Christmas is a wonderful time for giving.
In honor of Jesus’ birth, we often send year-end gifts to our favorite ministries and well-known organizations like Operation Christmas Child.
But did you know that many other Christian ministries offer special ways to give at Christmas time?
In the spirit of creative giving, here’s a list of four unique ministries that offer special Christmas giving opportunities.
Prison Fellowship Angel Tree Program
The ministry of Prison Fellowship is truly powerful. This organization strives to reach prison inmates and their families for Christ, spreading the Gospel through Bible studies, leadership training, substance abuse recovery programs, and more.
At Christmas, the ministry conducts the Angel Tree program which focuses on providing hope and joy to the children and families of inmates with personal gifts and financial assistance.
Your gifts to Angel Tree help provide Christmas presents, personalized messages of love, and free, easy-to-read copies of the Bible to each inmate’s family.
Angel Tree also keeps in contact with inmates’ families all year round, offering camps, mentoring opportunities, and church outreach to children and spouses of prisoners. The ministry wants to see lives changed long after the Christmas season.
Wycliffe Bible Translators
Wycliffe Bible Translators is a ministry that works to translate God’s Word into every language on the planet. This year, the ministry’s Christmas catalog is full of unique giving opportunities that will interest a wide variety of people!
In the Wycliffe Gift Catalog, you’ll find 20 different gift opportunities. These range from audio translations of the Gospels, video translations for Colombian sign language, to puppet-based Bible stories and Indonesian Gospel hymns.
Best of all, you can give each gift in honor of a specific family member or friend. They’ll receive a card that describes the gift you gave in their honor and know that they are a part of advancing the kingdom of God through Bible translation!
HOPE International
HOPE International enables people around the world to become “dignified, hope-filled providers in their families and communities” through Christ-centered financial training and support.
The ministry believes that every person has God-given talents and gifts that can empower them to make changes in their lives and their communities. Their meaningful work can provide a service that leads their communities closer to Christ.
The ministry’s Christmas gift catalog offers opportunities to support tailors, farmers, and shop owners in developing countries around the world. If you’re giving in honor of someone, or if you simply want to raise awareness of this opportunity, you can send cards to loved ones as well.
Homeless Ministries Nationwide
In the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, it’s often difficult to remember that not everyone is celebrating at this time of year. In the comfort of our homes and families, we can easily forget that many individuals and families are spending Christmas without homes.
If you want to make a practical impact on your local community, consider giving to a homeless ministry in your area! It’s a hands-on way to give Christmas joy to someone who needs it.
If you’re not sure what homeless ministries exist in your area, here are a few options in Illinois, Iowa, and California to get you started. Keep searching to find an outreach that directly impacts people in your community!
Remember to give thoughtfully and joyfully this Christmas, in remembrance and celebration of Christ’s birth on earth! We have many incredible opportunities to gift hope and joy to those around us and all over the world.
(h/t Christian Life Daily)