Christmas, Re-imagined

Food with friends and family. Picking out just the right gift you know will put a smile on a loved one’s face. Retelling the story of the birth of Christ. What is your favorite part of the Christmas season?
 
Those same reasons ring true for those in need in our community. But it can be a difficult time of year for those struggling with other life challenges. Each year, servants in the Love INC Clearinghouse receive numerous calls from our neighbors looking for Christmas for their families. Our challenge: How can our churches serve with dignity? How can we reflect the love of Christ and invest relationally in those we serve?
 
The Mobilized Church
For the second year, our churches have re-imagined Christmas by sharing it with our families, instead of doing it for them. In early December, Journey Church in Waukegan hosted a Christmas party, including lunch, for 22 Love INC families. Eight other churches came together to provide gift cards and volunteers to serve as shopping buddies. Partnered together, the volunteers & parents drove to Walmart together to shop, allowing parents to experience the joy of selecting their own gifts for their kids. Meanwhile back at the church, the kids enjoyed making gifts for their parents, decorating Christmas cookies, and watching the Christmas story retold. When the parents & volunteers returned, everyone enjoyed a holiday meal together – fellowshipping and building into the relationships formed while shopping.

In the words of our faithful servants:
“It was a blessing to meet Rachel* and Laura* and be their Christmas Shopping Buddies. The experience we all shared was great. We are all thankful and grateful to God to be participants of Love INC.  We learned from the ladies how to shop at Walmart and look for the clearance items to help stretch your dollars – we all became shopping buddies to each other. This experience was a memorable act of kindness, engaging in a relationship to listen and learn and appreciate one another. We wish the ladies the best on graduating from their Transformational Ministry class.”
 
“It was a joy to participate in the Christmas Shopping program. Most of all, I’m thankful for the opportunity share Christ….the reason for the season with my new friends. Peace and Joy.”
 

“I loved the whole concept of [the Christmas Event]. I loved interacting with the neighbors & seeing the smiles on the kids’ (and adults’!) faces.”

 

Thank you to our partner churches
A big thank you to our partner churches for providing 66 servants (& one dog!), 83 gift cards, countless hours and prayers to show the love of Christ to our neighbors in this special way!
 
 
* Names changed for privacy     Photo credit: Dennis McKinnon