Nativity with Missions

I am enjoying seeing how mission-minded people are combining Christmas and missions for Christ. What a perfect season for this combination!

At my church, Craig, our Missions Minister, has put out missions boxes. These little boxes have a picture from the nativity scene pasted on one side and everyone in the church is encouraged to take one and place it under their Christmas Tree. This is done as a reminder about our Commission to be on missions, and to encourage a world missions offering. I still have my box and will place it under my family tree, and I have already to decided to keep it through next year and add my tithes from the sale of my CD to this box, specifically for missions.

Last night I was asked to be part of a Christmas program, where the planner had "wise men" from around the world present baby Jesus gifts. Each "wise man" (actually it was a classroom) shared a song and/or dance, or Christmas customs from a different part of the world. They put pictures of children from around the world around the door frame of the entrance and said "You are entering God's World." They also had a "marketplace" where items from different continents were placed for viewing. It was so cool to see young and older folks stop and look at the marketplace, picking up carefully and replacing - sparking the interest. There was dinner as well, and on each table there was a centerpiece that set on top of a world map, with one or two items from a different country, sitting beside the centerpiece.

I, and a woman who represented Spain, came and shared songs in a different language. She had the words copied and encouraged folks to sing, after she told us what the words meant. I sang two Christian songs in Chichewa and shared about Malawi and mission opportunities for African-Americans in this country. All were well-received.

Sometimes its just education. Educating people about the need, and not just the need, but educating them about the rest of the world. That's the basic - there is a world beyond the United States - what happens there? These are great little, soft-sale ways to share missions with folks. Merry Christmas