Christmas Gift Exchange with a twist

Introduction
Use this Christmas Gift Exchange Game with more mature youth as a serious time of affirmation and thanks for the various members of the youth group. Include the adult sponsors as well.

Game Description
In this Christmas Gift exchange, it is affirmations that are exchanged and not actual physical gifts. It's a very powerful way to bring your teens closer together and remind them that everyone in the group is a gift and that the greatest present you can give all year round, is to give of yourself as a blessing to others.

Game Materials

• Nicely wrap an empty box with paper, bow, and the works. (You might want to add some newspaper to the box to give it a little weight.)
• Chairs for everyone, arranged in a circle facing inward.

Game Preparation
Wrap an empty box with paper, bow, and the works.

Game Play

1. Start the game by holding up your beautifully wrapped gift. Explain that the box is filled not with a physical gift but with affirmations, encouragement, and a heart of thanks. "Tonight we are going to have a gift exchange. But as this wrapped gift is passed around, I want you to imagine it is filled with with appreciation, thankfulness and encouragement for each other. The greatest gift is not giving something from a store, but the giving of yourself. God gave himself to the world that we all might be part of His family. And We want to appreciate each person here who has given of himself as part of our own family of God. So with that said, I will begin. I would like to give this gift to John, because of his dedication and spirit of servanthood for others. Whenever there is one of us in need, John will always be there to serve us. Thanks for your gift to all of us, all year around. John, this gift is for you. Who do you want to pass this gift to and why?"
2. John accepts the gift and then names another youth that he wishes to present the gift to, along with his reasons. That person, in turn, names another youth, and so on.
3. In advance, let some of your student leaders and adult youth workers know what you have planned. They should be prepared to have some affirmations for some of the youth which may not be in the spotlight so often to make sure that everyone is included and NO ONE is left out. Youth can also thank the adult youth workers as well. It is OK if some teens get more than one affirmation, but encourage the youth to be thankful for EVERYONE in the group. For everyone is a gift to us from God!

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