Stephanie Shott

Do you struggle with keeping Christ the focus of your Christmas? From Black Friday to Christmas day, we are bombarded with the commercialism of a season set apart to celebrate our Savior. Why is it so easy to get caught up in it all when we know Jesus truly is the reason for the season.

I don't want to get into the questionable history and origins of Christmas, and I don't want to offer an opinion about whether or not we should get involved with certain aspects of the most wonderful time of the year. I just want to provide 25 ways in which you can keep Christ the focus of your's and your family's Christmas.

Here we go:

1. No tree. Place a large manger scene in your living room instead. Place your gifts in front of the manger.

2. Ornaments with the various names and titles of Jesus on them. (You can create your own & make it a family time craft event)

3. Throughout the month of December, read the Bible with your family at dinnertime and focus on passages that teach who Jesus is and what He has done for us.

4. Teach your children of Jesus' sacrificial love by taking them shopping for those who are unable to give anything in return.


5. Determine to give a tangible gift to Jesus. Put it in a box, wrap it and put it under the tree. On Christmas day, explain why you are giving that particular gift to Jesus.

6. Give the gift of time to a particular ministry to show the love of Jesus. (A homeless shelter, a children's home, a hospital, ect...)

7. Hold a birthday party for Jesus. (Be sure to tell your children it's not the actual "day" of His birth, but a time we celebrate Him)

8. Invite a widow or someone who is alone to spend Christmas with your family.

9. Create a family Christmas play. Practice throughout November & December. Put out flyers in your neighborhood and do the
play in your front lawn on Christmas eve.

10. Play "Jesus" Christmas music all month long.

11. Organize a group to go caroling during Christmas.

12. Do random acts of giving in Jesus name. (Pay for the person's meal behind you, rake the neighbor's lawn, ect...)

13. Take food to a family in need.

14. Buy some gifts and take to the hospital to give to those who are in long term or critical care.

15. Put a play on or sing Christmas carols at a local nursing home.

16. Help your children earn money to buy gifts for Operation Christmas Child or a local children's home.

17. Help your children earn money to give to a missionary.

18. Help your children earn money to buy gifts for a missionary child on the field.

19. Organize a coat round-up for a homeless shelter near you.

20. Make or purchase gifts to give to your neighbors. Especially the ones you are trying to reach for Christ.

21. Bake goodies for your neighbors, family and friends.

22. Make your indoor and outdoor decorations reflect that Jesus really is the reason for the season.

23. Help your church collect gifts for a family in need.

24. Send Christmas gifts and cards to the families of prisoners.

25. Share Jesus with as many people as you can between now and Christmas.

Christmas is such a wonderful time of year. It's the time the world is reminded that God loves us so much that He sent His only begotten Son so we could spend eternity with Him. It's the time we reflect on the earthly life of Christ...from the cradle to the cross. It's the time we celebrate Jesus and all that He is and all that He's done.

Please share your traditions. How do you keep Jesus the focus of your family's Christmas? I'd love to hear from you.

I know it's a little early but with the presence of the upcoming holidays looming largely over our lives, my attention is focused on Christmas. I don't mean to skip right past the oh-so important day of Thanksgiving, but with the ever increasing attempts to rewrite our history and redefine our holidays, Christmas is on my mind.

There's nothing more funny, in a strange and ridiculous sort of way, than the attempt of the politically correct to rename Christmas. How is it possible that we've traveled so far down the politically-correct road where common sense has been thrown out the window and immorality is excused in the name of tolerance?

I love Christmas. I love what it feels like. I love what it smells like. I love the sights and the sounds from Black Friday until December 26th. I'm not really a shopper, but Christmas is actually the only time of the year I enjoy shopping. The hustle and bustle. The crowds scurrying from one store to the next looking for that perfect gift for family and friends.

It cannot be renamed for the sake of those who are offended by its significance. Christmas is what it is. A celebration of the birth of Christ. No...Jesus wasn't born on December 25th; and yes...it has been highly commercialized and distorted; and yes...it's origins are questionable. But Christmas is the time of year when we remember that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.

Christmas reminds us that the cradle of Christ was a prerequisite for the cross of our Savior. Jesus humbled Himself to come in the form of a man...He lived a sinless life, yet He died a sinners death. All for you...all for me. He is the Creator of the universe and the Savior of the world. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith. He is forever faithful, forever good, forever God.

One day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. Even the politically correct. This Christmas season, many stores have chosen to replace their "Merry Christmas" signs with "Happy Holiday." Regardless of what they call it...it is a Happy Holy Day...it is a Merry Christmas, because the Savior of the world demonstrated His love for us in such a profound way that He altered our existence for eternity.
(Picture used by permission. Copyright by Penny Parker
http://www.graphicsbypennyparker.com)

So from me to you, may I proudly and boldly say...Have yourself a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Here's your chance to share your experiences with the politically correct mindset. Tell us what you think. Give us some ideas as to how to handle the shift from truth to spoof.

Before I get into today's post, I really just need to praise the Living God for doing all things well...for showing up in such evident ways...for accomplishing what many said would be impossible...for a husband who passionately pursues God's will, even when it doesn't make sense...for a family who understands our crazy lifestyle...for putting just the right team together for the Ignite Pastors' Conference in Costa Rica...for placing people around me that help fill in the gaps of my weak areas...for raising up prayer partners and financial partners in the ministry...for being a good and merciful God who allows us to be part of what He is doing here on planet earth. To Him be glory, honor, dominion, praise and worship forever and ever. Amen!

Just on the heels of the conference, I found myself in need of some time to reflect on all that has just taken place. God really did do some miraculous things last week and I'm eternally grateful. Mission trips are rarely ever the same. Like people, they have their own fingerprint. Yet, there seems to some similar threads found in all effective mission trips.

So for the next two posts, I'll be writing to those who are involved in planning a mission trip, going on a trip or are a church leader interested in being involved in missions. I'll be sharing from 2 perspectives. One as a missionary on the field who is well aware of the realities of what can make or brake a mission trip and, two, how the church can be actively involved in a hands-way to make the most impact.

More specifically, I'd like to take the next two posts to accomplish two things:

1. Help those who are planning a mission trip to be better prepared and organized, keeping in mind that all plans are subject to change.

2. Help church leaders and missions ministries plan the most effective trip possible and avoid making mistakes that are frequently seen on the mission field.

Today, let's look at how to plan and prepare for a mission trip. Obviously, there are a variety of "types" of mission trips available for the taking, but there are certain "must do's" needed in order to make each trip as effective as possible.

1. Be Flexible! If you don't know already, that's the number one rule for all missionaries and all mission trips. Plans rarely pan out as planned on foreign soil and your purpose often emerges into something different than you intended. When it seems like your plans are unraveling at the seams, begin looking for unexpected opportuntities to see God work in ways you had never anticipated. Trust me...it will be better than anything you can plan on your own. :-)

2. Define Your Trip! First, let me give you a not so comprehensive list of trips that are effective. Medical Missions, Sports Evangelism, Video Evangelism, Outdoor Preaching Campaigns (Some may call this a Revival), Wordless Dramas or VBS Missions in the schools or in the community, Conferences, Construction Trips, Church Planting Trips, Orphan Care Trips, Street Evangelism...and the list goes on. Missions is very much like the local church. A church is one body, but has many ministries which funnel from that church. So too are missionaries' ministries...so too are mission trips. Define your "tool." But do so only after you have a keen awareness as to what the real needs are in that area and if what you want to do will actually work in that culture. But remember...BE FLEXIBLE! God may choose to use you, your team and your trip for purposes beyond your wildest dreams.

3. Be Prepared! Mission trips don't just happen. It takes a lot of planning and a lot of work to bring it all together...and definitely a lot of prayer. Begin your research early. Make a list of how you plan on accomplishing everything that needs to be done before you board the plane, while you're on the field and when your return. Be sure everyone has a Passport and/or Visa. Find out if the country requires an Exit Tax. Determine the cost of the trip. Be sure your transportation and housing are in place. Make sure your dates work for the country...ie...Don't plan a construction trip during rainy season...Don't plan a VBS during the school year (other countries are not on our calendar), ect. God has gifted you with the privilege of potentially impacting a culture for Christ, so diligently prepare for your next mission trip.

4. Be Connected! We've heard story after story of churches who planned mission trips with good intentions but never requested advice or information from the missionary or national on the field. Buildings built to code for snow in a country located on the equator. Windows placed on the side of the building where the wind never blows. VBS's held in the middle of the country's school year. Medical mission trips during harvest time. Video evangelism where there is no electricity or access to a generator. Buildings left incomplete. You get the picture. Those who are planning a trip would be wise to seek out and listen carefully to the needs and advice of the missionaries on the field or the nationals who live there. Be connected. Be teachable. Be a servant.

5. Be Godly! O.K., I know this sounds like a no-brainer for a Christian mission trip, but it needs to be said. Many mission trips have been marked by complaining, unloving and even racist team members. By definition, a mission trip is an opportunity to show the love of Jesus to others. We serve a creative God who has made us very diverse. We don't always think the same way, we don't always worship the same way, we don't always eat the same things, we don't always live the same way...but we are all created by God and for God. Be sure that, as a leader, you make it a prerequisite for your team to have a clear understanding that they are there to serve. No complaining. Eat what is served. Love those who may look and live differently than you. If you can't do that, then you don't have any business going on the trip.

6. Pray! Pray alone, pray with the team, pray with your church, pray with the missionaries on the field or the nationals, send out prayer requests to your email list and to other churches. Pray and seek those who will pray for you. You may be able to accomplish a lot, but nothing will have any lasting effect without the hand of God devinely touching you and your endeavors each step of the way.

This list is obviously not as extensive as it could be, but I hope it helps those who are planning a trip think about how they can be most effective. Mission trips can be a great experience for those who go and have the potential to eternally make a difference in the lives of others. So let's get busy...we've got a world to reach!

I'd love to hear about your expereinces on a mission trip and what you could add to this list. Your comments may also help others who are planning a trip right now.