Is Making the Switch to a Christmas Market Worth It? Hear From Two Network Members About Their Experiences.

BETHANY HERRON
Vice President of Education
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“Which Christmas experience would you rather attend?”

This sobering question is one Bryan Lewis, Founder and CEO of Hope House Ministries, is still periodically asked concerning the impact of their Affordable Christmas, also known as a Christmas Market.

The Benefits

Hope House has hosted an Affordable Christmas Market since it began. Over the years, word about its success has spread like wildfire because families have discovered …

Parents’ dignity and self-worth are restored because handouts are eliminated and they become gracious gift-givers on Christmas morning;
Family bonds strengthen as children learn to trust their parents’ ability to provide; and
Community is built as joy-filled shoppers spend time with helpful volunteers in their community.

The Challenge

If a traditional giveaway has been part of your ministry since the start, it’s likely some of your members have a deep-rooted belief that it’s effective – even if it isn’t. That can make transitioning to a new model quite a challenge.

Let’s look at two ministries that successfully made the switch for practical guidance that will help you make the transition with grace.

InnerMission, Hammond, IN

Before the switch:

For many years, the husband and wife team of Scott and Debbie Wells led a traditional Christmas giveaway at InnerMission, a nonprofit connected to The Gate Church. It included wrapped gifts, a meal, and an evangelistic program–and drew hundreds of people from the community.

Making the switch:

In 2020, they began the shift to the more empowering Christmas Market model. A year later, they sought funds to make the transition a reality.

With donations from private donors and businesses, they were able to purchase $25 to $30 gifts and host their first Christmas Market. InnerMission invited thirty-four families and 122 children, allowing parents to buy two large and two small gifts for $12 per child. Some of the families were from InnerMission; others were from local schools and nonprofits. Every family that experienced the market was involved in some form of regular, relational development in their community.

Although initially timid in the new environment, many parents left with tears of joy, having become their children’s “Christmas heroes.”

That said, the transition had its challenges. Some volunteers resigned because they disagreed with the new model. However, the relational opportunities created through this strength-based approach have been invaluable:

Community partnerships with like-minded organizations have been built that would have been impossible otherwise;
Many new volunteers came who are ready and willing to invest; and
The mission’s heart for relational, developmental assistance has been strengthened.

Lessons learned:

Communication is key.

Scott and Debbie communicated the change with a fun, engaging video shared on their site and with the church. It, along with all other communication, championed two messages:

Parents become the heroes of Christmas.
This is Christmas with Dignity.

Learn from others.

Early in the transition, Debbie printed the Christmas Model Action Plan (MAP) from the True Charity Network Portal. Developed with the help of many network members (including Hope House, mentioned earlier) it was integral in guiding InnerMission’s program development.

Schweitzer Church

Before the switch:

For years, Schweitzer hosted a traditional giveaway in partnership with local schools. Donations from the community were abundant and volunteers were ready and eager. Yet attendance fell below expectations and proved to be an embarrassment for families.

Making the switch:

In 2013, the church researched more empowering models and revamped its entire ministry approach.

First, they switched to a crisis food pantry and started a Jobs for Life experience. In 2023, the Schweitzer staff attended the True Charity Summit, were introduced to the Christmas Market, and quickly made the switch to a model that enables parents to purchase gifts at ten percent of their retail value.

Sixty-four families (representing 168 children) attended that first year. Volunteers prioritized building relationships with shoppers so that every parent felt seen and valued.

According to Senior Pastor Jason Leininger …

The church responded as in years past, with a bounty of gifts and volunteers, but was ready for a new experiment that aligned with our ministry philosophy of “with the poor” rather than “to or for the poor.” The local school community shared a mixed reaction. In the end, parent shoppers from the first day shared the opportunity with their friends, and we saw an increase in shoppers from the previous year.

The switch also included childcare, so parents could shop without children peeking at their gifts. The market was open at three different times over two days, allowing more flexible accommodation to parents’ schedules. As well, attendees were no longer required to attend a Christmas program. Instead, parents were given a Christmas storybook to read with their kids at home.

In short, the transition was a huge success. One custodial grandparent shared that she labeled her gifts, “From Jesus.” She also said the market provided the opportunity to do something she felt was impossible – provide Christmas gifts for her family. You can hear her story and more about the overall success of the Market in this video from Schweitzer Church.

Lessons learned:

Focus on the shopper’s experience.

According to Jason, “We were able to experiment because we noticed that in previous years ‘shoppers’ were not joyful, engaged, enthused, etc. Noting the customer’s experience opened the door for a shift.”

Focusing on the shopper is a great way to take note of what is working and what isn’t. It’s worth asking “Are participants leaving with a sense of shame or dignity?”

Learn from other network members.

Jason’s team took detailed notes at the Summit. Afterward, they called Bryan Lewis and his team at Hope House. The information gained helped them flesh out the model in their setting.

Resources to Help You Make the Switch

As mentioned, change can be hard. But InnerMission and Schweitzer Church have shown, it’s worth it to effectively serve the people you care about.

If you’re up to making the move, remember it’s never too early to start planning. Here’s how to begin:

Share the vision with key stakeholders early.

Change is like steering a ship. It doesn’t turn on a dime and you need key people in the right places willing to patiently work to make it happen. Prayerfully communicate the vision and benefits early. Like Debbie, paint a picture of “Christmas with Dignity” and be willing to have one-on-one conversations with donors, leaders, partner organizations, and key volunteers. True Charity has created this short video to introduce the Christmas MAP and help you communicate the vision.

Create a strong plan.

But don’t worry! You don’t have to create one from scratch. Our Christmas MAP includes everything you need to develop a ministry plan for your context. Network Members can access it on the portal.

Transitioning from a Traditional Giveaway to a Christmas Market will enable your church or nonprofit to provide more than gifts and surface-level connections this year. Instead, parents can enjoy the opportunity to provide for their families through a fun, dignifying experience, making each a Christmas morning hero who strengthens their family.

This article is just the tip of the iceberg for practical resources available through the True Charity Network. Check out how it can help you learn, connect, and influence here.

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