By Kelly Wise Valdes
Christmas Programs for Military Families in Need
Military budgets, which are often already stretched to their limits, do not contain a lot of money for buying Christmas presents. However, military families are also some of the most deserving people during the holiday season. To help thank military families for the sacrifices made year-round, many organizations offer programs to make Christmas possible for deserving military families, especially those with children who deserve to have a joy-filled Christmas.
There are many programs available to military families in need including: Adopt-a-Family for the Holidays, Operation Christmas Spirit, Operation Holiday Joy, and Operation Homefront. For more information, visit www.militarybenefits.info/christmas-programs-for-miliary-families-in-need/.
Are Your Stores Naughty or Nice?
As a feature of the annual Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign, Liberty Counsel has provided a Naughty and Nice List, cataloging which stores are censoring Christmas and which are publicly celebrating it.
The Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign educates shoppers about stores that are still willing to keep Christ part of Christmas. Belk, JCPenney, Walmart, Staples and Kohl’s are examples of stores on the ‘Nice List’ for acknowledging Christmas and offering Christmas gifting options. Liberty Counsel encourages consumers to incorporate the information on this list into Christmas shopping plans.
For the last 14 years, Liberty Counsel has been tracking retailers and how they are increasingly acknowledging Christmas again. Years ago, Walmart had banned its employees from even responding with the phrase ‘Merry Christmas.’ Now the company has moved to the ‘Nice List,’ completely embracing the Christmas season. Fortunately, many other companies have followed suit.
Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom. For more information on the list, visit www.lc.org and look for the ‘Naughty or Nice’ link.
Hillsong Worship Announces 2017 Christmas Album The Peace Project
The influential worship band behind the fastest growing single in church history, Hillsong Worship, announced their new Christmas album The Peace Project, the first from them in nearly five years. Hillsong Worship’s 12-track Christmas collection was released in late October.
Timely titled The Peace Project, the holiday collection presents a fresh collaboration of renowned Hillsong talent. The album features seven new, original songs including Prince of Heaven, Seasons, and Peace Upon The Earth along with new arrangements of five of the most beloved Christmas classics like Hark, O Holy Night and Joy To The World. For more information, visit www.hillsong.com/worship.
