As I write this there are only 78 days, 13 hours, 56 minutes, and 18 seconds until Christmas! In the grand scheme of things that is not much time. These “countdowns” for Christmas are everywhere, and as you well know usually the Christmas decorations are up in the stores before the Halloween candy turns moldy. Now that I have you thinking about Christmas I want to encourage you to think about others with your giving. Certainly don’t forget about your family and some of your friends, but I’m talking about not forgetting about those who struggle just to feed themselves.

We will have giving opportunities surface all around us and I understand we need to be selective, but that’s my point: please select and give outside your family and friends. I actually think we should rebel against the office party white elephant giving or the Sunday school gift exchange or the secret Santa rigmarole. Let’s refuse to get caught up in the giving frenzy that is so often flavored by selfishness and greed. Do you really need another Christmas tie that plays music and lights up? Let’s use this money spent on the frivolous and be a blessing to someone outside our walls and maybe even our country.

I am issuing a challenge to all of us to intentionally sit down with our families and plan some of our Christmas giving ahead of time.

“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)

So with that in mind let me present some options:

1.            Upstate Family Resource Center. This is a local organization that is helping families in the upstate. They provide some great services to families in need.

2.            Greater Spartanburg Ministries. Here is another local ministry that we already partner with as a corporate body. Due to their location they are able to meet needs of people who are facing extreme poverty.

3.            Nicaragua Mission Team. This team will be leaving November 16. All of the money given to them will go directly to helping and ministering to the Nicaraguans. Their projects will include family food packs that will feed a family for a week ($5 each), family survival packs that gives a family sustainable goods including livestock, tools and feed ($100 each), and feeding stations ($800 each).

4.            Operation Christmas Child. Our goal this year is 250 shoeboxes. This giving opportunity gets us out shopping and not just writing a check. It is so cool to be able to pack these boxes with toys and candy and toothbrushes and soap and whatever. This involves time and that is another gift we can give to needy children all over the world.

Each of these is a giving opportunity to express love so that a bridge can be built. Once the bridges are built then gospel conversations can take place. You see it all starts with love and love gives! We cannot say that we love without giving.

Now we have just 78 days, 13 hours, 29 minutes, and 12 seconds before Christmas. What will you do this year to show love?

Grace & Peace,