A Mission-Minded Christmas

It was Christmas, and the Liberian Christians had been asked this year instead of receiving gifts, to help carry the Gospel to others . . .

This Christmas, let's do something different. Let's "get" what Christmas is really all about . . . and then "give it" all to God. God gave His Only Son for us; this Christmas, let's make Him LORD over every area: over where we live, where we go, how we spend "our" money and "our" time, and over our children's lives. Let's GIVE Him . . . ALL!

"All to Jesus, I surrender, All to Him I freely give . . ."

A Christmas Story from Liberia, AFRICA

"I Gave Myself"

As in many mission fields, they brought, not money, but produce. Presently, the great plates were piled high with offerings of rice, cocoa, bananas, palm nuts, pineapple, and cassava.

There was a moment's pause . . .

Slowly, a twelve-year-old boy walked forward and solemnly placed his feet in one of the plates. Afterward, when the missionary questioned him, the boy said . . .

"We are very poor. I did not have anything else to give . . . so I gave myself."

A few MISSION-MINDED baby-steps

Here are a few baby-steps to begin to incorporate a mission-mindset into your family's yearly Christmas celebrations.

• Incorporate a GLOBE into your Christmas celebrations. Perhaps use this to bring a mission theme into a corner of your living room or family room. Add some garland and lights, or place a mini-nativity beside this globe (or map), as you encourage your children that Jesus came to earth to be the Savior for ALL people.
• If your decorations are looking a bit old and shabby, and you're wondering about using them another year, remember 1.6 million people around the world have yet to hear the Christmas story . . . for the first time!
• Read aloud a Mission-Minded Christmas story such as this story, "I Gave Myself," or "Home for Christmas?"
• Plan a specific family giving project for Christmas. Perhaps put a coin jar under your tree and begin saving coins for a specific mission need.

As mission-minded families, if we really want God's direction in every areas of our lives, we need to begin by surrendering ALL of our "rights" to God.

All to Jesus, I surrender.

All to Him I freely give.

I will ever love and trust Him.

In His presence daily live.

I surrender all. I surrender all.

All to Thee, My Blessed Savior.

I surrender all.

This Christmas, I invite you to seek God's purposes for your family.

Have yourself a MISSION-MINDED CHRISTMAS!!!

Ann Dunagan is a homeschooling mother of 7 (ages 9 - 23), an international minister alongside her husband Jon Dunagan with Harvest Ministry, and author of several books focusing on missions and family life, including The Mission-Minded Family - Releasing Your Family to God's Destiny (FREE Sample)