Best Christmas Ever

Sunday Pete said every year he thinks, “This year will be the best Christmas ever.” Christ shining through us will make it the best Christmas ever.

So how can we let Christ shine through us this season?

Do you have the means to give extra this year? If so, why not give through your community group? Here’s an idea. Give your members a $5, $10, or $20 bill or a small gift card to a place where general needs can be met. Ask them to pray for God to bring someone across their path that needs it. Encourage them to add to it, if they also have the means or just to give what you’ve given them. If they aren’t able to give an additional amount, they still receive the joy and blessing of giving to someone else.

Certainly we don’t all have the means to do that. Look for needs you and your group can meet together or with things you already have. Pray at your next meeting for someone in the group to have a need brought to them that the group can meet together. God always answers those prayers. It is so great to see how He responds to those prayers with opportunities. It will be a great faith building and bonding opportunity for your group.

In one of Chris Surratt’s past community groups, one of the members lost their job right before Christmas. His group raised enough money so the family could have a great Christmas and left it in their mailbox. The family was blown away.

Here’s an idea I have for my group this year. On my heart right now is a homeless lady and her daughter. I’ve seen them walking down the street a couple of times near the Interstate by my house. Once it was raining and their cloth coats were soaked. Now it’s cold and I feel even more compelled to have waterproof coats in my car at all times for the next time I see them. I want to ask my group to join me in providing some other necessities for them and ask for their ideas.

Over the years in other community groups we’ve been able to meet needs of people in small ways. If all of our groups meet a need this season, just think of the impact we will have as a whole. A few years back there was an inner-city ministry I served where countless families would not have a Christmas. At that time I was also leading worship with an artist for a weekly Bible study. One week, as part of our worship we had the whole group spread out into smaller groups to adopt a family that Christmas. Community groups formed on the spot, practically, and came together to meet the needs of a whole community of people. God moved powerfully that night.

We all want to be part of something that matters. Most of the time we get overwhelmed either with the magnitude of the need or in just finding a need to meet in the first place. Community is a great place to meet needs.

Seek to find a way to meet needs that is unique to your group and watch God move. We hope a few of these ideas have you thinking. We can’t wait for you to come back and share what your group does together!