For the past two seasons we’ve done a relational gift exchange with our community group. Here’s how it goes:

1. Everyone thinks about and writes down something they want to do/a way they could be served/something relationship building that isn’t too weird (i.e. ‘a date’). Gifts have been anything from borrowing someone’s favorite book, to help with shopping, to a plate of brownies, to jars of soup, to collaborative painting, to watching sports. Be creative, and be relational!
2. The gifts are then shuffled and then randomly passed out to everyone in the exchange.
3. Gifts are written anonymously but read out loud so that everyone knows what is available.
4. Starting from the youngest the game then revolves around typical “white elephant” rules: stealing gifts (up to 2 or 3 times depending on the size of the group), or standing pat, until the last person has gone.
5. Set a time line for when the gifts need to be “given” (a couple of months is probably a good idea…people get busy and things can be forgotten).
6. Have fun, make memories, take a picture, and get more creative next year!