Gearing up for this week's message, titled "Punching Consumerism in the Throat," we thought we'd start with some amazing and helpful No Cost/Low Cost ideas to celebrate the birth of Jesus!! Thank you Overlake for submitting these ideas!! We received so many suggestions that there was no way to incorporate all the ideas into this weekend’s message…so here are a bucket-load on the front end! We’ll tackle a few more key thoughts during this Sunday’s Service…SEE YOU THERE!! And thanks again, for being as generous and giving a church as you are!! If you have more suggestions, please leave them as comments…THANKS! Merry Christmas!!
Encourage your loved ones to create something: knit, write a letter, paint a picture.
Since Jesus was a carpenter, I would we should give lovely, handmade gifts from the heart.
Make things – create a coupon with gifts of service.
Write notes of encouragement to each other.
Make photo calendars, pens, or mugs.
Make (create) as many gifts as possible. My wife gave homemade jam and scone mix this year, and it was delicious!
Instead of buying gifts make cookies and send them to family.
Make gift baskets for family instead of a gift for each member.
Create fun memories as a group.
Bake & frost cookies together.
Get messy, play in the snow.
Donate food and serve at a Mission this Holiday Season.
Give a gift to Jesus in honor of His Birthday.
Rather than buy gifts for extended family, purchase gifts for those in need through World Vision website.
Give through World Concern.
Giving gifts that help others - World Vision offers such practical gifts as cows, goats, chickens that provide income for families.
Instead of gifts, my husband and I are doing a donation to Toys for Tots.
We host an open house for all our friends/co-workers in the area. In lieu of gift to us we ask they bring a cash donation for World Vision.
White elephant gifts! Bring 1 gift (new or used), especially an oddity, and the entire family always has fun!
Eliminate one thing we can do without.
We chose a friend in need to bless this Christmas instead of buying gifts for each other.
Adapt a family instead of exchanging gifts.
After candlelight service, we get kids in their pajamas, put them in the car and drive all around looking at lights.
Read the Christmas story in Luke.
Have the kids in the family act out the Bible story with nativity set.
Give your kids or someone special the gift of undivided time.
Spend less on things and more giving of your time.
Volunteer time together as a family to serve.
Adopt a family in need to minister too.
What you would spend on yourself "give away" instead.
Reduce the amount of money spent on gifts by some percentage, and give that instead.
Re-gift!
Visit nursing homes and spend time caring for those who might be lonely.
Set a budget for Christmas gifts.
For every gift received give an item or possession to charity.
Give the gift of planning, and invite a person over for dinner once a month for the year. Make a pandora.com radio station especially for them.
Think of what someone else is going without that you have multiples of, and connect the gift to their need.
Give to shelters.
Make a gingerbread house together.
Have fun family nights, watching some holiday classics together.
We go caroling to our neighbors houses with kids from school, then have a coco & cookie potluck after.
Draw names and give gifts to them, instead of buying for everyone in the family.
Use newspaper for wrapping paper.
Save, and pay cash for presents, instead of using credit cards.
Make memories instead of giving stuff
Give gifts from the heart: kind words mean morn then anything.
Stop reading ads - remember I have all I need in Jesus!
We pick names.
I buy used toys, and the kids like them better because of the lack of crazy packaging when they open them!
We set a per person dollar limit on gifts.
My friends and I spend a fun evening together instead of spending the time trying to buy the right gift.
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