Over twelve days (you can do this anytime during the Advent/Christmas season, but if your a stickler about the church calendar, you'll do it December 25th-January 5th, the real twelve days of Christmas), do one act of service a day. It can be done as a individual, as a youth group, or as a family. Come up with twelve ideas of ways they can serve someone and write them on 3 x 5 note cards. The cards are then put in a box (you can decorate a gift box to put the cards in, if you're into that kind of thing). Each morning, a card is drawn out, and each person in the family/youth group commits to doing that act at some point during the day. You can choose to debrief at the end of the day how their acts of service went, or they can vow to never talk about their acts in an effort to keep their left hand from knowing what their right is doing (Matthew 6:3).
There are several variations of this out there, but here's a sample list:
1) Walk a friend’s dog
2) Write a thank-you note to someone from your past.
3) Make a card and send it to a friend for no reason.
4) Write a letter to a full-time missionary.
5) Give someone a sincere compliment, especially people who are overlooked, such as a boss, teacher, custodian. Make sure others hear it.
6) Donate something (books/toys, etc.) to a charity
7) Stay after work or school for a few minutes to help someone (co-worker, teacher, etc.) with a project or extra work.
8) Do a chore that you normally do not have to do without anyone knowing.
9) Treat a friend to a movie.
10) Hold the door for someone at a store and help them carry their stuff to their car.
11) Pay for someone's coffee at a coffee shop.
12) Give a complement to every person you interact with during the day.
The list can be customized in many different ways. For instance, you might tie it in with a lesson on homelessness in your city and challenge your students to do twelve acts that serve the homeless in your community.
Enjoy your twelve deeds of Christmas!
