The story of Christ's birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love. So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a Savior has
somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists. And when it's all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming debt that will
take months to pay off, and this empty feeling of missed purpose. Is this what we really want out of Christmas? What if Christmas became a world-changing event again? That's what we hope to do through Advent Conspiracy, a movement calling us to proclaim Christ in how we celebrate Christmas.
The concept behind Advent Conspiracy is simple...
Spend Less
Christmas has become a season of excess. Consider this: America spends an average of $450 billion a year every Christmas. That comes out to something roughly like $900 per household. The invitation to spend less is not about being a Scrooge or loving our family and friends any less, but about intentionally considering how we use our resources to celebrate Christ’s birth, and to give in the way he gave: his presence. So before you head out for the mall, consider these ideas:
- Consider your core values and whether what you are buying reflects those values.
- Consider drawing names and giving one less gift than last year (or two)!
- Consider how your spending might contribute towards what the world needs.
Here’s an example of what one family did in spending less – A family agreed to not exchange presents and instead gave that money to a charity or cause of their own choosing. On Christmas Day, the time around the tree was spent listening as each person described their gift and why that cause mattered to them.