December is a time for gift giving. In addition to choosing just the right gift for friends and family, many people also extend their generosity to charitable organizations. As I was thinking about my own end of year giving, I happened to read Stephen Mattson’s recent blog post featuring five reasons why we should consider going beyond funding charities to getting personally involved in helping the poor.
So What?
Mattson wasn’t suggesting that giving money to organizations that help the poor is a bad idea. Instead, he wants people of faith to go one step further and to get involved because that very interaction “helps us realize that they’re deeply loved by God and extremely valuable in His sight.”
- Name one organization you supported during 2013 that helps the poor. Share how you got involved (volunteering in a specific capacity, helping underwrite an event, etc.).
- What is one way you could bypass any type of organized efforts and personally help the poor (or a poor person) during Advent? How likely are you to actually do so?