'FORGOTTEN CHRISTMAS' PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES TO SHARE CHRIST'S LOVE TO 'LEAST OF THESE'
DALLAS-It's easy to forget the true meaning of Christmas amid the bustling holiday season, but with "Forgotten Christmas" (www.gfa.org/info/FC)<span>,</span> pastors and their congregations are reminded that a simple gift to the "least of these" can transform lives across the world.
Each year, some $600 million is spent on Christmas, while billions of people have yet to hear the name of Jesus. This Christmas, Gospel for Asia (www.gfa.org/press) (GFA) and its "Forgotten Christmas" campaign aim to communicate the love of Jesus to individuals, families and entire villages in South Asia through simple gifts of compassion.
Pastors can show GFA's free "Forgotten Christmas" video at their churches, which aims to remind congregants of the true meaning of Christmas. The free GFA Christmas Gift Catalog that serves as a companion to the video features life-sustaining gifts that can help lift people from hopelessness to the ability to provide for their families.
"While people in many parts of the world shop for the latest fashions and high-tech gadgets for Christmas, millions of people in South Asia struggle to attain even life's basic necessities," said Dr. K. P. Yohannan, founder and international director of GFA. "Through the 'Forgotten Christmas' video and Christmas Gift Catalog, we want to provide pastors and churches with the resources to literally change the lives of those who are the 'least of these.' That's the true meaning of Christmas."
The Christmas Gift Catalog features gifts such as goats, clean water, Bibles, sewing machines and a host of others. Each gift not only provides a needy family with basics for their survival, but they also get to hear about the love of the Savior for whom Christmas is celebrated. In 2013, 125,000 gifts were given to help needy families in Asia. All funds from the gifts purchased in the catalog go directly to the mission field.
GFA's three-minute animated "Forgotten Christmas" video poignantly highlights the stark differences between the true meaning of Christmas and the consumerism that is practiced in many parts of the world. Pastors and small group leaders can show the video at one or multiple services leading up to Christmas, reminding members of how many people can experience the love of Christ through a simple gift.
"We wanted to help pastors and small group leaders cut through the consumerism and confusion this Christmas," said Yohannan. "The video and catalog do just that. It's amazing to see how such a small gift can impact an entire family or even a whole village for eternity."
Additional information about "Forgotten Christmas" is available at www.gfa.org/info/FC. A free resource kit for churches and small groups is also available by visiting www.gfa.org/info/FC-kit.
Information about GFA and its work in South Asia is available at www.gfa.org/press.
"Forgotten Christmas" (www.gfa.org/info/FC) was established in 2010 to help Christians rediscover the true meaning of Christmas in giving to others in need. Since that time, their videos and catalogs have been used by hundreds of churches to challenge Christians to give to "the least of these" in South Asia.
