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A few years ago while serving as a worship pastor in a church, a few of my team and I thought we ought to go Christmas Caroling. But instead of walking through neighborhoods and singing on the lawns of friends and neighbors, we came up with a different plan.
I asked one of our office staff to compile a list of people who were a part of our church, but for health or reasons otherwise, weren't able to leave their homes.
When we received the list and saw the many names on it, we realized that it was going to be a large undertaking. We shared the idea with our entire worship ministry membership and the response was overwhelming!
We chose a Saturday in the month of December, split up the names and addresses geographically (we were in a large metropolitan area), secured several passenger vans, divided into teams, and prepared for a day of ministry.
There was about eight inches of snow on the ground from a previous snowfall, so the setting was perfect for some Christmas Caroling Kindness. We would knock on a door as a team (8-12 people per team), and when the door was answered we would break into song. Many times we were invited in because the person we were "targeting" wasn't able to come to the door.
It was glorious!
When we returned to the church building and shared our experiences with the other teams, it was obvious that this was a divine endeavor. Story after story emerged demonstrating how our simple act of Christmas Caroling Kindness literally "made" Christmas special for the receiver.
My favorite story actually happened with the team I was a part of. Our "target" was the wife of an elderly gentlemen who had suffered a stroke about eight months previously. He was bed-ridden, unable to take care of even the most basic of needs, and was for the most part unresponsive.
We wanted to encourage his wife, who except for very rare occasions, had not been able to attend our worship services nor get out for shopping or socializing because of his constant need for care and attention.
We sang for her on the porch, and she invited us into the house to "visit" her husband. Our simple choir of nine gathered around his hospital bed where he was laying and after praying for him, we broke into song and did a medley of Christmas carols.
When we finished, I noticed that the gentleman, who had laid still staring at the ceiling, had a tear running down his cheek.
Again, it was glorious!
What are some of your Christmas (Caroling) Kindness stories? Share your thoughts below in 'comments'.
If you like this post, you can re-post, 'share' it on your Facebook status, or forward it to your friends. Follow me on Twitter @bigcloudmusic if you find me interesting. Subscribe to this Blog if you'd like.
A few years ago while serving as a worship pastor in a church, a few of my team and I thought we ought to go Christmas Caroling. But instead of walking through neighborhoods and singing on the lawns of friends and neighbors, we came up with a different plan.
When we received the list and saw the many names on it, we realized that it was going to be a large undertaking. We shared the idea with our entire worship ministry membership and the response was overwhelming!
We chose a Saturday in the month of December, split up the names and addresses geographically (we were in a large metropolitan area), secured several passenger vans, divided into teams, and prepared for a day of ministry.
There was about eight inches of snow on the ground from a previous snowfall, so the setting was perfect for some Christmas Caroling Kindness. We would knock on a door as a team (8-12 people per team), and when the door was answered we would break into song. Many times we were invited in because the person we were "targeting" wasn't able to come to the door.
It was glorious!
When we returned to the church building and shared our experiences with the other teams, it was obvious that this was a divine endeavor. Story after story emerged demonstrating how our simple act of Christmas Caroling Kindness literally "made" Christmas special for the receiver.
My favorite story actually happened with the team I was a part of. Our "target" was the wife of an elderly gentlemen who had suffered a stroke about eight months previously. He was bed-ridden, unable to take care of even the most basic of needs, and was for the most part unresponsive.
We wanted to encourage his wife, who except for very rare occasions, had not been able to attend our worship services nor get out for shopping or socializing because of his constant need for care and attention.
We sang for her on the porch, and she invited us into the house to "visit" her husband. Our simple choir of nine gathered around his hospital bed where he was laying and after praying for him, we broke into song and did a medley of Christmas carols.
When we finished, I noticed that the gentleman, who had laid still staring at the ceiling, had a tear running down his cheek.
Again, it was glorious!
What are some of your Christmas (Caroling) Kindness stories? Share your thoughts below in 'comments'.
If you like this post, you can re-post, 'share' it on your Facebook status, or forward it to your friends. Follow me on Twitter @bigcloudmusic if you find me interesting. Subscribe to this Blog if you'd like.
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