Celebrating Christmas online: Tips from the experts
Millions of people will celebrate Christmas over Zoom/Facetime/Skype for the first time this year, but social-yet-distant holidays have long been a regular part of missionary life. Here are a few tips for marking festive occasions via the Internet, drawn from the experience of some of SEND’s missionaries:
1. If children are involved, take turns.
All of these platforms work best when one person speaks at a time. If the grandparents are watching grandkids open presents, residual noise might be fine, but if you want an actual conversation to take place, have little guys take turns in front of the screen while other children are occupied (ideally in another room).
“If the kids aren’t naturally communicative, give them some tips or some ideas about what to talk about,” says Jane Miller, whose grandchildren lived overseas for more than a decade. “They can show artwork or sing. And remind them to ask questions of the grandparents, too—and to listen to the answers.”
2. Play games. (All sorts.)
Physical games:
Connect 4 works well, with one player telling the other player where to drop the pieces. And Leah Schwartz in Ukraine suggest Mickey Mouse Yahtzee with little kids or Battleship.
Few-supplies-needed games:
Charades and scavenger hunts can easily be adapted to Christmas. (Go find a present that you’d give to someone who likes small things, big things, soft things, smelly things, etc.) Scattergories works well for a group, and all you need is a piece of paper and someone to come up with categories. (Or to search online for ideas.) Christmas BINGO cards can keep the crowd focused; each person can make a card with predictions about what will happen during the celebration. (Someone will open socks; a cookie will be eaten.)
Online:
Check out jackboxgames.com, or see if your favorite game has an online version. Leah says, “For online games, we like to have two devices each—one to play on and one to see each other and talk on.”
3. Focus on traditions that don’t require touch or good sound.
“In our family, the youngest child who knows how to read, reads Jesus’ birth story from Luke 2. This we can do,” says Josie Oldenburg, who served in Ukraine. “However, we also generally sing carols together while my niece plays the piano. Zoom singing doesn’t sound particularly festive, so we’ll skip it this year.”
4. Have a schedule.
Maybe that doesn’t sound very festive, but sometimes fun takes planning! Let the jokes arise spontaneously, but figure out ahead of time who will lead any games or MC your time together.
Beth Eckstein in Taiwan says a time limit has been key to her successful online parties, “I did a 50th anniversary party for my parents, and we kept it to exactly an hour,” she said. “People were wanting to stay longer, but honoring a definite time frame is a good boundary. It keeps people engaged and they’re more likely to be all in if they know there’s a natural cut off.”
Beth Eckstein in Taiwan says a time limit has been key to her successful online parties, “I did a 50th anniversary party for my parents, and we kept it to exactly an hour,” she said. “People were wanting to stay longer, but honoring a definite time frame is a good boundary. It keeps people engaged and they’re more likely to be all in if they know there’s a natural cut off.”
5. Stay connected after the celebration.
To ease the blow of Christmas being “over” once the Zoom call ends, have everyone share a few prayer requests or hopes for the coming year. In the coming weeks, lift these things up to the Lord and follow up with your family members to let them know that they are on your mind, even if they can’t be in your home.
This Christmas, no matter where or how you celebrate, remember that Jesus came to bring light into this dark world. Because the darkness cannot overcome the light, we wish you a meaningful, joyful Christmas.
Additional Posts
Choosing a Missions Organization: Why SEND International Stands Out “Why should I be a missionary through SEND International?” Jenna, a new missionary in Eastern Europe, shared with us what she appreciates about working with SEND. The highlights for her are: - Devotion to prayer - Diligence in communication - Commitment to development - Intentionality in accountability Prayer “Back in September of 2022, the Lord reconnected me with SEND after I had met them a year prior at the Moody Bible Institute. However, before he would sign me up for anything, my Missions Coach encouraged me to pray. He said something to the effect of, "I know that you've been praying on your own for a long time. But as the Church, we are not called to walk alone. So, you and I won't talk for about a month unless you have questions. I want you to go pray with 5 or 6 others from your church about where God is calling you." That October, more than 10 friends prayed with me and we saw God answer as He directed me to Romania. From February 2024 to November 2025, I had the pleasure of being a part of team meetings in Romania with my SEND colleagues. Our meetings were four hours long, two for prayer and two for business. This has been the minimum for our team. There are also prayer meetings with the local churches we partner with, among smaller groups within our team, of course prayer with many of you across the pond, including those at our US office. The organization was built, has been sustained, and continues to run on prayer. This is my favorite thing about SEND. Communication As I mentioned above, we have a two hour block for business / ministry details in each of our meetings. This provides consistency across our team which works alongside three different churches and in a variety of ministries. It also helps us to communicate about the need for change or growth, alongside what is working well. In addition, my team director also meets with each of us, allowing us to communicate needs, considerations, and prayer requests. I've also enjoyed getting to work with SEND workers outside of my immediate region . We receive emails with the minutes from the Europe leadership team, Friday communications from our international director, and information regarding projects that affect our work among the unreached. In December of 2024, our international director at the time wrote a note to my parents for the first Christmas that I was gone. If nothing else had convinced my mom yet, this did. He took the time to care for me, but also to care well for the parents that were sending me (What it meant to my dad and mom for him to do this well has been one of the greatest ways I've been supported.). I also have some pretty wonderful regional directors. These people have prayed alongside us (while also serving in their own countries of service), they have taken time to come visit and encourage our team, and they have also taken the time to encourage the people in our churches. Development SEND has provided much in the area of development and care (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally). At our regional conference (every three years), there have been medical check ups available, counseling options, and time for connecting with others on the field with similar experience. At our conference last October, I connected with a missionary who served overseas for many years, and is now serving on the administrative side of SEND. She has met with me since then for mentorship and has also invested much of her time recently in preparing a retreat for the singles across Europe. Accountability Over the years I have read and heard amazing stories of how God has worked through missionaries. God has done great things and great things He is still doing! However, people who have committed their lives to the Lord in this way are not “super Christians”. We are still humans with the same struggle against flesh that others have . A major challenge is in being isolated -- living in areas with little to no presence of other believers to sharpen them can cause many difficulties. SEND has been a great resource in this area too. Through my team, I have an accountability partner that I meet with monthly. When my regional director came to visit, he and his wife spent a day with me and asked intentional questions about how I lead, handle conflict, and how I am growing in general as a Christian. In addition, my teammates share their wisdom with me on a regular basis. These things and more have assured me that SEND International is a highly valuable organization and I'm excited to partner with them in service to, for, and with our great God! Interested in being sent by SEND?
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