What is OneLess Gift?

It's amazing what a gift can do.

I don't know if you've ever received a gift that was really meaningful or memorable, but if you have, you know that the value of that gift is often more about the heart of the gift than it is about the size of the gift. The best gifts are like that.

During the Christmas season, we celebrate the Greatest Gift ever given -- the gift of Jesus, born in Bethlehem. The gift God gave didn't look impressive, it wasn't large, and it even went unnoticed by many. But the value of this gift that came from the heart of God is impossible to measure.

And so now, as people who have been given the Greatest Gift, we respond in the only way we can: gratitude. And one of the best ways we can show gratitude is by becoming givers ourselves.

The beauty of One Less Gift is that we can all join together, choosing to give one less gift amongst ourselves so that we can give many gifts to others.

What you give doesn't have to look impressive. It doesn't have to be large. It might even go unnoticed by many. But I imagine, like all great gifts, the value of what we are able to give together will not be measured by its size, but by the heart of love we give it with.

I encourage you to look through this year’s One Less Gift guide (use the link below to download it) and see where our collected gifts will go this year, then prayerfully decide what you can give. We hope to make a significant impact this Christmas — in Joplin and in the nations — and you can be part of it.

Ben Cross, Lead Minister

* Use the drop-down menu to select “One Less Gift”