Socks? DVDs? Give something a little different this Christmas
The Methodist Church hopes to spread a little Christmas cheeracross the nation and the world with the latest edition of A Giftof Christmas.
- Available free as an ebook - download
A Gift of Christmas is a small book that celebrates the bigstory behind the festive season. It is designed for churches andindividuals to give away to their friends, neighbours andcommunities.
"Christmas is a wonderful time when the boundaries betweenpeople seem to melt away," said the Revd Dr Mark Wakelin, Presidentof the Methodist Conference. "It's a wonderful opportunity forChristians to share the love of God with their neighbours andfriends. It's a story that's too good to keep to ourselves andA Gift of Christmas makes sharing it even easier."
The latest edition features prayer, poetry and excerpts fromChristmas carols, as well as classic scriptural readings. A specialedition in Cantonese is being prepared for use in Hong Kong. Inaddition to the paper booklet, people can download A Gift ofChristmas free in the epub format compatible with most ebookreaders.
A Gift of Christmas is also ideal for small-group and personalreflection. Nearly 300,000 copies of previous editions of the bookhave been sold and given away since 2009.
The booklets can be purchased from
On Advent Sunday (2 December) Methodists around Britain willmake a special Advent Offering of funds in their services. All ofthe money raised by the Offering will go to the Mission in BritainFund, which gives grants to support work across Britain'scommunities. The Church's free Advent materials featureworship and prayer resources alongside stories that show how grantsare making a huge difference to Britain's communities.