Two Christmas Gifts!
| By admin
After “Jane” discussed the Christmas story for the first time in my neighborhood Q Place group, she asked,
“Can we do this again next week . . . because I know nothing about this!”
Although Jane grew up in America, she had never read the Bible before she started attending our group in the fall and had always found Christmas carols very confusing. Now, in our group, the pieces were starting to come together!
Openness at Christmas
In our culture there is a sense of spirituality around the Christmas season. Lifeway Research has found that Americans have increased spiritual interest around the following seasons or events:
During Christmas: 47%
During Easter: 38%
After the birth of a baby: 28%
After the start of a war or international tension: 25%
During fall/back-to-school season: 11%
During the summer: 11%
– Lifeway Research, as reported in Outreach Magazine, January/February, 2016
That means your neighbors, friends or co-workers could be very similar to Jane—thrilled for the chance to read the story of Jesus’ birth and talk about it at a special Christmas get-together at your house.
So, use the gifts below for a Christmas get together! (And if an online connection is your best option, click for great online Christmas Party ideas!)
Gift #1: A Christmas Party . . . about Christmas
Our first gift to you is a practical how-to with all of the ideas you need to plan a gathering, including a low-key discussion centered on Christmas. You can invite neighbors, co-workers, and friends of different spiritual backgrounds to enjoy a time of sharing and getting to know each other.
This resource includes an activity called “Christmas Sharing,” with fun and meaningful Christmas icebreaker questions that will help everyone connect well.
Then, after that time of sharing, you can include a time to read and reflect on a description of Jesus’ birth.
Gift #2: Four Short Christmas Studies
And our second gift? It’s a packet of four short Christmas discussions that includes “The Cost of Christmas,” the discussion guide I used in my group with Jane! In the packet there are four topics to pick from. Each one has discussion questions that will help everyone in the group make discoveries as you read the Scripture passage together. Here is a summary of each topic so you can find the best match for friends, family, or a group that wants to do something special and meaningful for Christmas.
If your group includes people who are relatively new to the Bible, “The Cost of Christmas” and “Who Is This Child?” may be a good match as they are shorter and simpler. “The Greatest Gift” and “Empty or Full” delve into greater topical depth and are likely to be a better fit for groups that have had more Bible experience.
The Cost of Christmas
Especially for people that are brand new to the Bible, this resource explores what the birth of Christ cost for each person who was involved—including the supreme cost to God himself.
Who Is this Child?
Invites participants to explore the full identity of this baby born in Bethlehem, from an ancient prophecy of the Messiah, to dramatic birth announcements given by angels.
The Greatest Gift
Focuses on the gift that God gave to us in Christ. It incorporates the events of Jesus’ birth, a study of the gifts brought by the wise men to him, and time to consider our response to God’s gift.
Empty or Full?
A unique angle on Christmas, addressing the reality of loss in our lives and comparing the Old Testament character Ruth with Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Fill out the form below, and we will send both gifts to your inbox!
Jane’s story doesn’t stop with that Christmas discussion. She continued strong in our neighborhood group all year, and when Christmas came around again, Jane created a flyer to invite the whole block to a Christmas gathering!
Fran Goodrich
Q Place blog editor
2 Christmas Gifts from Q Place
Enter information below to receive your Christmas party resource and a packet of four 1-session small group discussions for Christmas!
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