Make a difference this Christmas!
Photo By Rob Hurlbut
Christmas is a great time of year not only to enjoy family, but also to make a difference in your family and community. There are so many ways to live missionally in the place God has placed you. Often the only option the church gives you is to invite someone with you to a Christmas Eve service. I’m not saying that’s a bad idea; in fact, I think you should do that (we have services at 4:00 and 7:00). But, we wanted to give you a few more ideas of ways to engage people during this Christmas season.
Think about how you GIVE.
Christmas is a season that in many ways (in our culture) is defined by the giving of gifts. Unfortunately, much of the time this takes away from the true reason for the season – celebrating the birth of our Savior. However, there is a movement of followers of Jesus who are starting to explore the way that they give and aligning it more with the person and work of Jesus. What if the gifts you gave this year actually shined a light on the giver of life and light? There are ways you can give that will help make much of Jesus. Here are just a few ideas:
- Give in a way that makes a difference! Here are two organizations that are doing great work: Living Water International, International Justice Mission. Both of these recommendations are from the people who organize the Advent Conspiracy. We did this series last year, I highly encourage you to check it out!
- Make something – that’s right, I said it, make something. I know most of the guys just rolled their eyes, but the more personal the gift, the more it usually means. Here is a Pinterest link to some gift ideas.
Think about how you GATHER.
Christmas is a season full of parties. I’m sure that your calendar is already starting to fill up with work parties, family parties, and parties with your friends. What if you threw a party? One of the things that I’ve come to be convinced of is that everybody WANTS community, but few people are willing to INITIATE community. What if you were that person? It doesn’t have to be much, maybe you make hot chocolate and cookies and have people over to watch a Bronco game. If you’re feeling a little more daring, have an ugly Christmas sweater party… or host a Murder Mystery Night… or Christmas Carol Karaoke (please invite me if you do this)! Be creative and be inclusive!
Think about how you CELEBRATE.
One of the things I’m becoming more aware of is that traditions matter. If you’re a parent, I want to encourage you to be INTENTIONAL. Make family traditions! A few things to think through are ways you can make the season about Jesus. Maybe you have special ornaments you decorate your tree with that remind you of our Savior’s birth. Maybe as you go around and look at lights you do a faith talk about the light of the world. Maybe your family gets an advent calendar and every morning you talk about a different aspect of Christ’s birth. Whatever you do, be intentional and focus on Jesus. The other suggestion I’d make is BE FUN! Incorporate ways to enjoy each other during the Christmas season. Order pizza and do a family Christmas movie night, go look at lights together, or go enjoy Denver (there are tons of family-friendly events to check out).
We hope there were some helpful ideas that you and your family can use. I’m sure there are other things we overlooked or forgot. If you have ideas of things we can add, please send us an email and we will include them! Merry Christmas!
