For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25: 35-36, 40

I can hardly believe that Thanksgiving has come and gone! Time is flying, and the countdown to Christmas has begun. Celebrating Christmas is getting more and more fun as the kids get older... But it also becomes more challenging as we strive to teach our kids about gratefulness, about the meaning of Christmas, and about sharing the abundance that we have with those in need.




"The story of Christ's birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love. So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into 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 this empty feeling of missed purpose. Is this what we really want out of Christmas? What if Christmas became a world-changing event again? "

This year our church is joining in a world wide campaign called Advent Conspiracy which seeks to see the end of hunger, lack of clean drinking water, and lack of education all over the world by not spending quite as much on Christmas gifts and freeing us to give to those less fortunate. Last weekend we heard some startling statistics... Did you know that last year Americans spent over 450 billion dollars on the Christmas industry? The leading cause of death world wide is lack of access to clean drinking water. The price tag on solving this problem is 10 billion dollars. That 10 billion dollars doesn't just solve the problem for a year... but for a life time! I couldn't believe that!! It's a fraction of what we spend on Christmas yearly!

So, as a church, here's what we're doing...


$40 can provide an orphan or vulnerable child in Chikudzulire, Malawi one meal a day, 5 days a week for a year. Together with Somebody Cares, our ministry partners in Malawi, we are able to feed a hungry child with a nutritious porridge fortified with all the vitamins and minerals they need each day for only 15¢ a meal. This meal changes the life of the child – helping them to resist sicknesses such as malaria - giving them the nutrition they need to take their medications if they are HIV+ - and feeding their growing brains to help them learn in school. Our goal during this year’s Advent Conspiracy is to raise enough money to feed at least 1,500 orphans and vulnerable children in Malawi for one year.


When I read that I get pretty emotional... $40- we can spend that easily just going out to dinner. That same $40 feeds a child one meal a day, for only 5 days. What a different world I live in!! I can't imagine what a mother must feel when she knows she can only feed her 4 year old once a day. My kids can't seem to go more that a couple of hours without something to eat! Never mind the 2 days a week that they don't eat at all...


Needless to say, this moves me.


I can't seem to reconcile doing all the Christmas shopping with the awareness of what $(insert any amount of money here) can do in the lives of hurting people. So this year as a family, we are trying to do more that just put Christ back in Christmas. We are doing a "homemade" Christmas- after all giving and receiving gifts is fun! We want our kids to know and enjoy that, but we want to honor Christ in the way that we celebrate his birthday... by giving "to the least of these". We hope that you will join us in making a difference in the lives of those in need in our community, state, and all over the world. I know that we may go to different churches, have a different set of doctrines, and see things differently, but I think I can say with confidence that most of the people that I know have a heart of compassion. So, whether you decide to provide a gift for angel tree, helping stock a local food pantry, bring a meal to a family in need, or feed a hungry child in Malawi, Africa, you're invited to conspire with us as we spend a little less, make a difference in the life of someone in need through our generosity, and change the way that we celebrate Christmas this year.