Give a doorstep gift this Easter

A letterbox gift does exactly what it says on the tin – it’s a gift that can be posted through the letterbox. It’s a convenient way to send a present to someone and they don’t have to worry about being at home to receive it.

During lockdown, letterbox presents have become hugely popular. These gifts are great for those wanting to send a gift to family and friends while social distancing. In our area door step gifts have become a thing too!

Whether that’s cookies from friends, popcorn for our weekly film club or a gift of Prosecco when life is hard. But its not just doorstep gifts that we’ve been making and receiving.

Through lockdown we’ve taken part in many local family community trails. We gave gift bags for those walking past and taking part.

We wanted to give gifts that were fun and gifts that tasted good. But we also wanted to give gifts that left people experiencing something of Jesus, and left them wanting more. As Blaise Pascal says “Make religion attractive, make good men wish it were true, and then show that it is”.

Imagine this Easter if Christians across the UK gave generous gifts to their friends. Gifts that were fun, gifts that tasted good and gifts that pointed to the difference Easter can make in our lives.

Here are some examples from lockdown and ideas for what we’re planning to do. I hope they inspire you to do something similar in your community.

Gift bags for families

For the Halloween and Christmas trails we gave out gift bags. In the bags we put; sweets, glow sticks, tattooes and stories. I wrote and printed stories with my friends in mind.

These are stories that raise curiosity about the person of Jesus, they are written for a family to read together. We gave them out to friends and also gave away hundreds from our driveway. Read these stories here Lucy and the bird and Superlight.

Gift bags for friends

I decided that I wanted to give something to my friends too. So I set about the task of writing a story called “Love in Corona”. The concept is that you give your friend a gift; bake a cake, buy some tasty chocolate or a bottle of wine and you include this little postcard and a copy of a gospel.

Gifts like this are a personal and attractive way to share more with your friends.

I’d love you to read my curious stories. If you enjoy them and find they warm your heart, then please consider making up a beautiful, generous letterbox gift or a doorstep gift for your friends.

What about Easter?

For friends

I’ll be using the Love in Corona cards and delivering them with home made Easter biscuits. Why not write your own postcard and print it or write a message and add a gospel. Or have a look in the Easter section at 10 of Those.

For families

From the 26th March, with a team of friends we’ll be giving out hundreds of Easter story gift packs. These will be free to pick up as part of an Easter windows trail. But you could just as easily make a load and drop them on friends doorsteps as Easter gifts over the Easter weekend.

For the community

You could set up a driveway giveaway for anyone walking past like my good friend Rosie did. Or you could download a poster like this one, colour it in and give away gospels, tracts, gifts or Easter colouring in sheets.

Nay Dawson, IFES Europe Regional Training Co-ordinator and leader of Passion for Evangelism, a network of female evangelists.