As people of faith, we don’t have to get caught up in the chaos of the holidays but we can engage this season differently.  As Christians we can look for ways to give differently, serve our community and love others during the holidays.  Changing the way we approach and engage this season can grow our faith and help us and our family to follow God more.  Below are some ideas for how to live out our faith through the way we give, serve and love.  If you would like to add to the conversation, the comments section awaits!

Give

- So much of our holidays are now based upon what we get and what we are getting other people.  Christ is no longer the focus, instead it is our consumption.  To change this narrative, to tell ourselves and others a better story, we can choose to give differently.  We can

- Think through all that we give to others and give one gift less
- Give the gift of time, concern and care communicated through a meal, a card or quality time
- Make what you give have a positive impact for all involved, not just the receiver but the worker who built the gift
- Buy Fair Trade Products when you can.  For more info on Fair Trade go here

- Buy products ethically made in villages of developing countries around the world at a Ten Thousand Villages or through their website (tenthousandvillages.com)

    – Donate to a non-profit doing great work around the world in the name of someone else
- Heifer (heifer.org)
- charity: water (charitywater.org)

- Buy a gift card or give money in someone’s name for a micro-loan through Kiva (kiva.org)

- Give to our denomination’s (the Evangelical Covenant Church) work around the world through Covenant World Relief (covchurch.org/relief)

We can tell a better story through how and what we give.  Our gifts can make a difference in the life of our loved ones and in lives all around the world.

Serve

- Serving our community reminds us how fortunate we are and creates great family stories/traditions.  God uses our service to tell others who He is and how He loves them.  Some service ideas are:

- Ring the bell for the Salvation Army at Walmart. This is a great way to serve as an individual or as a family.  For more info contact Pastor Austin.

- Serve at a local food bank or soup kitchen.  For more info on opportunities at St. Thomas Food Pantry contact Bob Ulrich or Jim Gundry, and for the Lord’s Kitchen contact Dan Boda.

- Collect money as a family and give it to one of the organizations listed above or an organization helping those in need in town.

Love

- The holidays provide a great opportunity to love others who may be lonely and “forgotten” in the holiday season.  Showing others hospitality reminds all involved of God’s love and care for us.  Here are some ideas of how to love others in the holiday season:

- Bake cookies, send cards, invite over to dinner those who may be on their own for the holidays

- Invite “holiday orphans” (those too far from family to be with them) over to your celebrations

- Spend time visiting with those in nursing homes or are “shut-ins” reminding them by your presence that they are loved and not forgotten.

What other ideas do you have?  How can we help ourselves and others give, serve and love this holiday season.

This past Faith168 dinner we shared different holiday traditions in which our families used to remind us of God in the busyness and chaos of the holidays.  Below are the ideas we came up with for the three major holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.  Feel free to “borrow” any of these ideas and incorporate them into your family traditions.  Have any other ideas?  The comment section is for you.

Thanksgiving
- Sharing what you are thankful for with your family
- Using corn or other objects to help us count all that we thankful for

- Putting a quarter in a jar for everything we are thankful for and give that money away to someone in need or an organization that helps those in need

- Attend a community church or ecumenical service
- Tell the original story of Thanksgiving
- Invite “orphans” over.  Including those who don’t have family nearby in your celebration
- Telling family members why you are thankful for them
- Have a devotional before the Thanksgiving meal
- Take time to remember what we take for granted

Christmas
- Take time to serve those who are less fortunate
- Visit a “Live Nativity”, talk about the true meaning of Christmas with your family
- Bake Jesus a birthday cake
- Do a gift scavenger hunt, using bible verses as part of the clues
- Host people for dinner either on Christmas Eve or Christmas day
- Read the Christmas Story (Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2.40)
- Make or purchase a Nativity Scene
- Talk about each figuring and their role in the Christmas story with your kids

- Move the wise men figurines closer to the manger scene each day as Christmas approaches

- Take a tour of the local Christmas lights.  Talk about Jesus being the Light of the world.

New Year’s
-  Take advantage of the chance for a fresh start
- Pick out a devotional or spiritual practice to begin the year with
- Read through the Bible in a year
- Memorize a verse of Scripture a week
- Make goals for how you want to grow in faith
-  Look back over the year and see where God worked and what He has done for you and your family
- Participate in the Covenant Church’s prayer meetings (typically the first week of the new year)

A businesses’ mission statement gives direction and communicates who the business is and what they want to do.  In the same way, we as Christians can make mission statements for our lives and our families.  A Family Mission Statement reminds us and tells others what we are about as a family.  It helps us think through how we want to grow in faith and how we want to follow God as a family.  A Family Mission Statement helps organize and direct us towards God and each other.   So how do you make a Family Mission Statement?

First you start with your values, then set goals out of these values, then choose a verse (or verses) of Scripture that help define and guide the faith of you and your family.

Values: What are you about as a family?  What are your shared passions and concerns?  These are your values.  Some examples of values would be: honesty, justice, fun, prayer, kindness, humility, etc.

Goals: Goals are will you, as a family, do or want to do as you live these values out together?  Goals should stretch us, challenge us, but also be attainable.  We want reaching for our goals to grow us as a family, but if they are too difficult to achieve it will not bring growth, it will bring disappointment.

Scripture: As a family, picking a bible verse(s) helps to guide you and give you a point of reference for your goals and who you are as a family.  For help finding a verse that matches your values and goals please talk with Pastor Carl and/or Pastor Austin.

Any other thoughts?  Please leave them in the comment section.