December Family Network Challenge: Bringing Christ into Christmas

Brittany here from Play With Your Family. My favorite part of the Christmas season is the feeling of love that seems to overcome so many that may not be that way throughout the rest of the year. People are more giving, more friendly, they laugh easier, and are more willing to strike up a Christmas conversation with a stranger. I believe that this is because of the spirit of Christmas that unconsciously ensues because we are celebrating of birth of our Lord and Savior.

One of my most memorable Christmas’s was when I was in high school. My parents had decided a few years ago that instead of just reading the Christmas story on Christmas Eve, that we would actually act upon the example of Jesus and do service. One year we dropped off cookies to all of our friends, another year we visited an older couple who were by themselves for Christmas, but this year was the best. We had a young family in our church who’s father had just lost his job. They had to move in with family and we had heard that they were not going to be having much of a Christmas this year. Instead of buying more things for each other, we took the money we would have used on more gifts and bought things for their kids. Especially being older, we all had so much fun buying toys, movies, clothes, and candy for these little kids and imagining which would be their favorite. By the time we were done, we had a big bag full of presents. We went back to our house and wrapped them all, writing the names of the children on each present. We went at night and snuck up to the house to drop off the presents. Then, in true teenage fashion, we rang the doorbell and darted down the street. We flew into the car and my parents sped off. A few minutes later we drove by with the lights off to make sure they had taken the bag in. The next Sunday the father came up to the front of the church in tears. He publicly thanked whoever had done such a great service for his family and said that this was the best Christmas their family had ever had. We beamed quietly in our chairs and I will never forget the feeling of love that came over me. The feeling that I could be better than I was, that I was meant to help others, and that life is about giving. I aDashboardm so thankful for the example of my parents that pointed me to Christ each Christmas.

by More Good Foundation

This month we challenge you to find a way to bring Christ and the spirit of love into your Christmas this year! Here are a few more example I’ve gathered from others.

The Walter’s pick a family member each week of December and secretly serve who they picked the whole week. At the beginning of the next week they pick another name and serve someone else. It brings a great spirit to their home!
The McEwen’s have a manger that is set out with a bag of straw next to it. As the children do service, they put a piece of straw in the manger. Their goal is to fill the manger on Christmas Eve so that baby Jesus can be placed in it.
The Campbell’s have a great book called, I Believe in Santa Claus, by Diane G. Adamson. It talks about the similarities between Santa and Jesus. It’s a perfect way for little ones to make the connection.

Please add to our list and let us know how you bring Christ into Christmas by:

1: Share via Facebook and link to us in the caption of your photo or in your status update (i.e. add to your facebook share, “I did the Family Challenge @fun on a dime and @play with your family (and insert a description of what you did here)“)

2: On your blog and link it up below. (Create a post on how you bring Christ into Christmas and then copy the http address and add it to the link list below).

3: Email us with a picture, if possible, and a description and we will share it on facebook/link it up for you (i.e. Cheryl from California likes to….)

4: Comment on this post below or on our Facebook page to share!