7 gifts you can give that matter this Christmas

As the year draws to a close, Christmas invites us to pause, give thanks – and give back.

If you’re looking for meaningful ways to bless others this season, here are seven organisations making a difference in Singapore and beyond.

As we celebrate the birth of Christ – the greatest gift of all – may we reflect His generosity by blessing those around us.

Offer hope to children in poverty: Compassion Singapore

Compassion Singapore is part of a global network that is committed to releasing children from poverty. Photo from Compassion Singapore’s Facebook page.

Compassion Singapore is the local arm of Compassion International, a child sponsorship and humanitarian aid organisation that is on a mission to lift children out of poverty.

It works with local church partners around the world to ensure that each child hears the Gospel and receives proper nutrition, clean water and sanitation, education opportunities, healthcare and a safe place to live.

By being connected with a child through Compassion Singapore, you can offer hope to one of the 333 million children living in poverty worldwide.

Find out more here.

Support our migrant brothers: Alliance of Guest Workers Outreach

In August, AGWO partnered with two local churches to take 60 migrant brothers to the Singapore Zoo. Photo from AGWO’s Facebook page.

Through regular outreach activities like mental wellness programmes and health screenings, the Alliance of Guest Workers Outreach (AGWO) provides practical, social, psychological and spiritual support for migrant workers in Singapore.

Over the years, the registered charity has journeyed with some 20,000 migrant brothers through difficult seasons, including the COVID pandemic, where it worked tirelessly with volunteers to deliver food to dormitories and conducted various activities to remind the workers that they are not alone. 

A Christmas blessing to AGWO will help them to continue their work, and remind the brothers they are not forgotten.

Find out more here.

Gift God’s Word: Every Language

Gift a people group a Bible in their heart language this Christmas. Photo from Every Language’s website.

There are over 50,000 languages in the world, but only 770 of them have full Bibles. This means that 98% of the world still does not have the full Bible in their heart language – something Every Language hopes to change.

The Bible translation movement hopes to mobilise the Church to play a part in God’s mission by commissioning a full Bible, one book of the Bible or committing to daily prayer.

While traditional translations take over 20 years and can cost $1,000,000, Every Language translations takes 18 months and costs as little as $5,000, according to its website.

A blessing to Every Language can help to a people group come one step closer to having a Bible in their heart language.

Find out more here.

Love those in the red-light district: Geylang Ministry

Volunteers from Geylang Ministry getting ready to carol in the red-light district last Christmas. Photo courtesy of Geylang Ministry.

Every Christmas season for the past 15 years, volunteers from Geylang Ministry go door-to-door in the red-light district, carolling and handing out goodie bags along the way.

This is just one of the many ways they offer friendship and practical assistance to sex workers in Singapore, who are often marginalised and have no support, being far from home.

It took more than a decade of reaching out consistently before Geylang Ministry saw a sliver of acceptance among the “uncles”, “aunties” and girls in the sex industry. Since then, the ministry has sown seeds of the Gospel into their lives.

A blessing to Geylang Ministry would help them to continue to water the seeds of God’s love that have been planted.

Find out more here.

Give a gift that matters: Operation Mobilisation Singapore

From helping to keep the lights on in daily ministry operations, to providing vital support for under-supported workers, OM Singapore’s Christmas catalogue aims to make Christ known where He is not. Photo from OM Singapore’s website.

Operation Mobilisation Singapore (OM Singapore) is a Christian mission agency that mobilises missionaries from Singapore and supports the work of Operation Mobilisation International, which has a presence in some 110 countries.

Their Christmas catalogue this year, Hope of the World, contains various gifts that strive to make Christ known where He is not yet known.

For example, just S$10 will provide a warm meal and fellowship for a friend on the streets, while S$1,500 will provide one month of practical support for missionary families in need.

It also offers an option to give a gift on someone’s behalf, and send them an e-card.

Find out more here.

Bring peace, hope and love: World Vision Singapore

This year’s Christmas gift catalogue by World Vision Singapore hopes to bring peace, hope and love to places and people who desperately need it. Photo from World Vision Singapore’s Facebook page.

This year’s Christmas catalogue by World Vision Singapore hopes to bring peace where it’s longed for, hope where it’s fading and love where it’s needed the most.

Just S$90 will equip mothers in Timor Leste with infant care and nutrition skills, while S$1,500 will construct a school for 350 rural children in Cambodia.

Other gifts include S$280 to supply clean drinking water for schoolchildren in Vietnam, and S$120 to nurture the spiritual growth of 2,000 children in Kenya.

Urgent crisis and disaster response needs are also included, including S$500 to provide medical equipment for clinics serving mothers and infants in the West Bank, and S$420 for three months of food supply for a displaced family in Sudan facing starvation.

For some gifts, a private donor will also match your giving.

View the full catalogue here.

Publish peace online: Thirst Collective

Salt&Light is passionate about digital outreach and discipleship, and having conversations within the Church and beyond.

Salt&Light is part of the Thirst Collective, an independent organisation which was launched in 2016. It started with next-generation platform Thir.st, before Salt&Light for faith-at-work conversations came about in 2018.

Since then, we’ve added Stories of Hope and 还好吗 hhm.sg, websites publishing stories which share the Good News of Jesus Christ in the digital space. We also launched Find A Church to help seekers identify churches to visit and settle in.

We are passionate about digital outreach and discipleship, and have heard countless testimonies of how God has touched lives through our stories of His hand at work. 

If you’ve been touched or encouraged by one of our articles, videos or social media posts, would you consider blessing us this Christmas?

Find out how here.

RELATED STORIES:

This pastor is “brother” to thousands of migrant workers

“God is sending these people to our doorstep”: Geylang Ministry reaps a harvest after many years of sowing into the red-light district

A letter from the Editor: A joyous announcement from Salt&Light and the Thirst Collective 

The post 7 gifts you can give that matter this Christmas appeared first on Salt&Light.