Christmas and the Mission of Project 1.27

Christmas is our collective annual reminder that God chose to come as a baby to reconcile himself to us. The weary world truly rejoices at this good news. The heartache and hurt we carry throughout the year weigh us down, and we need to remember that God came near as a baby and will come again. This is the good news of Christmas!

At Project 1.27, we feel especially close to the Christmas story because we care for vulnerable kids and families. Not only is God’s heartbeat to care for the orphan (James 1:27), but Jesus’s actual heartbeat is in his baby-sized chest. Our savior chose to arrive on earth as an infant to a family in precarious circumstances. These details make that first Christmas a tender tale. One that’s not just about humanity’s directional pivot but also about a family needing care. 

All year, local congregations around Colorado demonstrate the spirit of James 1:27 by promoting the care of vulnerable kids in their communities. They do this through promoting foster care and adoption from the pulpit on a Sunday morning, hosting Project 1.27 family events or trainings, signing up to provide meals for foster families through our Neighbor Program, or developing a FamiliesCare ministry with trained members of their congregations wrapping around families at risk of having children removed through practical and relational supports.

Jesus could have arrived on earth forcefully and powerfully. Instead, he chose the humble skin of a child who needed a place to rest his head. This season, let’s remember that God calls us as his followers to care for our communities' vulnerable children all year. At Project 1.27, we’d like to help your church do just that.

“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” -Luke 2:10-1

By Alex Kuykendall, Director of New Development and the National Network