God Works in New Ways through Christmas Story

How many times have you heard the Christmas story? Too many to count?

For some, the Christmas story will be new this year, and God is still doing amazing things through this story.

Ben Katt, Resonate Global Mission’s regional mission leader for the western United States, recorded two examples of this in Anchorage, Alaska, on his podcast, Replacing Church. Ben visited Parachutes, an Anchorage drop-in center for high-risk teens that partners with Resonate.

Why Did They Do That?

A couple of years ago, Parachutes had a nativity scene set up along with a book that told the Christmas story. One of the youth paged through the book and was shocked by what he was reading, as he knew how the story would eventually end.

“So, they kill him later, right?” the teen asked Jake Hubers, executive director at Parachutes.

“He was the Son of God — why would they do that?” the teen added. “There were angels and stuff rejoicing for Jesus.”

Hubers said that navigating that tough question and having a deeper conversation with this young man was “incredible.”

“It’s moments like that when I say there is something going on here!” said Hubers.

From Discussion to Discipleship

Deep conversations like this are at the heart of the mission for staff and volunteers at Parachute Ministries—whether they are informal conversations or more structured ones like those that take place at Parachutes’ newest program, the Table.

The Table is a dinner and discussion time, funded in part by grants from Resonate, that provides a warm, hospitable place for volunteers and youth to build a relationship and draw into community.

“Young adults get the opportunity to share about their lives in a safe and nurturing environment,” said Joel Kiekintveld, Parachutes founding director. “The Table has been, for some of our youth, their church.”

Identification with the Christmas Story

Another conversation at Parachutes almost caught Kiekintveld off guard. During last year’s Christmas party at Parachutes, Kiekintveld had just finished sharing the Christmas story, framing it as a story of outcasts.

“In the Christmas story you have a man who loses all of his status in Joseph,” said Kiekintveld, “and a woman who is losing her status and identity because she’s gotten pregnant out of wedlock, and you've got a baby who has no status.”

After hearing that message, one of the youth approached Kiekintveld. This young man had been visibly moved by Kiekintveld’s message, identifying with the Christmas story in a way that Kiekintveld hadn’t considered. The youth approached Kiekintveld with a question you probably wouldn’t hear in most church settings.

In tears, the young man asked Joel, “So are you telling me that Jesus was a bastard? That’s what people have called me my whole life.”

So in the midst of the Christmas party, while most of the other youth were focused on opening gifts and celebrating, Joel had a meaningful discussion with that young man about how God's own Son entered fully into our challenging (and painful) human experience.

Momentous discussions like these are what motivates Joel Kiekintveld and others at Parachutes, and they are excited to see what God will do at Christmastime this year.