CONTENTS

Cover stories

IDEAS AND INSPIRATION

10    Put fellowship at the heart of your celebrations – What we can learn from the hygge craze
26    Wondering what to buy family and friends? Choose a gift that will make a real difference to someone’s life
30    A community celebration – ‘Our walking nativity has become an annual event’
37    Festive Weekend Special – Things to make, bake, do and see

ENCOURAGEMENT

12    Is your faith growing weak? We can trust God’s promises, says Joni Eareckson Tada
21    Feeling more hassled than hopeful? Let’s look again at what Christmas means, suggests Veronica Zundel
33    For those who are hurting – What one woman learned when tragedy struck

REAL LIVES

14    Christmas past and present – Debi Matthews, Abby Guinness, Commissioner Gillian Cotterill and Rev Kate Bottley share their festive memories and advice
18    Daniel O’Donnell – Ireland’s most famous country singer is counting his blessings
22    Prison was not what I expected – A prison chaplain reflects on her experiences in a Category A prison
25    The most wonderful time of the year – 12-year-old Jonathan Bryan shares what Christmas means to him

NEWS & VIEWS

8    Your letters – on minimalism, pets, technology and more
36    Singled out – Hopeful Girl highlights the financial burdens facing many singles
45    Next month – Looking ahead to our January issue
48    Book club – Recommended reads and an interview with Jane Williams

REFLECTIONS

7   Catherine Campbell writes our Christmas prayer
29   Encounters with angels – Penelope Wilcock believes they’re not as rare as we might suppose
34   A mother’s love – Elaine Storkey unpacks the story of the two mothers and the wisdom of Solomon
50   Man Alive – Mark Greene pays tribute to Joseph, the unsung hero of the nativity