Come Christmas time a question I see asked over and over is, “What is a good Christmas movie to show at my church?”

Whether it’s for simple service for the Sunday after Christmas, a part of your midweek service, or a family movie night outreach, trying to find the right movie for your audience can be tough.

We have to consider language, content, message, and several other factors not to mention complying with copyright laws.

I’m not going to cover the legality of showing movies in your church, but you should check with your media/ worship pastor at minimum or a lawyer to make sure it’s ok to show. You don’t want Disney coming after you because you decided to show “The Santa Clause” and broke their copyright.

With all these factors in mind, here are five movies you can safely show in your church. I’ve vetted all of them and shown most of them in my own ministry.

5 Movies to Show in Church this Christmas

1. Charlie Brown Christmas

Where to find it: Apple TV+ or Walmart

Rating: TV-G

Runtime: 25 minutes

This instant classic from the 60s is clean, fun, and quotes Luke 2 at the climax. Who doesn’t like Snoopy? In addition, it’s short at only 25 minutes, it’s perfect for a Christmas Party filler or a quick part of your Sunday service. It’s a win-win that will get little if no pushback from parents.

2. VeggieTales: Saint Nicholas - A Story of Joyful Giving!

Where to find it: PureFlix or Walmart

Rating: TV-Y7

Runtime: 52 minutes

I discovered this one a few years back and loved it. It tells the true story (mostly) of St. Nicholas in hilarious VeggieTales fashion that has a heart for teaching kids about giving and the true meaning of Christmas. I also love this story for the kids who decide not to believe in Jesus after they find out about Santa. This shows that even Santa believes in Jesus.

3. The Very First Noel

Where to find it: YouTube or Amazon

Rating: G

Runtime: 23 minutes

This is the Nativity story as told through the eyes of three wisemen. It’s perfect for kids ages 3 to 8 and like Charlie Brown Christmas is relatively short so you can fit it easily into a 60–75-minute service.

4. What’s in the Bible: Why do We Call it Christmas

Where to find it: Amazon

Rating: G

Runtime: 60 minutes

Part of the What’s in the Bible Series with Buck Denver, Phil Vischer from VeggieTales fame comes back with a theologically deep explanation of the Christmas story filled with puppets, jokes, songs and more. Both kids and adults will enjoy it. This is one of the longest offerings and is better served as part of a Bible study or Sunday School class. Even though I’m a professional Christian, every time I watch an episode of What’s in the Bible, I learn something new.

5. The Star

Where to find it: Hulu or Amazon

Rating: PG

Runtime: 1 hour 26 minutes

This is probably the most recommended movie I’ve seen for churches. It’s funny, fun, has a great cast, and tells the story of Christmas through the eyes of the animals, specifically a little donkey. It does have some rude humor that earns its PG rating and runs a little long. However, I think it’s perfect for a family movie night or if you have a longer service time to fill. I’ve shown it multiple times in my ministry and the kids stay engaged throughout.

Whatever movie you pick, whether it has an overt Christmas message or not, make sure it points to the spirit of Christmas in bringing joy, generosity, care, and compassion. Always take the time to watch the movie all the way through before you show it and check parent guides to see if there’s anything you missed. I usually use IMDB, but there are others out there.

Happy watching and Merry Christmas!