Most of us will celebrate this Christmas with lights aglow, fires aflame and gifts aplenty. For commentary, we'll discuss over-commercialization, over-spending and over-eating. From beneath our piles of ribbons, party invitations and greenery, we'll conclude that Christmas has lost its meaning.
 
We can recapture the meaning of Christmas this year by reading past the Christmas story in Luke 2. The baby in the manger is only the beginning of the story. The manger points us to Christ's mission...

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. (Lk. 4:18-19)
 
Before you know it, the cradle leads to a cross. The resurrection steals incarnation's thunder, and it's there that we discover the reason for the season. Christ didn't come for parties and parades. He came to provide for the poor, the prisoners, the blind and the oppressed.
 
This passage will find a new place among our family's Christmas traditions this year. We'll begin by reading it. We'll continue by putting it into practice. Here's your invitation to join in the celebration of both the cradle and the cross by giving to someone in need across the world this Christmas.
 
The Mission of the Manger

Invite your family, friends and ministry partners to celebrate this Christmas with more than packages and bows. Here are a few ideas to get you started...

Compassion International

Sponsor a child through Compassion for just $38 per month.We love that Compassion facilitates a relationship between the child and their sponsor while providing basic necessities and sharing the message of Christ.

Compassion just surpassed 1,000,000 child sponsorships. We are thrilled to see them reach this milestone. Let's help them surpass yet another one.

• Beth Moore's dauther, Melissa, blogged about her Compassion trip to India this past spring. Read her first post from India, and then continue to follow the blog to read about the rest of her trip to meet several of the children she encountered including the one she sponsors.
  
• Watch this powerful story of one Compassion sponsor and the young man he sponsored as a boy.Be sure watch all the way through This will change your life.
  
• Wes Stafford is the President of Compassion International. In this video, he shares some of the lessons he's learned along the way. Watch and catch his vision, his passion and his compassion.

Advent Conspiracy

Give a cup of water and then some in Jesus' name. Their slogan sums up the mission: Worship fully. Spend less. Give more. Love all. Give presence.

• Watch the video on their home page for starters, and you'll learn about the need for clean water and simple ways you and your church can help.
• Advent Conspiracy: Can Christmas Still Change the World? This newly released book might just change the way you celebrate this year.
  
• Here's a video story featuring our friend, Caleb. He changed a corner of the world with a small gift. You can too.

A Book to Read and to Give

Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore is a book that everyone should read. If you've read it already, let us know how it impacted you. If you haven't read it, watch the video, get the book and consider sharing it as a Christmas gift. It's powerful. It's true. And it will change your your view of compassion, poverty and the message of Christmas.

We hope you'll join us in celebrating in the Jesus way. You can share the books we've mentioned as gifts, and share the mission of the manger by giving to someone in need this Christmas.