21 Jan Kid’s Shop in Grand Ledge

Imagine This LLC in Grand Ledge, Mich., held its second annual Kid’s Shop for Christmas on Saturday, December 13, from 1-4 p.m. The local paper covered the event both before and after, and the congregation distributed flyers (download a copy) during the town’s Christmas parade. The idea was to help financially-burdened families by underwriting and providing quality gift items that children could buy for family members. This enabled children to enter into the true meaning of Christmas–giving–while preserving the family’s budget.

Here are some elements of Kid’s Shop.

• Parents dropped their kids off at the church (located on the town’s main street), along with a budget and a list.
• The kids shopped for gifts for family members, choosing from a selection of over 800 gifts.
• Nothing cost over $2. (In fact, they kept gifts to 50 cents).
• Volunteer adults helped kids shop, if needed.
• Wrapping was included.
• After the kids finished shopping and had their gifts wrapped, they went downstairs to watch a Christmas movie until their parents returned.

Kid’s Shop was held the same day Grand Ledge’s downtown businesses held a special shopping day for adults. Coupons were available so parents could go shopping at local downtown businesses while their children were doing Kid’s Shop.

About 140 children attended. They selected from gifts geared for siblings, parents, grandparents, and others. Donations from local enabled them to keep the cost down.

Some other holiday activities at Imagine This:

• They hosted a Bible Actors Production of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” on December 6, with a very large turnout.
• The children’s ministry Christmas performance of the birth of Jesus occurred on December 21 in both the morning and evening services.
• They held a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 7:00 p.m., with walk-in communion beforehand from 4:00 – 6:30 p.m.