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Debbie’s Story
Have you ever found Christmas a difficult time?
When I was four years old, my dad was still in prison and my parents had split up. My mom had just moved into a new house and she had no money to buy food. I could hear my mom crying and praying. The shop next door was holding a raffle and the prize was a hamper; the ticket cost two pence. We never thought we would win. She did win! God protected and provided for my mom.
John’s Story
How did you celebrate Christmas growing up, and how has that changed over time?
I was four years old when my Mam died. I can picture one Christmas Day with her – having dinner in the back room at my Uncle’s (Mam’s brother’s) house, which, of course, is a precious memory. Later my Dad remarried and Christmas would be spent with my stepmother’s family. This wasn’t as difficult as it might be for some extended families.
My stepmother’s older sister had been my Mam’s best friend. They’d grown up living directly opposite each other as children and had always played together. As they grew up, they both had three children, of similar ages. So we’d grown up always calling her and her husband “Aunt and Uncle”- she’d done a large part of the looking after us when Mam was ill, so we were used to them being around, and the six of us children had always played together. So it was no change really when they became our ‘real’ Aunt and Uncle. Christmas Day would involve 12 of us, the two families plus my Gran and Grandad. The venue would alternate between our house and my Aunt’s, with New Years Day being at the other house.
Money was generally tight. We would have to unwrap our presents extra-carefully so that the wrapping paper could be put away in the cupboard under the stairs ready to be re-used next year. This is a habit I’ve never fully got out of, which used to drive my (now ex) wife mad! The advent calendar (we shared one between the three of us, and took turns to open a door every third day, so my older sister always got the honour of opening the nativity scene on the 24th December each year) would also have its doors closed after Christmas, ready to be used again the next year. Advent calendars with chocolates were unheard of!
While there would be some toys, games and sweets, the bulk of our presents would be more practical – fruit, clothes, things we needed for school, that kind of thing. But we loved it, and Christmas telly was always something to look forward to as well, though there were only three channels when I was little. Channel Four arrived when I was 10.
What are your favourite things about Christmas?
Christmas Carols are definitely top of my list. I typically attend four or five Carol services each year, including Crossway Church, of course. I also like the feeling of peace, harmony and goodwill that I invariably feel at this time of year. I even enjoy the Christmas food shop!
Have you ever found Christmas a difficult time?
Very much so. The early part of the 2010s were very difficult. I discovered my wife’s affair on Christmas Eve, and, though I forgave her, we finally separated two weeks before the following Christmas, though we still had Christmas dinner together as a family that year. I remember the following year, one of my sons suggesting that I should have Christmas dinner with her and her new partner so that we could all be together, and I had to explain, very gently, that even if she suggested it (and I was sure she wouldn’t), there was no way I could bring myself to sit there while she played “Happy Families” with a new partner.
The following years were tricky as we tried to juggle sharing time with the children, and I felt very isolated at times, when they were with their Mother, and I was on my own.
What does Christmas mean to you as a Christian?
That God isn’t some old man with a beard who stands aloof from us. He came to be like one of us. A vulnerable baby. He taught us, and died then rose for us. God understands what it’s like to be us, our vulnerabilities and sufferings. And he can, and will, come again.
If you could share one thing with someone searching for meaning this Christmas, what would it be?
It sounds a cliche, but my mindset, and my life, changed when I came to Crossway Church. It was getting a leaflet about the Crossway Candlelit Carol Service that persuaded me to check Crossway out one Sunday morning. I saw myself as a Christian, but hadn’t been a regular church-goer for several years – that was caused by a mixture of my (now ex) wife not being a Christian, my shift pattern, which led to me working many Sundays, my involvement with a rugby club on the remaining Sundays, and – post marriage break up – weekends being the only times I got to spend with my sons. I felt very isolated.
But that first Christmas at Crossway brought me renewed hope. A reminder of the importance of God’s everlasting love, and shared with the love of a Church family, both of which I’ve felt more and more strongly over the years since.
Sheila’s Story
How did you celebrate Christmas growing up, and how has that changed over time?
I grew up during World War II & post-war time when things were hard – rationing, no overseas products etc. There was no point having a wish list as there was little to be had. Christmas was a happy time even so. Christmas dinner consisted of one of our chickens and vegetables grown by dad on the allotment. Mum always managed to collect enough ingredients weeks before Christmas and we all enjoyed helping to make Christmas puddings and mincemeat weeks before Christmas day. This was luxury at that time. Typical presents were a stocking (one of dad’s socks) in which there might be an apple, a pencil, a small paint box, and a three penny bit! We had one BIG present – one year I had a plastic umbrella which I held over my head whilst walking to grandma’s, even though it wasn’t raining.
In the ‘50s & ‘60s, it was a tradition that the young people from church walked through the Lickey Hills singing carols. We started at Beacon Hill and were invited to the Cadbury house where we sang carols round the Christmas tree. Then we went to the lodge where a family from church lived and had a drink and mince pies. We visited 2 or 3 other houses and ended up at one of the church leaders’ houses in Cofton Hackett. It was usually well after midnight when we walked back home to Northfield. No Christmas morning service then!
What are your favourite things about Christmas?
My favorite memories of Christmas were going to Grandma’s and meeting up with my uncles, aunts, and cousins, and playing games – no TV then! Now I enjoy carol services, praising and thanking God, for our Saviour’s birth. Being with family is very precious too.
Have you ever found Christmas a difficult time?
The most difficult times at Christmas are when someone close is no longer with me to celebrate, and as I get older these occasions are more frequent.
What does Christmas mean to you as a Christian?
As a Christian, when I think of Christmas I am amazed that the Almighty, Creator, Sovereign God loved me so much that He sent His Son Jesus Chrsitt to earth, born as a baby who grew up and lived a sinless life, was rejected by man, scorned and hated, and finally was crucified, bearing the punishment for my sins so that I could receive the gift of salvation and the promise of eternal life.
If you could share one thing with someone searching for meaning this Christmas, what would it be?
If was talking to someone who enjoys christmas but does not believe the story, I would ask them to think of the beginning of the word CHRISTmas, then say CHRIST Jesus came into the world to die and bear the punishment for the sins of the whole world, so that you could repent, and received forgiveness of your sins and received the greatest gift of everlasting life.
Angela’s Story
How did you celebrate Christmas growing up, and how has that changed over time?
I grew up in China, and before I went to university, I had never really heard about Christmas. We didn’t celebrate it — at the end of the year, we mainly celebrated the New Year or Chinese New Year, so Christmas wasn’t part of my life.
It wasn’t until my first year at university that I experienced Christmas for the first time. I was a freshman, and I was invited — almost by accident — to a Christmas party held by some Christian students who had rented a hotel room for the event. There were songs, stories, games, and a lot of laughter. That night, I saw Christians singing carols and sharing about their faith, and I remember thinking how gentle and kind they were. I really liked the singing and the music — that warm, joyful atmosphere left a deep impression on me. After I became a Christian in my third year at university, I celebrated Christmas with other brothers and sisters in our campus fellowship. We held a Christmas party where we sang carols, played games, and shared the story of Jesus together.
What are your favourite things about Christmas?
My favourite memory of Christmas is from my university days, when I became a Christian in my third year. In China, people often sell apples at Christmas because the word for apple, píng guǒ, sounds similar to the word for peace, píng ān. So giving someone an apple is a way of wishing them peace.
Another funny Christmas memory was the first time I went to a Chinese church after becoming a Christian. We went to a “Three-Self” church [a state-supervised church], and I was quite surprised by what I saw! The Chinese brothers and sisters were performing a yangge dance — a very traditional folk dance from Northeast China. It’s colourful, joyful, and very local — not Western at all!
At that time, I had always thought Christmas was a Western holiday, so seeing people celebrate Jesus’ birth with Chinese folk dancing was both funny and unforgettable. I had just come back to China after studying abroad and hearing the gospel there, so it really struck me how differently Chinese Christians celebrate Christmas — not with Western carols or candles, but with music, movement, and so much joy. It was so lively and so Chinese, and it left a deep impression on me.
Now my favourite part of Christmas has always been the joy of singing carols and spending time with others — playing games, eating together, and simply enjoying that warm, joyful atmosphere.
Have you ever found Christmas a difficult time?
Later, when my husband and I came to the UK to study, our first Christmas felt quite lonely. Although we were already Christians, we didn’t yet have local traditions or close friends to celebrate with. But as we got to know more brothers and sisters in the church, Christmas once again became a time of fellowship and joy. By our second year, we were cooking together with other international students, celebrating and laughing late into the night.
Now, as a mother, Christmas has taken on a new meaning. We are creating new memories with our children — decorating the tree, joining church events, and celebrating together as a family. Life can feel busier and a bit overwhelming at times, but it’s also full of laughter, love, and moments of grace.
What does Christmas mean to you as a Christian?
As I grow in my faith and understand more about Jesus — who He is and what He has done — I realise that I can be called a Christian, a precious child of God, not because of anything I have done, but entirely because of His grace and love. I am deeply thankful that I can know Jesus personally.
Celebrating Christmas, to me, is celebrating the birth of my Saviour — someone I love deeply. I hope that everyone can come to know Him too, to experience His love, and to respond to that love with their hearts.
If you could share one thing with someone searching for meaning this Christmas, what would it be?
Christmas is, of course, a wonderful time for rest, family, and joy — but I hope we can also use this pause to think about the deeper meaning of life. We are created for love — to love others and to be loved. And there is One who loves us more than anyone else: God Himself. He longs for a relationship with us, not just on a human, horizontal level, but in a vertical relationship of love between us and Him. So if you’re someone who enjoys Christmas but doesn’t yet know the story behind it, I encourage you to take a moment this year to discover that love. It’s the most beautiful gift you could ever receive.
Josh’s Story
How did you celebrate Christmas growing up, and how has that changed over time?
My memories of Christmases growing up are filled with family rituals: cinema trip on Christmas Eve, gammon sandwiches for breakfast, opening stockings in pyjamas, extended family get-togethers on Boxing Day, etc. Now that I have my own children, we keep some of the same rituals, and have started some of our own.
What are your favourite things about Christmas?
I love the Christmas music. I have always enjoyed singing carols and other songs that retell the Christmas story, but also how the pop songs and Christmas classic playlists are full of more joy and happy memories than music you hear at other times of year.
One other thing I enjoy is the seasonal baking, especially when the whole family gets involved!
Have you ever found Christmas a difficult time?
My parents divorced when I was at secondary school, and some of my family do not talk to my father and avoid speaking about him. That has often caused tension around who to see when, what can be said to whom without upsetting them, and so on, which can still cause issues over 20 years later.
What does Christmas mean to you as a Christian?
Christmas is about hope and love, but in a much bigger and more concrete way than I think many people realise. I am reminded each year of the good news in the gifts of the Magi: gold because Jesus is the King, incense because Jesus is God come to live with us, and myrrh because Jesus would die to deal with our sin and bring us into God’s family. Because Jesus came, we can look forward to life with God forever.
If you could share one thing with someone searching for meaning this Christmas, what would it be?
I think one reason people enjoy Christmas is that for a short period everyone is focused on the good things in life: family, peace, rest, generosity, love, etc.
Those things are just a few of God’s good gifts to us through Jesus. When we celebrate Christmas as not just a joyful time of year but as the moment God came to us to bring life and hope all of those good things become even greater.
Crossway Church 