By Jonathan Adkins
In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Mathew 5:14–16, He called His followers a “light of the world” and said to “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” The holiday season provides a unique opportunity each year to be a light to your community by meeting needs with the intent of sharing the Gospel. Listed below are some practical ways you and your church can serve your community this Christmas.
- Host a gift-wrapping event. Our Single Adults Ministry at Prestonwood has partnered with apartment complexes to host free gift-wrapping events for residents. We provide the gift-wrapping supplies as well as coffee and hot chocolate, and the apartment management has helped us with advertisement through e-mails, flyers and postings on their community pages. When the event starts, we play Christmas music and have some volunteers assigned to wrapping presents and others assigned to greeting and conversations.
- Christmas caroling. A classic Christmas tradition, Christmas caroling provides a fun way for people of all ages to serve together. Recently some groups from our Young Singles Ministry sang Christmas songs at an assisted-living facility, and the people there loved it! The event created a stronger bond between group members and helped the residents feel loved. There are several other locations where Christmas caroling can be done: door-to-door in your neighborhood, at a neighborhood community center, at an apartment recreation room, at a park or shopping center, and more.
- Host a Christmas service at an assisted-living facility. One of the joys we have in ministry is the privilege of serving widows and widowers and others who reside in assisted-living facilities. These communities are often seeking people to come and visit, spend quality time, and provide Bible studies. Residents often come from a variety of spiritual backgrounds giving ample opportunity for sharing the Gospel and seeing people come to Christ.
- Provide a Christmas dinner for international students. Another way to show Christ’s love in your community is to host a Christmas dinner for the international students at your local university. This is a great way to include an often-forgotten group into the Christmas season and activities. Your church’s small groups could serve together and use the meal as an opportunity to share the reason for the season, Jesus Christ.
These are just a few ways your church can love and serve your community this holiday season. Be creative in how you bless your community. Christmas can often be a challenging time for people, and taking time to serve them can make a difference in their day and in their eternity. I encourage you to get all age groups involved as you model Jesus to your neighbors and celebrate His birth and the good news of the Gospel.
Jonathan Adkins serves as the Minister to Single Adults at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas. Follow him on Twitter at @jonathaneadkins.