We created this event to allow children from financially strained families in our community to select Christmas gifts for their parents or guardians. Children 2-15 participated.

We created a Christmas Store in our Fellowship Hall that allowed children to come and select one FREE gift for each of their parents/guardians. After selecting the gift(s) the children then went to a wrapping station and had their gifts wrapped. The children also chose and/or made cards/gift tags to go with their gifts. While the children were selecting their gifts, we held a resource fair for the adults who brought them. We had representatives from local agencies and our church. They had an opportunity to sign their family up for the angel tree, care packages, utility aid, etc.

Weeks later we collaborated with Toys for Tots and the parents were able to come and select gifts for their children.

Solicitation letters were sent to businesses, non- profits and other vendors for food, gifts, fair booths, etc. Each member in the church was asked to bring a new gift for a male and for a female. We divided the adult classes into teams and a friendly competition was established to see which team would bring in the most gifts.

Volunteers were needed the day of the event to set-up, assist the children, wrap gifts, oversee the resource "fair" and clean-up. We had stations/tables set up for men's gifts, women's gifts, wrapping, card/gift tag, and snacks. Lots of work, but even more rewards in seeing families encouraged!

Submitted by: Maranda Brown of Faith Full Gospel in Montgomery, AL

Click here if you would like to see a new favorite video of Fernando Ortega singing Give Me Jesus as a tribute to Ruth Graham.

Based On I Corinthians 13, this thought provoking reading is a great addition to any Christmas program or gathering.

FIRST CORINTHIANS 13
CHRISTMAS VERSION
(paraphrased)

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows,
strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls,
but do not show love to my family,
I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen,
baking dozens of Christmas cookies,
preparing gourmet meals
and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime,
but do not show love to my family,
I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen,
carol in the nursing home
and give all that I have to charity,
but do not show love to my family,
It profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels
and crocheted snowflakes,
attend a myriad of holiday parties
and sing in the choir's cantata,
but do not focus on Christ,
I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.
Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.
Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return, but rejoices in giving to those who can't.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.

Video games will break,
pearl necklaces will be lost,
golf clubs will rust...
But giving the gift of love will endure.
You can give without loving
but you cannot love without giving.
Merry Christmas!

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This is a fun Icebreaker that encourages women to mix and share interesting places they have been.

Objectives: To get a large group of women to mingle out side of the "comfort zone" of their own circle of friends!

Materials: Name tags

Procedure: All the ladies are given a nametag to write their first name on, and the activity begins as they are sent off to find other women whose first names all began with the same letter as theirs. (Lots of laughter and fun will fill the room, as many, many women who don't even know each other search out matching nametags, calling out their first initials, etc.)

Once in their groups (some will end up quite large, others small), each woman has to share the farthest place in the world that she had ever traveled to.

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