Walk the Walk

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Boycott Xmas-Celebrate Christ

Wow. Some powerful words. Already, we have had much discussion and controversy over this Advent series. But what is Xmas?  It is what we’ve done to Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.  We have made it a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists.  And when it’s all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming debt that will take months to pay off, and a feeling of emptiness and missed purpose.

Jesus Christ said, “I have come that they might have life in all its fullness!”  At Hempfield United Methodist Church, we have decided to Boycott Xmas, and once again celebrate Christ and the full, rich, and joyful life he came to bring.  Join us as we rethink what Christmas is all about.

What if Christmas become world-changing event again? Enter “Boycott Xmas”, a movement calling us to proclaim Christ in how we celebrate Christmas.

Boycott Xmas, is an event, a vision, a challenge and a celebration. The idea is simple-to more fully engage ourselves in authentic worship and giving at Christmas!

We believe that Christmas can still change the world. We have partnered with the  Advent Conspiracy movement (adventconspiracy.org) to celebrate Christmas by worshipping fully, spending less, giving more and loving all this advent season.

[WORSHIP FULLY]
It starts with Jesus. It ends with Jesus. This is the holistic approach that God had in mind for Christmas. It’s a season where we are called to put down our burdens and lift a song up to God. It’s a season where love wins, peace reigns, and a king is celebrated with each breath. It’s the party of the year. Entering the celebration of Advent means entering this season with an overwhelming passion to worship Jesus to the Fullest.

[SPEND LESS]
Before you think we’re getting all Scrooge on you, let us explain what we mean. We like gifts. Our kids really like gifts. But consider this: America spends an average of $450 billion a year every Christmas. How often have you spent money on Christmas presents for not other reason than obligation? How many times have you receive a gift out of that same obligation? Thanks, but no thanks, right? We’re asking people to consider buying ONE LESS GIFT this Christmas. Just one. Sounds insignificant, yet many who have taken this small sacrifice have experienced something nothing less than a miracle: they have been more available to celebrate Christ during the advent season. Throughout this Advent series, we will be offering many ideas on how to find gifts that don’t cost a lot of money and alternative ways of giving.  View Post on Spend Less, Give More

[GIVE MORE]
God’s gift to us is a relationship built on love. So it’s no wonder why we’re drawn to the idea that Christmas should be a time to love our friends,  family and those not in our current relationship circles in the most memorable ways possible. Time is the real gift Christmas offers us, and no matter how hard we look, it can’t be found at the mall. Time to make a gift that turns into the next family heirloom. Time to write mom a letter. Time to take the kids sledding. Time to bake really good cookies and sing really bad Christmas carols. Time to make God’s love visible through relational giving. Sounds a lot better than getting a sweater two sizes too big, right?

[LOVE ALL]
When Jesus loved, he loved in ways never imagined. Though rich, he became poor to love the poor, the forgotten, the overlooked and sick. He attended to the people on the fringes of society. By spending less at Christmas we have the opportunity to join him in giving resources to those who need help the most. When the grassroots movement of the Advent Conspiracy first began, four churches challenged this simple concept to its congregations. The result raised more than a half million dollars to aid those in need. Today, over 1000 churches in 17 countries have participated.  One less gift. One unbelievable present in the name of Jesus Christ.

Now, you say-what can I possibly do to join this movement? All it takes is some thought, prayer and maybe some ideas from others. Check out the post on Spend Less, Give More.  Download the Boycott Xmas Booklet and Idea Guide:

Boycott Christmas Booklet and Idea Guide

Spend Less, Give More-Ideas for Boycott Xmas

Spend Less, Give More.  Substitute consumption with compassion. What a radical, countercultural concept! Not sure how you can make it work in your life? Well, here are some great ideas and resources for you to get started:

Some Great Links on ways to Spend Less and Give More:

Rethinking Christmas

Simple Living

Ideas for Spending Less:

The Christmas Contract:

Decide in advance how much will be under the tree with a Christmas Contract.  Every person in the family can get a pre-determined group of gifts using fun categories:

• One special gift for each person.
• One new thing to wear.
• A new book to read.
• A gift-card to your favorite place.
• Something good to eat.
• A new family game to play.
• A special place to go together.

You can control spending in advance by carefully selecting the categories.  Once gifts have been purchased, you are finished.  Put the credit cards in the dresser drawer, put your hands in the air, and slowly back away.

The Gift Exchange:

To further curtail spending, secretly draw names from a bag.  This works well in large families where there is not much money to spend.  Each person selects a name from a bag and secretly buys a present for that person.  This breaks the pattern of having every person in the family buy a present for every other person.

The $20 Gift Challenge:

Put a limit on the amount of money spent on each person.  It doesn’t matter the figure (the figure of $20 can be adjusted), the fun is to see what can be brought with this

Make your Gift:

Today we can buy just about anything we want and find it comes in twenty-nine colors.   It’s easy to say, “Here, I went to the store and bought this for you; they even wrapped it for me.”   The rare gift is the one that is custom made by the person who gives it.  Think about how you can make Christmas special by a gift you will make yourself. Maybe its a homemade scrapbook of memories. Maybe its a homecooked meal for a busy family.

Ideas for Giving More:

The Belated Thank You Letter :

For each of your relatives, recall a memory with them from your youth in which you never said thank you. Each letter can be unique, or can simply be started with “I remember when I was younger” and then proceeded to write down as much about that memory as you can. At the end of the description, simply thank them

Give your time:

Volunteer in the community or practice a random act of kindness to your neighbor. Maybe there is someone who you never really met that lives next door-a senior that may need help with leaf raking, a single mom that might need some help with cleaning, or someone who is struggling with health problems that might need someone to do their laundry.

Gifts to Jesus:

Decorate/wrap a box and label gift card ‘gifts to Jesus’.  Write down acts of kindness on a piece of paper and place it in box during Advent or all year long.  On Christmas, open box and read these gifts to Jesus.

Give Fair Trade Gifts:

Purchase items that will help to end the cycle of poverty. Trade as One, Bead for Life,  or Equal Exchange.

Donate a gift in honor of friends or loved ones:

For those that don’t really need anything for Christmas, donate to your favorite (or the giver’s favorite) charity through sites like Gifts that Give Hope .  This allows you and others to give in a way that will give hope to those who aren’t on anyone’s gift list.

These are just a few of the ideas. Don’t forget to visit the helpful links above. There are a multitude of ways that you can Spend Less and Give More this Christmas Season! Also, you can download the Boycott Xmas Booklet and Idea Guide Here:

Boycott Xmas Booklet and Idea Guide

Do you have a great idea to share? Please post it below for others to see. Check back frequently for more ideas!

Do You Know Me?

A new sermon series starts this Sunday exploring the “I Am” statements Jesus makes in scripture. If the flu gets you or you’re out of town, be sure to listen to the mp3 of the sermon at www.humclife.com.