Preparing for Christmas
We are preparing for Christmas. This year we are starting early so you can join in.
Each year, with your support, Christian Freedom International celebrates Christmas with Christians who live in places where it can be perilous to believe in our Savior. Our partners throw parties and give clothes, food, toys, and other goods to celebrate God’s gift of Jesus.
This year, we are also giving special cards that tell the story of Christmas in pictures and Bible verses. The colorful cards will be treasured all year – and can be discreetly shared to tell others about God’s greatest gift, His son Jesus.
The reality is that in some places of the world, Christmas can be one of the most dangerous times of year for Christians.
Last year, pastors in Bangladesh received death threats and a bounty was put on their lives to frighten them from celebrating Christmas. In Nigeria, Islamists massacred Christians as they prepared Christmas celebrations. Please pray for peace and protection for Christians this Christmas.
Our partners around the world consider the security threats in their area to decide how they will celebrate.
Some arrange to meet discreetly with fellow Christians, one by one, to rejoice in the birth of Jesus. Some gather quietly in small groups to sing Christmas songs, share a meal, and then slip back to their homes. Others can openly, but carefully, put on Christmas plays and invite their neighbors to learn about Jesus.
Last year, our team organized gatherings for Afghan Christians in a Muslim-majority country. This was the first time for many to celebrate Christmas with a group – and the first time their children received Christmas gifts.
In Nigeria, our partners delivered bags of gifts to children who had survived Islamist violence. Many had lost family members and were driven from their homes. Christmas is a vital time to remind them that God loves them.
In Pakistan, Christian children in a brickyard performed dances and a play to tell about Jesus – and enjoyed Christmas dinner and gifts of toys and clothes.
In Thailand, at our school for persecuted Christians, students threw a party for refugees and neighbors. They practiced for months to tell the Nativity story in skits and songs. About 300 people filled the yard and spilled into the street.
In other countries, Christians gathered in homes and churches to share gifts that you and supporters of Christian Freedom International generously gave. Thank you for making this a special day to rejoice in Jesus!
Despite the threat of risks, Christians will still celebrate His birth. Will you bolster their faith by standing with them and pray for them?
Your gift of any amount can also provide Christmas gifts and celebrations, as well as shelters, schooling, medical aid, and other vital support for persecuted Christians.
Your gift may help an Afghan Christian who is celebrating Christmas for the first time. Or a child in Nigeria who lost her family from Islamist attacks. Or a pastor in Bangladesh who will our Christmas cards to teach the story of Christmas.
We invite you to celebrate Christmas with Christians who risk everything for believing in Jesus. Thank you for making this a special Christmas for them.