In India we have a yuletide tradition in many churches called the Christmas Tree Gift Service or the White Gift Service.
Its an evening of Christmas carols and a homily by the Pastor followed by the distribution of simple little gifts to the children and adults.
There can be a gift exchange also. In the white gift service presents are wrapped in white paper and laid around the Christmas tree and you can come up and pick a little package .In large and rich congregations more expensive gifts are given for which money is collected beforehand.
One church I know did not have a gift service for themselves. Instead of that they used the contributions to prepare a nice meal for the inmates of an old people 's home. The elderly folk shared the joy of Christ 's coming with this group. What a neat idea.
Last Saturday the Believer 's Church held their Christmas Tree in our church. There were about 150 people or more. Only the little children got gifts. This church is not rich. Here are some photos I took.
Singing carols
Sunday school children
Lost in worship - O come let us adore him.
The Pastor 's wife (seated) distributing gifts to the children. They got a lollipop and a pencil each.
The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others ' loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas.
- W C Jones
Its an evening of Christmas carols and a homily by the Pastor followed by the distribution of simple little gifts to the children and adults.
There can be a gift exchange also. In the white gift service presents are wrapped in white paper and laid around the Christmas tree and you can come up and pick a little package .In large and rich congregations more expensive gifts are given for which money is collected beforehand.
One church I know did not have a gift service for themselves. Instead of that they used the contributions to prepare a nice meal for the inmates of an old people 's home. The elderly folk shared the joy of Christ 's coming with this group. What a neat idea.
Last Saturday the Believer 's Church held their Christmas Tree in our church. There were about 150 people or more. Only the little children got gifts. This church is not rich. Here are some photos I took.
The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others ' loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas.
- W C Jones
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