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Sight’s 2015 Christmas gift list

Looking for a last minute Christmas gift idea that could also impact someone in a powerful way? Here’s some alternative ideas to consider. But we know you’ve got some great ideas to share too, so please use the Your Say feature at the bottom of this article to tell others about them…

Christmas gift

1. Your time. A precious commodity in what most would agree is an increasingly fast-paced world, taking time out of your busy schedule to spend time with someone else – whether it’s going for a walk, having a chat at a cafe or finally accompanying them to that museum they’ve always wanted to see – can be a great gift. Not only will it bless someone, it may also give you an opportunity to share the greatest gift of all – the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the very reason why we have Christmas in the first place.

2. A growing range of humanitarian organisations – faith-based and otherwise – offer you the chance to bless a family member or friend at Christmas by paying for a gift that will change the life of someone living in poverty overseas (the idea generally being that you purchase the gift in the name of the person you are giving the gift to and then send them a card which explains what the gift is and how it will impact a person, family and community). World Vision Australia’s gift list this year includes everything from a buying a child a pack of pencils for school ($5) to a llama for a family ($197) while Compassion Australia’s annual Gifts of Compassion offering features everything from toothbrushes ($10) to a rickshaw ($1,000) and TEAR Australia’s Really Useful Gifts has options including a kit to start a vegetable garden ($10) to providing someone with vocational training ($60).

3. There’s also a range of ways you can bless someone living in Australia this Christmas – one easy way is by putting a gift under the Kmart Wishing Tree (it could be in the name of someone else – simply write what you’ve done on a card and give it to them – or simply as an extra gift). The appeal, which is run in conjunction with the Salvation Army and Mission Australia, saw more than 390,000 gifts collected across Australia last year. Along the same lines, you could simply make up a hamper of food and drop it off at a friend’s place who you know will be having a difficult time this year or at your local soup kitchen for the homeless (check with the organisers first). If it involves someone you know, it may be better to do so anonymously.

4. Perform an act of service for someone by doing a job they never seem to get around to like cleaning up a yard or sorting a wardrobe (with their permission, of course!) or just one of those endless chores that’s always there – washing a car, mowing a lawn, doing the dishes…You get the idea.

Christmas star

5. Do you have a particular, sought-after skill like playing the guitar, speaking another language or hitting a perfect chip shot on the golf course? Why not pass on some “expert” knowledge to someone else – it may mean meeting up with them a few times so you can pass on what you have learnt over time (which brings with it the added bonus of getting to know them better).

6. You can also put your skills to good use in making something for someone else – anything from a hand-crafted piece of furniture to a plate of Christmas shortbread; a recipe book of all their favorite dishes to a pottery mug; even a framed print or a calendar featuring some of your photos.

7. Grow something. OK, that’s probably going to be difficult in the few weeks left before Christmas but maybe you could give them a card explaining that they’ll be receiving some of your produce – whether it’s zucchinis, apricots or freshly cut flowers – as the harvest comes in down the track.

8. Share something you’ve been blessed with. Maybe it’s a holiday house at the beach, your prize tool set or a series of books and you know someone who would love to have access to them. Simply present them with a card, detailing what it is you’re offering them the use of.

9. Invite someone to a Christmas service at your church – whether it’s a carols service in the lead-up to Christmas or a service on Christmas Day. You might also consider inviting someone to share your Christmas lunch – particularly those who you know will spend the day alone.

10. Last but not least, why not consider buying someone a virtual subscription for Sight Magazine? Just $26 a year – or $10 a month – helps to keep Sight freely accessible to all and blesses those we are reaching in countries where sharing the Gospel is restricted or even banned. If you know someone who would be blessed by such a gift, head to www.sightmagazine.com.au/subscribe. Meanwhile, this year we’re also offering the chance to buy someone a Sight walks voucher for one of our Christian history walks in Melbourne or Geelong – email [email protected] for more information.

We hope you find this Christmas gift list inspirational and please, if you have further ideas or a different take on how to bless someone this Christmas, write it down below…

 

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