The Christmas Fund offering is underway: Resources added, deepening the Advent journey for all ages

In Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel, “Little Women,” lead character Jo March laments over her family’s meager holiday, grumbling to her sisters that “Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents.”

No truer words were ever spoken.

Gift giving is an integral part of the Christmas celebration, as tokens of love are exchanged to symbolize God’s gift of the Christ Child given to the world. And there is no better way to show love to those proclaiming this good news than with a donation made to The Christmas Fund.

For more than 100 years, The Pension Boards-United Church of Christ (PBUCC) has been able to provide financial assistance to UCC pastors, church workers and their families thanks to congregations and individuals contributing to the fund. At press time, $1.2 million of 2024’s $1.6 million goal has been collected.

According to PBUCC, more than 1,800 UCC congregations participated in The Christmas Fund in 2023, resulting in up to $2 million being disbursed to clergy and church workers in need. These monies were applied toward pension supplementation, health aid, emergency and monthly supplementation as well as various Christmas gifts.

While most congregations collect The Christmas Fund the Sunday before Dec. 25, many choose to use the fund as their Christmas Eve offering. Still others collect the offering on Epiphany Sunday (Jan. 5, 2025), which celebrates the arrival of the Magi and their gifts given to Jesus.

New resources help promote fund

This year’s Christmas Fund theme, “The Glory of God shone around them…” from Luke 2:9, features a plethora of new liturgical resources, which were created by the Rev. Elyse Berry, associate for advocacy and leadership development for UCC’s The Council for Health & Human Service Ministries.

“We added a few unique elements to further enrich engagement and experience of the advent themes,” said Berry, who was “thrilled” to once again create resources for The Christmas Fund.

Among the new additions are weekly children’s sermons, complete with manuscript and original art that was created by Berry, who found inspiration in the upcoming UCC General Synod’s theme of “Into the Deep.” Synod takes place July 11-15, 2025, in Kansas City, Missouri.  Registration is now opened.

“The theme for these children’s sermonettes is ‘deep-sea theology,’ with different deep-sea creatures that illuminate and illustrates the theme that week, like a dancing yeti crab for the week on joy,” said Berry.

While writing with children in mind, Berry said that the messages resonate with all ages.

“It was such a fun experience creating something for children — as well as a profound exercise for me to communicate these big themes of love, hope, peace, and joy in an accessible way and at a time where there is so much reason for despair and distress,” she said.

Spiritual exercises and sermon support

A variety of spiritual exercises inspired by poetry is another addition to The Christmas Fund resources. These exercises, said Berry, can be used during fellowship after worship, at bible studies as well as with youth groups.

“Advent is a season that is rich with meaning and longing, and so creating new ways to go deeper with the readings felt like a wonderful opportunity,” she said.

Finally, knowing how full pastors’ days are during the Christmas season, The Christmas Fund is offering sermon support, providing a full sermon transcript to be used as is or for inspiration. The transcript is accompanied by a video that can be played in place of a preached sermon.

“We hope all these resources support everyone in the congregation to dive deeper into Advent, be more present with what they find, and share more easily the ways the Spirit is moving in their lives,” said Berry.

To download the 2024 Christmas Fund offering resources, including bulletin inserts, worship materials, email templates, visit christmasfund.org.

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