Upcoming Events
In This Issue...
Articles
- A Theology of Humor by Cheryl Taylor
- Ministering With Humor by Stephanie Nance
- Christian Leaders Having Fun? by Pam Morton with Kathy Jingling
- The Health Benefits of Humor and Laughter by Dwenda Gjerdingen, MD, MS
Resources
Book Reviews
- Anatomy of an Illness by Norman Cousins
- The Purse-Driven Life by Anita Renfroe
| Return |
Celebrating Christ in a MultiFaith World: Inviting Discovery and Doing Good Together
By Dr. Charlie Self and Kathleen Self
Charlie and Kathy Self have served the Lord together for 29 years as artists and authors, missionaries and ministers, pastors and professors, and in business and community leadership. Their calling to encourage, equip, and empower has taken them to Belgium and California, Washington, D.C. and the Northwest. Kathy is a professional artist, with critical acclaim in juried shows and festivals and extensive experience in fostering a vision for the arts in the church. Her website is www.colorbrush.com.Charlie is now the associate professor of Church History at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary and a national speaker and published author. His latest book, coauthored with Les Hewitt, is The Power of Faithful Focus. He is also frequently in the radio commenting on current events. His website is www.drcharlieself.com. Kathy and Charlie have three adult children.
Fresh Ways to Impact Your Community This Christmas
Angel Tree — Partner with a ministry that provides Christmas gifts to children with incarcerated parents. www.angeltree.org
Toys for Tots — Work with your local Marine Corps Reserve Unit to collect new toys for needy children in your area. www.toysfortots.org
Operation Christmas Child — Pack shoeboxes full of supplies for needy children around the world. Families and children can get involved, and Samaritan's Purse provides an instructional video and materials. www.samaritanspurse.org
Convoy of Hope — Take the lead in organizing a community outreach, or partner with Convoy to do a food/supply drive that will help disaster response teams. www.convoy.org
Angel Food Ministries — Partner with a ministry that can provide food relief and financial support to your community. www.angelfoodministries.com
Shapes Mentoring — Become a mentor to a child of an incarcerated parent through SHAPES Mentoring. www.shapesmentoring.org
Red Cross — Host a blood drive for the Red Cross, or call your local Red Cross and ask how you can help or volunteer this holiday season. www.redcross.org
Local Public School — Call your local public school and ask how you or your church can be a blessing. Do they need donations? Finances for a project? Landscape care? Cleaning? Tutoring help? Backpacks of food for at-risk children over the weekends? A simple "thank you for serving out community" basket for the teacher's lounge would be greatly appreciated.
Local Homeless Shelter — Do a canned food drive or a coat drive for your local homeless shelter. Thanksgiving and Christmas
Baskets — Contact your public schools, social services, or the local foster care system to help identify needy families in your area that would appreciate this gift of food.
Christmas Party — Host a Christmas party for a local low-income housing unit.
Christmas is about God's humble, powerful, personal entry into the story of our lives. Jesus is forever one of us, from His conception by the Holy Spirit in Mary's womb, through His ordinary life as a carpenter's son, to His extraordinary ministry and ultimate death and Resurrection that secured our salvation.
As we celebrate Christmas, we do so in a multifaith world, with many neighbors who enjoy the fun without faith, reject the whole story, or find Jesus interesting but not the center of their lives. How can we represent Jesus well and work with our neighbors for a better world?
We suggest that there are three practical and profound ways to connect with our pre-Christian neighbors and celebrate Christ together.
First, the Bible says that Jesus came to "seek and save the lost." One writer said that Jesus loves the "last, least, little, and lost." Cooperating with our Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim neighbors to bring relief to the poor locally is one way "do justice" together. Pack up the kids and serve in a homeless shelter. Create a neighborhood food and clothing drive. Organize outreach to single parents or sponsor an orphanage nearby.
Second, work with your friends and neighbors to concretely improve your neighborhood. Missiologist Ray Bakke says that, "the poor need beauty as well as bread." Work with local churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, and/or community groups to beautify a block, create a community art project, or improve the schoolyard where kids play. One local church recreated the community garden for an elementary school. When we care for kids, we create a universal bond.
Thirdly, celebrate Christ by giving gifts to your neighbors. Your Christmas cookies can be enjoyed by all around you, regardless of their faith. Handmade crafts will bring a smile and help ease the tensions of the season. Host a multicultural potluck and invite each to bring a favorite dish. Jesus is Lord of all the earth and heaven will be filled with people of all nations — your potluck is a foretaste of the future.
Serving the poor, beautifying the neighborhood, and giving gifts all reflect Christ to our neighbors. It is even more important that you use conversational opportunities to share the gospel with your colleagues and friends. Let them hear about the peace you have from the Prince of Peace. Weave a witness into the laments about materialism by sharing God's personal care through Christ. You will be amazed how few know "the rest of the story" about Jesus.
