The Journey: 
Walking the Road to Bethlehem

Program Overview

In this program, Adam Hamilton travels with us from Nazareth to Bethlehem in this fascinating look at the birth of Jesus Christ. Using historical information, archaeological findings, and personal reflections, Hamilton illuminates this most amazing moment in history. We follow the footsteps of Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and others, gaining insight into our own journeys with Christ.
This overview will help you think clearly about how the program can be used in your congregation and community. It contains ideas, tools, and insights that can increase ownership within your congregation and visibility beyond it.
The guide is divided into two parts: Planning the Program and Promoting the Program.

Planning the Program

Creating Ownership and Gathering Support

The program will be most effective if you attempt to create ownership among those who participate in it, especially among key leaders in your congregation. You might begin to create ownership and gather support in one of two ways.
First, write letters to a group of key leaders in the congregation. We have provided a sample for your use. [Sample Letter to Leaders and Friends]
Second, set up a meeting with your key members, staff, education, and ministry-area leaders. Introduce them to this study. Ask the members of this group for their participation and ideas. Enlist support to help this program become a churchwide event, and get any necessary approvals. At this meeting, you may also want to create a Planning Team to help you set up and coordinate the program. We have provided a script for your use at this meeting and other congregational gatherings. [Script to Introduce Program]

Tailoring the Program to Your Congregation

Your first job is to decide which parts of the program your church will use. Along with your education leaders, review the program components, which include:

•	The Journey: Walking the Road to Bethlehem, a book by Adam Hamilton
•	The Journey: A Season of Reflections, a devotional book 
•	The Journey: DVD with Leader Guide, with five sessions filmed in the Holy Land, plus a 64-page leader guide

Developing New Small Groups

Since you are inviting new persons to worship, it may be helpful to form one or more new small groups in which they can participate in the program. New visitors often feel most comfortable in new, rather than existing, study groups or classes. To accommodate existing members, new members, and visitors, recruit adult leaders to facilitate new small groups that may be organized for the event. Be sure to offer a variety of meeting times—on Sunday mornings and during the week—to accommodate the busy schedules of members and visitors from the community. We have provided some suggestions for how to do this. [Small-Group Development] To help with preparation, key Scripture references for each session are provided. [Scripture References]

Creating a Calendar

You’ll find it helpful to create a calendar or timeline with event dates and deadlines so the project can create a sense of momentum. First, decide on dates for the events in the program; then work backward to tasks that require lead time, such as sending out postcards and organizing media coverage. We’ve provided a sample calendar for your use. [Calendar] Distribute the calendar widely among key leaders and staff, and check off tasks that have been accomplished. 

Promoting the Program

Designing a Promotion Plan

Be clear about what you are communicating within the church and beyond it, and put this in the form of a promotion plan. In order to develop your plan effectively, you may want to seek the help of someone with a marketing or communications background. We’ve provided a sample promotion plan for your use. [Promotion Plan] 

Using the Logo

A logo gives any project or program a visual identity. That logo should be consistently employed throughout the program, from beginning to end. We have provided a sample logo for your use in promoting the program. [Logo]

Creating Banners, Postcards, Posters, and Flyers

Banners that are prominently displayed get people’s attention. Banners can be placed outside the church building, attracting the attention of those in your community. We have provided a banner for your use. [Banner] 
Postcards are helpful in spreading the word to individuals. Postcards can be mailed, handed out by friends invitationally, or placed in pews. We have provided copy for a sample postcard. [Postcard Copy]
You may also wish to develop a poster or flyer. Posters and flyers can be printed locally or photocopied and can also serve as a visual image for your worship bulletin. We have provided a sample of each. [Poster] [Flyer]
In all your print materials, the importance of the logo cannot be overestimated. You are seeking to capture the attention of people who are busy and who are often bombarded with information. Do your best work, and seek excellence in your printed and visual materials!

Communicating With the Congregation

Be consistent and clear in communicating with the congregation. The following will be helpful:

•	Seek initial guidance from leaders and friends.
•	Announce the program in newsletters. We have provided a sample announcement for your use. [Article for Church Newsletter]
•	Include follow-up reminders in the newsletter.
•	Mail or distribute the postcards, circulate the flyers, and make the banners prominent.
•	Place as much material related to the program as possible on your church’s website. 
•	Continue to talk about the program as it progresses, in leadership meetings and through announcements at fellowship events.

Communicating With Your Community

Communication beyond your congregation is essential. You are seeking to reach persons who will benefit from this series, and you are reaching out to those who do not have a church home. Some methods of communication are expensive, while others cost nothing. Learn about your community, and seek to discover creative ways of getting the word out. The following methods can be quite helpful:

•	Send a press release to local newspapers. We have provided samples for your use. [Press Release 1] [Press Release 2]
•	Place advertising copy in local newspapers. We have provided samples. [Advertising copy]
•	Send public service announcements to local media outlets. A public service announcement, or PSA, is a free “ad” that broadcast outlets are obligated to use. Keep in mind, however, that media outlets receive numerous requests and cannot run them all. We have provided PSA copy for your use. [Public Service Announcement Copy]
•	Encourage members and key leaders to invite friends, neighbors, and relatives to participate in the program.
•	Send out materials to the media so that they can be used in a timely manner. For some periodicals, this lead time will be two weeks, for others a month, and for others three months or longer. Note deadlines on your calendar.

Prayer and Next Steps

What might be the next steps following this program: a book club that can move to greater depth of discussion? a continuing small group that focuses on other resources about Jesus? a church trip to the Holy Land?
May God be with you throughout your experience of this program and in all that follows.