We will invite colleagues to record positive things that have happened to them during this challenging year. 
We will feature a local choir. 
We will ask our supportive Chief Executive to feature on Day 1 of the Calendar by recounting his positives in  2020.
This will raise the profile of what we’re doing. 

We will research how to do this technically
so colleagues will be able to
click on a door
for each day to
reveal something pre-recorded. 

We need a way to highlight this venture across the Council
so we seek the support of our Comms team.

 No response. 

Lockdown is announced

We don’t want to hassle our Comms team
who will be under immense pressure.
 

With this setback,
a small team from our Christian group meets
to discuss what to do. 

We devise Plan B. 

We will highlight some activities
on yammer (similar to facebook but for organisations).
We will still invite colleagues
to share their positive stories from 2020.
We will encourage people to post
photos of...
their Christmas tree,
the recipe of something special they eat at Christmas,
an unusual Christmas tradition in their family. 

We will ask the Mayor to talk about her Christmas charity.

It will not be so polished as clicking on a door for each day of Advent,
but it may work.  

If only we had the support of Comms to give it wide publicity.


The next day we email our Chief Executive.


Later that morning
he replies
with his full backing for our ideas,
copying in our Head of Comms. 

Three minutes later
she emails
promising support and
nominating two of her team to help facilitate it! 

We are overwhelmed with this response –
it’s  exactly what we need to highlight our venture across the Council and
not just limited to the Christian Group site on yammer.   

As we get towards the end of Advent,
we plan that members of our Christian group will talk about what Christmas means to them. 

We trust our initiative will bring fun and joy to many in our Council at a time when these qualities are in short supply. 
We also pray it will bring new hope and comfort as
we highlight the One who is the reason
we – and our colleagues –
can have hope and comfort even amidst a global pandemic.

Our Plan B was God’s Plan A. 
As you meet with other Christians where you work to discuss what you will do this Christmas,
you may be surprised to discover God’s Plan A for how you can be good news in your organisation and to your colleagues in this extraordinary year!