WHY?
There has been a progressive removal of the ‘CHRIST’ from ‘CHRISTmas’. Concurrently there has been very little education on the rich Christian heritage our nation has, which gifted it many of its most treasured values – like equality, tolerance, honesty and charity. So we’d like to keep the Christ in Christmas – just as any person of any faith would desire to do so in connection with their historic celebrations.
For a report on the 2019 effort see pages 21-25 of the Shining Lights Trust report here.
Please support the Hope Project efforts at AllTogether.co.nz/donate
Amazing new story
The First Kiwi Christmas
An illustrated children’s book for ages 4-7
It’s nearly Christmas time and a boat is riding the waves towards the top of New Zealand. On board are Māori, Europeans, excitable horses and impatient cows. Step back into the early 1800s and find out how the first Christmas was celebrated in Aotearoa New Zealand.
An ideal gift for Christmas.
So what can you do?
Our invitation is that you be intentional about using nativity-based CHRISTmas themes in your areas of influence – as opposed to Santa, elves or jingle bells. This can be done in a number of simple ways:
Individuals
- Buy, give and use nativity-themed Christmas cards and decorations. These are available from various retailers and Christian bookstores.
- Include carols and nativity-themed tunes on your playlists.
- Post nativity-themed imagery and videos on your social media.
- Create or purchase giant nativity displays and light displays for your home and lawn. We note US outlets like Outdoor Nativity Displays and Catholic Supply St Louis.
- Follow a nativity-themed advent calendar app or bible plan on your phone – and don’t forget to share your activities on social media.
- Design & create your own wooden nativity puzzle using a scroll saw. An easy-to-follow example is found at Reality Daydream. These also make for a great gifts.
- Have some family fun with nativity-themed physical advent calendars such as the Advent Story and Storybook App available from @Home+Church.
- Also for families and Sunday Schools, subscribe for a children’s bicultural Christmas activity sheet (can be viewed at Tupu Whakarangi/Maori Postal publication). For additional copies, please contact them directly via the subscription page.
For traditional Christmas music, cards, decorations and advent calendars:
Businesses and Churches
- Firstly, we encourage you to promote to your church: Download (PDF or JPG) and print the poster below for your church noticeboard and A5 flyer for handouts as part of our united efforts. Then promote using this amazing power point, supported by this 1min video on youtube (or download a small 5MB version here if youtube is a challenge). Then, promote various other ideas… (see below)
- Include carols with nativity-related lyrics on your playlists.
- Sell nativity-based CHRISTmas items where this relates to your business.
- Include nativity-based imagery and decorations in your displays and shop windows. We invite you to use our poster and decal designs which are freely downloadable below — we can resize for you if necessary.
- Consider organising social year-end CHRISTmas celebrations, referencing the nativity story, and the cultural values and hope the Christ of CHRISTmas has brought to the world, to our own nation, and in our personal lives.
- Churches and/or business can rally together to sponsor a nativity billboard!
– We invite you to use the Hope Project’s design below. This can promote the Hope Project OR your own sponsors, and is also freely downloadable. Please contact us for resizing or logo changeouts.
GRAPHIC DOWNLOADABLES:
Print quality Vector graphics for print Collateral. Click on image to download ZIP file – 4MB.
Portrait Retail poster or Counter Stand. Editable Print-Ready PDF & imagery. Click on image to download ZIP file – 107MB.
Digital graphics for websites, Emails, Powerpoint and video use. Click on image to download ZIP file – 9MB.
Printer ready Billboard with graphics for LARGE size up to 4m. Click on image to download PDF from Dropbox 340MB.
Combined churches in cities
Simply put, collaborate to remind your city of the Christ of CHRISTmas!
- In New Plymouth, churches have combined previously to present CHRISTmas dramas and theatricals to thousands of school children – and united to put nativity stickers they created on many cars, plus window decal in many windows around the city, in 2019.
- In Cambridge (and other places), combined carol gathering and concerts are hosted.
- In Levin, the churches float was a multi-stage story – and won the competition in 2019.
- In Tauranga, a ‘walk-through’ nativity theatrical called ‘The Road To Bethlehem’ is hosted annually at the SDA Church, with a dozen churches uniting in the effort.
- Also in Tauranga, a Hikoi is organised by the central churches from church to church.
What could you do to bring profile and community spirit to CHRISTmas?
Be respectful to all cultures, but also be ready to support one another should any be harassed for observing our cultural traditions. Our goal is not to provoke discord, but to share with our community the Hope that we profess. We suggest the following collaborative projects — our only limits are our courage and creativity.
- Build a nativity-based float for the town CHRISTmas parade.
- Make use of non-offensive, but informative, Christmas tracts at such occasions – such as these from Big Book Publishing.
- Consider united CHRISTmas events, such as carol gatherings, concerts, theatricals and church-to-church Hikoi’s.
- Posters and billboards — downloadable on this page above. Please contact us for resizing or logo change-outs.
- Value your opportunities to protect them. Collectively consider necessary ’profile’ involvements and who can do them, to ensure opportunities are well utilised and valued — because this will help to preserve them.
Video resources for your church or social media:
