Ministering Ideas – December

“It’s not what’s under the tree that matters, it’s who is gathered around it.”

Here are a few ministering ideas you might try for the month of December. Many of these require extra effort, so if you need something simple this month. Just download a copy of the “It’s not what’s under the tree” card above, print, and deliver with a small note written on the back. This is just one of dozens of pull-out cards from the book, Heartfelt Ministering.

December Ministering Ideas:

#LightTheWorld as you Minister this Season:

You should have no shortage of great ideas for how to minister to others this month, but if you are, sign in to the #LightTheWorld website and see if you can find inspiration there. I’ve included a few links from ideas shared in my ward Relief Society Council this week:

Ministering Globally:

Work with your ministering families to make a contribution to Heifer International (www.heifer.org) an organization that supplies families with resources to lift them out of poverty.

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Contribute to any charity that provides clean water to those who can’t access it.

Find a refugee organization that needs new clothing, kitchen utensils, or sanitation items and contribute. Visit the I Was A Stranger website at https://www.lds.org/refugees for a list of all of the global charitable organizations the Church partners with.

Get together with your neighborhood to pool all of the funds you would have used for neighborhood gifts and contribute to an organization that provides relief for those who lost homes in the California wildfires.

Contributions to kiva.org create small micro loans to people worldwide who are starting small businesses or need help with education.

Find more ideas here: https://www.mormon.org/christmas/week-1-light-the-world

Ministering in your own Community: Light Your Community

This one is easy. Visit www.justserve.org, type in your zip code, and find a project near you.

Suggest to your extended family that instead of gifts for one another, you might shop for and buy gifts for a local family in need.

Photo by Nicolette Meade on Unsplash

As part of a family party, get together and tie a quilt for a local women’s shelter.

Meals on Wheels is often looking for delivery drivers who can take a 1-hour shift once weekly to deliver meals to homebound senior citizens.

Tape a quarter to every gumball machine at the grocery store for a child to discover and use.

Here are more simple ideas: https://www.mormon.org/christmas/week-2-light-your-community

 

Ministering to Your Family: Light Your Family

Have a family Christmas sing-along and invite everyone who plays any kind of instrument to perform or play along.

Write a love letter or letter of appreciation to someone in your family.

Photo by Gabriel Petry on Unsplash

Make copies of, and edit old home videos to share.

Download and make a hard copy of all of the missionary emails a member of your family sent while they were serving. Present these letters as a gift in a nice looseleaf binder.

Start a new family tradition. Invite all of your siblings for a sit-down Christmas dinner (without children–just the siblings and their companions). Or, go as a group to the gravesite of someone who passed away recently and leave a small wreath. Be sure to sing a Christmas carol together.

Do temple work for extended family members.

 

Ministering to Yourself – Light Your Faith:

 

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