Every December, churches around the world step into the same sacred task: tell the greatest story ever told in a way that still feels new, fresh and full of wonder.

It’s an assignment as old as the gospel itself. Christ is here. Hope has come. Light breaks into darkness.

And yet, every year, God entrusts His Church with the same stewardship:

Don’t add to the story – but tell it well. Carry it with creativity, reverence and joy.

At VOUS, Christmas isn’t just a service to produce. It’s a tradition we uphold as the family of God – a moment where every department, every gift mix, every servant leader plays a part in pointing people to Jesus.

This year, we’re pulling back the curtain on what Christmas @ VOUS looks like from the inside. Not to showcase production, but to resource churches, encourage leaders, and remind every creative, pastor and servant leader:

You already have the greatest story in your hands. Your job is simple to carry it with excellence, warmth and wonder.

PROGRAMMING – SETTING THE TONE FOR THE STORY‍

“Start with a theme, plan with excellence, end with Jesus.” – VOUS Programming Team

When VOUS begins preparing for Christmas, programming doesn’t start with cues or timelines – it starts with identity.

“We love building a theme for the year,” the team shared. “This year it’s A Very VOUS Christmas. Themes don’t box us in, but they give direction. They remind us: this is who we are, this is how we tell the story.”

From that theme, programming zooms out to the bigger mission: Christmas is one of the most pivotal moments of the year for people to receive the gospel. Guests bring family, neighbors become curious, and hearts are naturally postured toward hope.

That’s why VOUS Programming focuses on two things:

1. Familiarity – songs people know, moments people recognize
2. Encounter – creating space where the Holy Spirit meets people
   

WHAT MAKES CHRISTMAS PROGRAMMING DIFFERENT?

In short: permission to be more theatrical.

Creative traditions. Choice moments. Storytelling. Christmas gives room for a full range of expression.

“It showcases giftings in our team we don’t always get to highlight every Sunday,” the team explains. “Church is something to be enjoyed, not endured.” ‍

PROGRAMMING TAKEAWAYS

“You don’t have to reinvent it. Bring excellence, build trust, and point people to Jesus.” – VOUS Programming Team

Sing the classics. Create a warm environment. Build a flow that leads to the gospel. Christmas doesn’t need reinvention – it just needs stewardship.

ENVIRONMENTS – TURNING A THEME INTO A PHYSICAL EXPERIENCE

“Church is home – so Christmas should feel like home, too.” – VOUS Environments Team

If programming sets the tone, environments set the stage.

It always starts with a mood board. A mood board becomes the anchor – the guardrail that protects the creative direction and ensures everything flows from the same emotional center.

Then comes feasibility:

• What space are we designing for?
• Is the location mobile or permanent?
• What can be built early, and what must be installed day-of?
  

We start planning for Christmas in July while execution starts in September to leave room to source, prep and build without rushing.

CREATING SPACES THAT FEEL LIKE HOME

There are three essentials in environments at VOUS for Christmas:

1. A Christmas tree
2. Warmth
3. A sense of Home
   

“Church is home,” the team shared. “We ask ourselves: would I put this in my house? Would this make someone feel welcomed?”

They approach Christmas holistically – not designing for first-time guests alone, but for the whole family of God.

ENVIRONMENTS TAKEAWAYS

If they could give one piece of advice, it’s this:

“Start earlier than you think and appoint a project manager.”

Christmas requires sourcing, planning, budgeting and building – it can be overwhelming without structure. Care for the team. Cast vision. Make it fun.

CRTV – CARRYING THE MESSAGE THROUGH CREATIVE EXPRESSION

“At the core of all creativity is the message – the hope of Jesus.” – VOUS CRTV Team

Christmas is one of the most visually saturated seasons in culture – lights, colors, campaigns, sales and nostalgia. But for the VOUS Creative Team, Christmas doesn’t begin with trends or aesthetics. It begins with Scripture.

Creativity isn’t a layer added to the message – it’s a lens to reveal the message.

CREATIVITY ROOTED IN PLACE

While Scripture provides spiritual direction, location can provide cultural direction. Miami – colorful, diverse, expressive – becomes part of the creative language.

“We recognize where we’ve been strategically positioned. Miami is a hub of culture and creativity. We use our city as a guiding point – What’s unique about Christmas in Miami?”

BALANCING TRADITION & INNOVATION

Every Christmas at VOUS holds the same tension creative teams everywhere feel: How do we honor tradition while still telling the story in a fresh way?

VOUS approaches this with an understanding that Christmas is not only a cultural holiday – it is a holy tradition.

“It’s not just about our biological families but our theological family of God. Tradition is the language of legacy. For some, church community is the only tradition they have.”

That belief shapes every visual decision. There is always a touch of the familiar – something timeless, something reverent – blended with VOUS’s distinct creative identity. It’s never about reinventing Christmas; it’s about reflecting it faithfully and beautifully.

THE CREATIVE CHALLENGE: CUTTING THROUGH THE NOISE

Perhaps the greatest challenge unique to the CRTV team during Christmas is the sheer amount of messaging people are bombarded with. Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Donation drives. Holiday sales. End-of-year campaigns.

“In all the noise, we can struggle to communicate the true message of Jesus,” the team shared.

For this reason, the team embraces a simple principle: Quality over quantity. Hope over hype. Clarity over clutter.

“Our Christmas communication invites our community to reflect on the reason for the season – ⅔ value, ⅓ ask.”

Instead of more noise, the team aims to create space: Space to pause, reflect and hear the story again.

“If we can give people hooks to reflect on outside the four walls of the church,” they said, “we believe the invitation to join us in person will be the natural next step.”

CRTV TAKEAWAYS

Start with the message, not the medium. Sit with Scripture first. Let the gospel speak before you design a single thing.

Remember: You’re not reinventing the story. You are stewarding it.

And sometimes the most creative thing you can do is reveal the truth with clarity, beauty and simplicity.

FILM – SHOWING THE STORY THROUGH THE LENS OF CREATIVITY

“Our goal is to help people see the Christmas story with fresh eyes.” – VOUS Film Team

For the VOUS Film Team, Christmas isn’t just another project – it’s a storytelling assignment of the highest kind. How do you show a story people have heard their entire lives in a way that feels alive, cinematic and spiritually meaningful?

This year, the team embraced a bold approach: a fully pre-recorded sermon experience. Instead of traditional live message, VOUS will present a seamless blend of:

• Live worship
• Christmas musical moments
• Pastoral storytelling
• Narrative-driven film sequences
• Even a clip from “It’s a Wonderful Life”
  

The vision is not to replace the message – but to amplify it. To help people see Christmas differently. To let the medium deepen the meaning.

“We wanted to present the gospel creatively,” Greg Burgess, VOUS Church’s Film Director, explains. “We want people to experience the Christmas story with fresh eyes – to feel the wonder of it again.”

BUILDING THE LOOK: STYLE, COLOR, ATMOSPHERE

When VOUS approaches Christmas film content, everything is intentional — from the set to the color palette to the music.

“We designed the visual environment to feel warm, inviting, and elevated,” Burgess explains.

Instead of filming on a stage, the team rented a home with distinctive character:

• Stucco walls
• Rich textures
• An auxiliary room with a bold checkerboard floor

The result is a setting that feels simultaneously Christmassy and uniquely VOUS.

The decor was minimal but thoughtful, enough to create an atmosphere without overshadowing the message.

The creative direction lands in a familiar VOUS space: Warm. Natural. Intimate. A visual translation of the heart of the season.

Music was chosen to maintain a blend of reverence, nostalgia, and hope with the goal of supporting the emotional arc without distracting from the story.

THE CHALLENGE: BEAUTY MEETS BUSYNESS

Christmas is always one of the busiest seasons in the life of a church, but for the film team, the load is layered. This year included:

• The full sermon shoot
• Church Alone short film
• Multiple Christmas specials
• Worship visuals
• All supporting content

And on top of that, the location shoot came with its own challenges. The home was stunning, but its bright windows created difficult lighting conditions requiring strategic planning to avoid overexposure.

Despite the pace and complexity, the purpose never wavered.

“Every year, our hope is the same,” the team shared, “To create content that leads people toward Jesus — and helps them experience the beauty and meaning of Christmas in a deeper way.”

FILM TAKEAWAYS

You don’t need a massive budget or a cinematic set to tell the story well. You just need clarity, creativity, and intentionality.

• Start with the message, then build the medium.
• Use what you have — a home, a room, a simple setup.
• Keep the focus on the story, not the spectacle.
• Let warmth, intimacy, and authenticity guide your creative decisions.

The goal isn’t to impress — it’s to invite people into the greatest story ever told.

THE GREATEST STORY WE GET TO TELL

Every Christmas, churches everywhere take up the same holy assignment:

At VOUS, we’ve learned that creativity is not about adding to the story of Christmas – it’s about revealing it. It’s about using every tool God has placed in our hands – programming, worship, film, design, communication, environments – to help people encounter the wonder of Emmanuel: God with us.

Across every department, one truth kept rising to the surface: Christmas is not just production – it’s discipleship. It’s the Church, coming together as a family, to create space for people to meet Jesus.

You don’t have to reinvent Christmas or outdo last year.
You just have to tell the story well.
Tell it with excellence.
Tell it with joy.
Tell it with Jesus at the center.

Our prayer is that this behind-the-scenes look encourages your team, inspires your preparation, and reminds you that Christmas is more than production — it’s tradition. It’s the family of God coming together to celebrate the Savior who came for us.

May the wonder of Jesus fill your house and your church this season.