circumstances, struggles, and trials, you can turn 2026 over to God and encounter the living Savior. As a church family, we’re doing things differently—this is HIS year!
Won’t you join us?
Blessings,
[Pastor Name]
3. Subject Line: “Faith, Friends, and Family”
Timing: One week after email #2
Purpose: Share church calendar & ways to connect
Dear [First Name],
There’s so much going on at [Church Name] this January and February!
On our upcoming church schedule, we have exciting opportunities for you to get involved, including:
Check out the full church calendar online [Insert link] or on our church app [Insert link].
In the meantime, we’d love to connect with you on a few important topics for the year ahead:
Being a part of a church family can be one of the most rewarding experiences in life. God designed us to live in community together as one Body of Christ, and your role, heart, and giftings matter (1 Corinthians 12:12-31).
Stay on the lookout for an upcoming email about all the ways you can make an impact at [Church Name].
See you Sunday!
Blessings,
[Pastor Name]
4. Subject Line: “Create lifelong friendships at [Church Name]”
Timing: One week after email #3
Purpose: Share small group info & encourage visitors to join
Dear [First Name],
There’s no better way to create lifelong friendships at [Church Name] than by joining one of our many small groups. From men’s groups to mom’s groups, from student ministries to Bible studies, you have a place here at [Church Name].
[Photo Collage from Small Group Gatherings]
To help you build connections beyond Sunday, explore our current groups online [Link to Groups Page]. There, you'll find descriptions and meeting times to help you find the right group for you!
We all need other members of the Body of Christ to stay encouraged. We’d love for you to experience meaningful community and grow alongside others who are walking a similar faith journey. If you have any questions or need help choosing a group, we’re here for you.
See you Sunday!
Blessings,
[Pastor Name]
5. Subject Line: “Your Next Step at [Church Name]”
Timing: One week after email #4
Purpose: Share about next steps & membership
Dear [First Name],
We’re so glad you’ve been spending time with us at [Church Name]. Whether you’ve joined us once or have been coming back on Sundays, we want you to know this: you matter to God, and you matter here.
As you continue to explore what church life looks like in 2026, you might be wondering what’s next—or where you fit in. That’s a good and holy question. Following Jesus was never meant to be a solo journey as God invites us to grow in faith, love, and purpose together.
That’s why we offer our Next Steps class [Link], where you can learn about membership at [Church Name].
At our Next Steps class, you’ll experience a welcoming space that includes:
There’s no pressure and no expectations—just a chance to listen, ask questions, and take one step at a time as God leads.
We believe God brings people into our lives and into church families on purpose: “So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others” (Romans 12:5). We’d be honored to help you take your next step as the Lord leads.
Blessings,
[Pastor Name]
As you can see, there are so many ways you can utilize an email welcome series to invite new visitors into the life of your church! You could switch these up and choose to share information about baptism, discipleship tracks, outreach, and missions, and more. Whatever is most important for your church–it’s up to you!
Along with your welcome email series, text messages are a great way to follow up with visitors. To connect with your Christmas visitors in the new year, reach out to:
For those who prefer to communicate through text messages, sending out short communications is a powerful and practical way to reach your new visitors after the busy holiday season. Most text messages are read within seconds or minutes.
These free text templates are a great foundation and can inspire you to reach out to your visitors with intentionality and care. Ultimately, your visitors can get connected with the right information they need to get involved at your church.
SMS Template #1 – Thank You for Visiting
🎄Thank you for celebrating Christmas at [Church Name]! We were so grateful to have you with us. We pray your heart was encouraged this holiday season and invite you to learn more about [Church Name]. [Link to Landing Page]
SMS Template #2 – Join Us This Sunday!
Hey, friend! Join us THIS Sunday at [Church Name] at [Service Times]. To kickstart the new year, [Pastor’s Name] is talking about [sermon series topic]. We can’t wait to see you there! [Link to Livestream]
SMS Template #3 – Join the Livestream
🎄Hi [First Name]! The next [Church Name] service starts at [insert time]. If you can’t make it in person, we would be honored to have you join the livestream! Click here: [Link to Livestream]
SMS Template #4 – Schedule a Coffee Date
☕ Hi [First Name], we would love to meet you in person! If you are interested, click the link below to schedule a casual coffee hang with one of our church staff. Our treat! ✨ [Link]
SMS Template #5 – Learn About Upcoming Events
Hi [First Name]! Do you know about all of the upcoming events at [Church Name]? There are so many ways to connect in community, and we would love to have you join us. See the church calendar here for upcoming events, small groups, next steps classes, and more! 🙌 [Link]
Push notifications deliver brief messages straight to your community’s phones, allowing you to communicate instantly. They’re especially effective for communicating real-time updates, encouragement, live streaming, and important reminders. Since people choose whether to receive push notifications, each message should be timely, relevant, and worth their attention.
To help you get started, here are a few ways to use push notifications to engage your congregation after the holiday season. You can copy, customize, and schedule these messages directly in your Subsplash Dashboard to keep your community informed and encouraged all month long.
1. See you Sunday at [Church Name]!
This Sunday, [Pastor Name] is speaking on [Info about upcoming sermon series]. See you at [Time]
2. Join the [Church Name] Livestream
Can’t make it in person? No problem! The next Sunday service starts at [Time]. See you there!
3. God cares about you this New Year’s
The Bible says God makes all things new! Check out our New Year’s sermon series on [Info] this Sunday. We love you!
4. Schedule a Coffee Date ☕
Are you available over the next few weeks? We would love to meet you! Let’s schedule a coffee hang, our treat!
5. Find your place at [Church Name]
You belong here at [Church Name]. Find out how you can join a small group and encounter people waiting to meet you, walk with you, and love you.
Do you see how powerful and effective these can be? Just by sending out push notifications, your church can use micro moments that add up and make a rich impression, creating a friendly and welcome environment, and helping your visitors know how to get connected and involved. Each push notification can help your visitors know what’s the next best step to take and how they can find a church home with you.
Social media is a great place to re-engage with your first-time visitors after a holiday visit. Whether someone follows your church after Christmas, sees a post shared by a friend, or stumbles across your content while scrolling in January, your social platforms create ongoing touchpoints beyond Sunday morning.
Reinforce belonging, remind visitors they’re invited back, and gently guide them toward meaningful next steps. Most importantly, your social media posts need to feel genuine, authentic, heartwarming, and informative!
For your social media schedule after the holidays, consider posting:
The best question to answer is, "What do new visitors need to know right now?" The templates below are designed to thank your visitors for their Christmas visit, invite them back to church, offer encouragement, and share pertinent information. It’s important to extend the warmth of your Christmas services into the new year and remind visitors that there’s a place for them at your church!
1. Welcome & Gratitude
🎄 Thank you for celebrating Christmas with us! 🎄
Whether it was your first visit or one of many, we’re so grateful you spent part of the holiday season at [Church Name]. Our prayer is that you felt welcomed, encouraged, and reminded of God’s love for you.
If you’re looking for a church home—or just a place to explore faith and community—you’re always welcome here. We’d love to see you again this Sunday!
⏰ Service Times: [Times]
🔗 Learn more: [Link]
2. New Year, New Beginnings
A new year is here, and we believe God is at work and has a great plan. 🙏 ✨
If you joined us over Christmas, we’d love to invite you back as we step into 2026 together at [Church Name].
No matter where you’re at in your faith journey, this is a safe place to ask questions, grow spiritually, and walk alongside others who are seeking Jesus.
📖 Join us this Sunday as we begin our new series on [Topic]
⏰ Service Times: [Times]
🔗 Learn more: [Link]
3. Community & Small Groups
Church goes beyond Sunday—it’s about community & discipleship all week long! 🤍
One of the best ways to feel at home at [Church Name] is by joining a small group. From Bible studies to life groups for men, women, students, and families, there’s a place for you here.
God created us to grow in faith together—and you don’t have to do it alone.
🔗 Find a group that fits you: [Link]
👋 We’d love to help you get connected!
4. Belonging & Identity
If you’ve been wondering, “Do I belong here?”—the answer is yes! At [Church Name], we believe every person is created on purpose, for a purpose. You matter to God, and you matter here.
“So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” —Romans 12:5
We’d be honored to walk with you as you take your next step in faith.
🤍 Join us this Sunday: [Service Times]
Discover all the ways you can make lasting friendships, grow in your faith, and get involved! [Link]
5. Next Steps & Membership
Following Jesus is a journey, and it’s one we were never meant to walk by ourselves. 💛
At [Church Name], our Next Steps class is a simple, welcoming space to learn more about our church, meet our pastors, and prayerfully explore where God may be leading you!
Whether you’re new to faith, new to our church, or just looking for clarity, you’re invited!
Comment NEXT or click the link in our bio to learn more about our upcoming Next Steps class on [Date].
Christmas may be a single season on the calendar, but how your church follows up can impact far beyond the holidays.
With thoughtful, consistent communication, your holiday visitors feel seen, valued, and invited into something meaningful. Whether through emails, texts, push notifications, or social media, each message is an opportunity to extend the love of Christ and offer a clear next step toward community and growth.
As you plan your post-holiday follow-up messages, remember this: it’s not about saying everything at once—it’s about faithfully walking with people one step at a time as God builds His Church.
© 2026 Subsplash
