God of unimaginable love, on the first Christmas You became one of us.

• Prepare Christmas dinner food baskets for families
• Prepare Christmas sack lunches for homeless or other shelters
• Collect toys and/or clothes for children
• Host caroling for a homeless shelter or nursing home. Deliver food or toiletry kits.

• Hold Economic Justice worship service. See the TAAL music/worship resources: 2008, 2009, 2010.
• Hold "Blue Christmas" service. See 2008 Christmas TAAL music/worship resource.
• Collect special offering to purchase and distribute local grocery store gift cards, retail gift cards, bus/rail passes, etc.
• Collect new/used clothing and set up distribution center at the church.

• Following worship service, assign groups to walk through the neighborhood distributing holiday cards with literature about the services the church provides to the community. Highlight services to women, disabled persons, youth, seniors, families of incarcerated persons, services for addiction, educational services, etc.
• Purchase or find online addresses in the zip code area for your church and send out welcome or holiday cards to each home. Include church contact information and list of church ministries that serve the community.
• Organize a neighborhood Prayer Walk (the practice of praying on location, a type of intercessory prayer that involves walking to or near a particular place while praying). Invite the community to join in prayer for the community. The walk can be as short as a few blocks or as long as several blocks. Identify several issues of critical importance to your local community and use that list to pray over; or if you have several teams, each team can take a particular issue to pray over.

• Hold a MLK Beloved Community Day worship service. See these TAAL music/worship resources: 2008, 2009, 2010.
• Use your weekly services this month to pay special recognition to a person in the community who has fought for justice and invite the community.

• Host an anti-racism seminar or panel discussion. Partner with diversity professionals from local corporations or local civil rights organizations (NAACP, etc.).
• Host a multi-cultural holiday feast for the community.

• Organize and host a local "Stand Against Racism." (See http://www.standagainstracism.org/become_participating_site.html.)

• Purchase food/goods from a local business or farm for your church kitchen.
• Identify local business owners and recognize them in your worship service. Have a special prayer for God's blessing on their business.

• Hold a Financial Literacy Day or Economic Justice worship service. See these TAAL music/worship resources: 2009, 2010, 2011.
• Start a Financial Education Program, such as Dave Ramsey's "Financial Peace University"
  http://www.daveramsey.com/church/home/. This program is filled with numerous financial subjects, is Bible-based, and is designed by spirit-filled individuals that practice the financial principles they are presenting.
• Micro lending is an easy and rewarding way to help end extreme poverty around the world. This program allows the micro loan applicants to increase the quality of their lives. Granting a micro loan is giving hope without even making a permanent dent in your wallet. The repayment on these $25–$50 loans is very high, making it possible to continue to give dignity and confidence to people worldwide. Check out Kiva, MicroPlace, or OptINnow and create an account. Then deposit as little as $25 to get started. Browse the individual loan applicants, complete with pictures and a summary of their business. Once your investment is repaid, make another loan to continue the cycle. Further the good by introducing your friends and family to this program, purchase a gift certificate for them to get started, or just spread the word!
• Bring in representative/s from the Small Business Administration (SBA) to do seminars on Starting a Business; Writing a Business Plan; Preparing Your Finances; Loans, Grants, and Funding; Marketing; and local SBA resources.

• Host a "Neighborhood Green Day" and invite representatives from your Public Works department or appropriate agencies to discuss ways the community can implement recycling and other environmentally advantageous initiatives.
• Organize a neighborhood clean-up day.

• Hold Earth-Day service. See these TAAL music/worship resources: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011.
• Be a host site for an electronic recycling project. There are many valuable metals in electronic equipment that can be recycled. Collect cell phones, computers, laptops, copiers, fax machines, IPods and PDAs, modems, monitors, keyboards, mouses, printers, stereo and radio equipment, telephones and telephone equipment, televisions, typewriters, speakers, digital cameras, VCRs, and DVD players. Coordinate with a local recycle facility for pick up or delivery.
• Organize "A Billion Acts of Green" pledge campaign. See http://act.earthday.org/.

• Host a community Christmas Eve Family Story Hour or Movie Night. Serve hot cider and holiday treats. Share lists of appropriate books and movies for families.

• Host a Family Enrichment Day music/worship service. See these TAAL music/worship resources: 2009, 2010.
• Contact Operation Homefront to volunteer support and services to military wives/families. While the troops may get parades and honors, the wives are left with a lot on their plate. Anything from auto repair to babysitting, home repairs or bookkeeping can be helpful. Check your local Operation Homefront chapter for specific ideas.

• See TAAL's BIG IDEA area for ways to address substance abuse:
  http://www.theafricanamericanlectionary.org/bigideaNov09.asp
• Compile a list of resources for addiction treatment centers and group meetings for addicts and/or families of addicts.

• Hold an Anti-Addiction Day worship service. See TAAL music/worship resources: 2009, 2010, 2011.
• Collaborate with your State Arts Commission to host a community anti-drug mural painting project. See sample: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/35937963/My-Anti-Drug-Mural-Guidebook-Five-Steps-to-Planning-an-Anti-Drug-Community-Mural

Broadband and the Participation of African Americans in the Technology Revolution

• Host a "Connect Today, Change Your Tomorrow" campaign through Broadband Opportunity Coalition (BBOC) (www.changeyourtomorrow.org). BBOC is a partnership of this country's leading civil rights organizations that recognize the importance of bringing digital opportunities to minority communities. This historic alliance has joined with One Economy to overcome barriers to adoption of technology in communities of color. Invite a BBOC representative.

• Update your church website to post sermons from your church online, or to live stream worship services.
• Set up computer labs and/or training sessions for your community.
• Organize a call-in Bible Study Line and/or Prayer Line, or invite your members and community to call into one already organized. Here is one existing prayer line:
  

• 24-hour Prayer Line
  Dial-In (805) 309-2350
  Access Code: 1001844#

• Host worship service(s) at a local prison.
• Host special service for families of the incarcerated.
• Host "toys for tots"-type initiative for the children of incarcerated parents.

• Hold Anti-Incarceration Day service. See these TAAL music/worship resources: 2008, 2010
• Work with local prison to implement regularly scheduled bible study or worship services

• Hold a book reading session at a local library.
• Adopt a local school. Hold a community concert to raise funds to purchase needed school supplies.

• Hold a Christian Education worship service. See TAAL music/worship resources: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011.
• Adopt a classroom and provide needed resources (books, supplies, etc.).
• Set up tutoring program for needy students, or provide assistance with SAT, FAFSA, and other college requirements. See TAAL's BIG IDEA area:
  http://www.theafricanamericanlectionary.org/bigideafeb09.asp.
• If your church also operates a school, provide free or subsidized tuition to 1–2 (or more) students per year.
• Set up an afterschool program to help youth with reading comprehension and data manipulation.

• Visit family/ies victimized by violence. Offer support from your congregation's trained and licensed counselors.
• Have your music ministry hold a benefit concert for the victims of violence, the proceeds of which can go towards community services geared to support the victims.
• Organize a crime prevention coalition with local churches. See TAAL's BIG IDEA:
  http://www.theafricanamericanlectionary.org/bigideaSeptember09.asp.

• Hold an Anti Domestic Violence worship service. See TAAL music/ worship resources: 2010, 2011.
• Hold a Youth & Violence worship service. See TAAL music/worship resource: 2009.

• Organize a community health screening.
• Commit to purchasing fruits, vegetables, and meats—preferably organic—at local farmer's market.
• Hold a class on healthy cooking.
• Launch Health and Wellness Ministry. See TAAL's BIG IDEA:
  http://www.theafricanamericanlectionary.org/bigideajune09.asp

• Host worship services focused on health. See these TAAL music/worship resources:

• Health Day: 2010, 2011.
• Youth and Health: 2009, 2010.
• Cancer Awareness: 2008, 2009.
• World AIDS Day: 2008, 2009, 2010.