There are lots of ways you can make Angel Tree deliveries personalized and fun! By adding personal touches, you can make the delivery process easier, more special, and more meaningful!
The 2010 Angel Tree Christmas program is well underway, and we’re gearing up thousands of churches and volunteers for this impactful and exciting ministry opportunity! As you may know, Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree reconciles families of prisoners by providing gifts to children on behalf of their incarcerated parent, along with the Gospel message. Volunteers deliver the gifts directly to the home of each family or through an Angel Tree party at a local church.
There are lots of ways you can make the deliveries personalized and fun! Along with the guidelines listed in the church coordinator’s resource kit, here are a few tips from veteran Angel Tree coordinators Susan Grubbs and Giselle Jenkins, each serving at different churches in the Washington, D.C., metro area. By adding personal touches like these, you can make the delivery process easier, more special, and more meaningful!
- Wear something festive! A red scarf, a green sweater, or a baseball cap decorated with Christmas items will brighten the room and put everyone in a holiday mood.
- Pray for the delivery. Before you arrive at the residence, take a moment to pray for the family. You may only spend a few minutes inside the home, but God can still do a miracle! Pray that He will use you to touch that family with His love, and give you guidance in sharing the life-changing Gospel message with them.
- Bring a cell phone. Call the caregiver as you arrive at the residence. This ensures that they are not caught off-guard, which can lead to a rocky start. Make sure they’re ready to receive guests and then ring the doorbell with a smile.
- Bake cookies! Provide a goody bag with Christmas cookies that can be opened immediately by the kids. This instantly puts a smile on their faces and gives you a few extra moments to spend with the family.
- Bless the caregiver! If you are able, bring a small gift for the caregiver, such as stamps for writing letters to the inmate or a small pampering item like hand lotion. This shows that you appreciate the selfless work they do in caring for these children, and will inevitably warm their hearts.
- Invite them to church. Bring a Christmas card from your church for the caregiver with information in it about your church’s Christmas services. Take the time to personally invite them, even offering to sit with them during the service. Welcoming them into your church family is a powerful way to continue the ministry well beyond the Christmas season.
- Offer to pray! Before you leave, ask the caregiver if you can pray with the family. They are almost always receptive to prayer and will often provide specific prayer requests for the family. Take the time to ask God to bless the family and to thank God for each child and for the caregiver’s hard work.
- Update the prisoner. Jot down the information about the delivery so you can write a card to the prisoner. If the caregiver allows it, take photos of the kids’ faces as they open the presents. One church even takes photos of the gifts before they are wrapped and includes them in the letters. The prisoners will be happy to see how Angel Tree has blessed their children, and will hopefully feel God’s love as well.
Above all, remember that you have the ability to make Angel Tree as successful as you want it to be. So, be creative! By remembering to pray and adding small, personal touches, you will go above and beyond in touching the lives of families affected by crime—reaching them with God’s unending love.
For more delivery tips and other valuable coordinator resources, visit Angel Tree’s Coordinator Resource page.