The concept of Affordable Christmas is one that many churches around our country have embraced as they have sought ways to serve their neighbors amidst the financial pressures of the Christmas season.

Last year, our church identified Circles as one of our church’s local Partners. Circles is a nationwide program that helps families climb out of poverty and achieve financial stability. Over the last year, we have witnessed this partnership blossom, serving as the host location for Circle’s weekly program, and seen an increasing number of our church’s members engage in various ways.

This year, we are building on our partnership with the Circles program through our Affordable Christmas store, which will serve the current and alumni families who participate in the Circles program.

In some ways, the Affordable Christmas store will reflect the Santa Shop that our friends at  Deep Well have facilitated for many years.

However, HHPC’s Affordable Christmas store differs from Deep Well’s Santa Shop in several ways, with a specific focus on assisting families in a way that reflects Circle’s overall approach and mission.

Families recommended by Circles will be invited to shop for brand-new gifts at a fraction of their retail price, enjoy breakfast together, take photos, and leave with gifts wrapped and ready for Christmas morning.

Affordable Christmas will be a primary opportunity for our church to support the work of our Partners, foster relationships with families in our community, and demonstrate the love of Christ that we have all received.

The financial pressures of the Christmas season amplify the overwhelming tension many hardworking families feel all year — the desire to provide Christmas presents for their families within an already limited budget. The opportunity to purchase presents at a reduced price allows parents facing financial challenges to give their children gifts for Christmas while maintaining dignity as providers for their families. And more than gifts, Affordable Christmas is an excellent opportunity to foster community relationships throughout the neighborhoods of the Lowcountry.

There are numerous ways in which you can get involved. HHPC’s congregation will be mobilized to provide presents for Affordable Christmas and be enlisted to serve in numerous positions to prepare for and host our Affordable Christmas event. On the day of the event, families will be invited to a catered breakfast and paired with a host family that will assist parents with shopping, engage them in conversation, and make sure they have everything they need. Once all presents are selected, they will be wrapped by our gift-wrapping team.

Please survey the various teams below to learn more and sign-up.

All funds paid by families to the Affordable Christmas Store are given to Circles in support of their ongoing mission throughout the year. 

Why isn’t Affordable Christmas free for the families it serves, and what does this have to do with dignity and empowerment? 

"How do we best serve those in our community navigating poverty?” is a question that continually confronts non-profits and churches alike. In answering this question, Christians must taken into account the truth of the gospel, which proclaims that we receive salvation as an underserved gift of God’s grace. With this in mind, you might wonder why would we charge families for gifts, even at a reduced cost, when salvation has been given as a free gift to us? (Ephesians 2:8-9). While there are times when it wholly appropriate to give to those who need it free of charge as a reflection of the gospel, there are a few reasons we have not made this our normal approach with the Affordable Christmas Store and why we believe having families pay a small amount “preserves dignity and promotes empowerment”. 

1. It is honoring to help people make a sacrifice for their kids. - God has designed human beings with a longing and calling to work and provide to the best of our abilities. The calling to work is a part of God’s good design for us, and is reflected in Adam and Eve’s charge to “work and keep” the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2). In keeping with God’s design, our longing and ability to work and provide is a reflection of the glory and dignity with which we are made (Psalm 8). However, like all aspects of God’s design for His world, our ability to provide for our families is hindered by a number of complex and interrelated challenges as a result of mankind’s rebellion against God. This includes factors outside our control (wages, the job market, etc.) and within our control (work ethic, life skills, etc.; see 2 Thessalonians 3:10-13). 

We believe charging a small cost “preserves dignity and promotes empowerment” by enabling families to provide for their children in a way that they otherwise could not, while also promoting a sense of ownership and self-respect. Charging a small amount creates an atmosphere of grace where we all feel like brothers and sisters on a level playing field. It removes some of the stigma of receiving charity. It fosters an environment where families are engaged, and their heads and hearts are held high. We want the families to know we love that for them, and we’re so glad they’re here.

These principles are reflected in the testimonial of Rachelle Crowe, longtime Affordable Christmas Director at Redeemer Fellowship, Kansas City (https://www.rf.church/affordable-christmas). 

“I know what it felt like for my own father to receive ‘handouts’ as a working-class man with nine kids. Even with my father’s strong work ethic, there were years when we needed help. And a context like this, where he could have stretched his dollars more instead of receiving free gifts, would have preserved his dignity. He would have felt proud of his sacrifice for his kids in a good way. (I’ve worked in low-income communities for almost twenty-five years and know my story is not unique.)” - Rachelle Crowe 

2. The Affordable Christmas Store is one-part of a larger Discipleship Strategy - It is important to recognize that the Affordable Christmas store is one part of a larger and wholistic discipleship strategy for families. One of the skills that families participating in Circles work on developing is budgeting and financial management. The Affordable Christmas store dovetails with this aspect of the Circles program and provides an opportunity for families to exercise skills they have been developing. Beyond the work of the Cirlces program, our discipleship strategy as a church seeks to meet each of us wherever we are in our lives and spiritual growth, demonstrating the centrality of the gospel to our hearts and every area of our lives.