Thank you!

A belated but very sincere thank-you to the tremendous volunteers who made the Make Something Party happen, and those who came out to participate. We were thrilled with the turnout for this first-time event. We already have ideas for making it even better next year. See you at the Make Something Party 2010!!

The Make Something Party: Why It Matters

The Make Something Party is tomorrow, and we couldn't be more excited! The entire event has come together so smoothly, thanks to a fantastic group of volunteers.

But lest we get caught up in details, logistics, and self-congratulation, here's a brief reflection upon why we're doing this in the first place:
1. Spend Less. And the purpose of spending less isn't so that you'll have more left in your wallet on December 26. The purpose is to take us back to Christmas. Christmas, which celebrates the scandalous, messy birth of a rebellious Savior -- it is this Christmas that gets swallowed up by the consumer frenzy at the mall, the ring of cash registers, the flashing lights. Why do we give gifts at Christmas anyway? How much more STUFF do most of us really need cluttering up our lives? We give gifts in commemoration of God's gift to us. By making a conscious effort to spend less, we can begin to silence the numbing white noise of consumerism, and reclaim the meaning of this Advent season.

2. Give More. At Christmas, we're celebrating God's creativity and sacrifice. How much creativity and sacrifice really goes into passing our credit cards around at the mall? If you attend the Make Something Party, you'll be spending $1-20 for a gift that you create. With your own two hands. It might not look as spiffy as something mass produced by machines. It may take a little longer than running in and out of a store (time, for most of us, is the ultimate sacrifice!). But it will be imbued with so much more love and meaning.

AND, here's the best part: the point isn't to save money so that you can spend more on yourself in 2010. The point is that the money you save on gifts that people don't really need can go towards those who really DO need. In particular, we encourage you to consider supporting the following nonprofit organizations:
Project Peace East Bay, which creates partnerships in an effort to cultivate more just and sustainable communities in Berkeley, Oakland, and the surrounding areas, and
Wine to Water, which provides clean water to needy people around the world.

We hope you feel as excited as we do about the Make Something Party. We're looking forward to seeing you tomorrow, and even if you can't attend, we hope that you'll make this entire holiday season your own personal Make Something Party.