A blog by Robin Cannon, Social Media Consultant for Messy Church USA
Giving Gifts
I am old enough to remember the excitement that came each year with the arrival of the Sears Toy catalog in the mail. For those of you too young to have experienced this momentous event, every year Sears created a very thick catalog that some people referred to as the “600-page book of joy.” Sears called this catalog The Wish Book and it was filled with every toy imaginable and lots of other stuff too. I remember my brother and I having to take turns studying the catalog as we deliberated on what gifts we should put on our Christmas wish lists. These were big, important choices and the marketing geniuses that put together The Wish Book made every toy look so inviting that it was very difficult to decide.
Even though Sears stopped creating their Wish Book in 2011, gift giving is still a huge part of celebrating Christmas. In the United States alone it was estimated that $178 billion was spent on Christmas gifts in 2022. Why is it that at Christmas time everyone is giving gifts to everyone? We do not do this at any other time of the year. Pastor and author, Tim Keller, said that gift giving to celebrate Christmas is “profoundly appropriate” since “Jesus Christ is the only human being who wasn’t just born but was given.”
“The gift of Messy Church is beyond measure. The Holy Spirit has used this vehicle to awaken children and their families to the love, joy and life of Jesus Christ in their own lives. It has changed lives and transformed the church.”
Archbishop Justin Welby
Celebrating God’s Greatest Gift
As we prepare to celebrate God’s greatest gift, Jesus, how might we be on the lookout for other gifts that God has given us? Are there gifts we can offer to God to show our gratitude for God’s amazing generosity to us? Hebrews 13:16 says “Don’t forget to do good. Don’t forget to share with others. God is pleased with those kinds of offerings.” Another word for offerings is gifts. According to this verse, gifts of doing good and sharing please God. As we draw closer to celebrating the gift of Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us, let’s consider how we might do good and share with others.
Sharing the gift of Messy Church
Messy Church is a gift that we can give to our communities as we strive to create safe places for all ages to experience and celebrate God’s love together. Describing the worldwide impact of Messy Church, Archbishop Justin Welby said “The gift of Messy Church is beyond measure. The Holy Spirit has used this vehicle to awaken children and their families to the love, joy and life of Jesus Christ in their own lives. It has changed lives and transformed the church.” If Messy Church has been a gift to you like it has been to me, please consider sharing your financial resources to support the ongoing work of Messy Church in the USA. You can participate in our year end fundraiser which will enable Messy Church USA to do more to start and sustain Messy Churches across the USA.
You can donate on our Go Fund me page or directly through the website. Our website accepts a monthly donation as well as a one-time donation. Thanks for your generosity in sharing your gift with Messy Church USA!