It's easy to get overly busy around Christmas and miss lots of easy opportunities for the gospel. Here are 7 top tips to get you started.

1. Free Publicity for your Carol Service
Okay, we all know that the Carol Service is far and away the most seeker-friendly Christian service of the year. It's a given that you'll be inviting friends, neighbours and colleagues and, more importantly, encouraging everyone else you influence to do the same.

But did you know that you can usually get your Carol Service publicised for free by the BBC and other local news providers?

2. Advent Prayer Calendar
Use an Advent Calendar as a reminder for daily prayer for non-believing in the run up to Christmas. You can either use ready-made calendars, or else create something individual for the members of your group. As an alternative, make up some simple bookmarks with the dates on, or hand out candles to be lit daily during outreach focused prayer.

3. Carol Singing with a Twist
By all means go carol singing with your small group, but make sure you also invite your non-church friends in on it too. It's a fantastic and simple bridge-builder. And here's another twist - once you've finished singing, gift your audience with sweets, mince pies and treats, instead of the other way round. Consider bringing Social Action into your Carol Singing, by prioritising the sick, the old and the lonely.

Meeting up before or after, for a warm drink at someone's house, also goes down nicely.

4. Mince Pies & Mulled Wine Evening
One of the easiest things to do over Christmas is host a mulled wine and mince pie evening. Make sure you get people in your group to bring supplies, as well as friends. Positioning it before the church Carol Service gives you an ideal and natural opportunity to invite guests along to that, as well. (Make sure you've got flyers handy.) Alternatively, have it after the Carol Service and hit two birds : come join us for a carol service, then everyone back to my house for the party!

5. Christmas Crafts
One great idea for an informal get together with your group and their friends is to have an evening or weekend afternoon where together you make Christmas items. Whether it's cards, decorations, or simple presents, it's great fun and a really good way to get to know friends better. Get in touch with your inner elf!

6. Random Christmas Kindness
If your group is up for doing something a little bit out there, why not do some random acts of kindness for tired Christmas shoppers? It could be anything from giving out coffee and Mars bars, to offering prayer.

7. Christmas Film Night
With all the Christmas parties afoot why not offer the more relaxed alternative of a Christmas film night? This could be a family based event, or for adults only. Make sure you pick a nice venue, get a Christmas classic and bring out the nibbles. Requisition your church's video projector for added oomph.