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Slide 2 Christmas... Slide 3 Slide 4 MONEY How will you spend yours... Slide 5 Christmas 2006... Slide 6 Slide 7 Britain spent around 17 billion pounds on gifts Thats 378 per person Slide 8 Whats the best present you have ever been given? Slide 9 Slide 10 How did you feel when you opened it? Slide 11 Loved Amazed Excited Happy Astounded Thankful Valued Understood Moved Slide 12 What could you do to make someone feel that way too? Slide 13 What gift could you give them? Slide 14 Time How will you spend yours? Slide 15 You have 336 hours of Christmas holiday Slide 16 how will you spend that time? Slide 17 Sleeping Shopping Eating Wrapping Presents Time with family T.V. Hanging out with friends At Church Slide 18 Think of a good time you spent with someone else at Christmas... Slide 19 What made that time so good? Slide 20 What can you do to help people enjoy their time this Christmas? Slide 21 Listen Be patient Laugh Share Play Talk Be present Be willing Slide 22 What memories might you create? Slide 23 Energy How will you spend yours... Slide 24 Do you have the Christmas spirit? Slide 25 Slide 26 Have others noticed? Slide 27 Being nice to relatives Smiling at people in the street Helping around the house Are you... Spending time with friends Singing festive tunes putting up decorations spreading goodwill Slide 28 How can you make Christmas a special time for others this year? Slide 29 Jims story http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/6309/1010/228/z/158234/gse_multipart66046.jpg Slide 30 Talkie bit - Story: Jim is an older guy, hes married with 4 kids and has three grandkids, and he lives in Texas, America. His life is pretty normal but he discovered something amazing last Christmas time. He says this about his family we have often spent money that we didn't have, gone into debt that took months to overcome, and [seen] Christmas as the ultimate consumer activity with Jesus thrown in as a kind of superstitious blessings. Last year Jim and his family decided to celebrate in a different way. The names of each family member were put into a hat and they took turns to draw one name out. They no longer had to buy loads of presents for all their relatives but they had to do something extra special for the name they picked. Something that showed they loved that person, they knew their likes and dislikes and was a gift that cost the giver something of them self. This is what Jim writes... Last year our youngest daughter, Amanda, drew my name. I've been a runner for most of my life, and she has never been one. For Christmas, she registered both of us for a 10K fun run that was scheduled for the following February. [We] then spent the time between Christmas and the run training together. When the day came, we ran the entire 10K together. On the wall in my bedroom, I have a picture of us crossing the finish line. It is one of my treasures because my little girl, thought about who I was, and took some time to give something of herself to me. He says I can't stop the world from making Christmas what it makes it. But, I can - and I will - spend the Advent Season this year slowing down, spending time with family and friends, giving myself to them, celebrating their presence in my life. I think thats a more lasting gift than anything you can buy. Example: Insert your own example of something a parent/friend did for you, if you want to extend/personalise it. Theres just three more slides I want you guys to think about... Slide 31 How can you spend your money, time or energy to make the Christmas season something more special? Slide 32 it is in giving that we receive Slide 33 Spend wisely. Slide 34 Resources Photos from www.flickr.co.ukwww.flickr.co.uk Story from www.faithwalking.blogspot.com.blogspot.com Suggested musicSuggested music: Somewhere in my Memory from the Home Alone Soundtrack