ALTERnativity wants to:

Rediscover the values of the Magnificat.

Remember the simplicity and meaning of the Incarnation, with the freedom, joy and peace that is offered in the coming of the Messiah.

Resist the excesses of consumerism, which cause some to incur unpayable debts and stress to many.

The aims include:

Taking a fresh look at the bible story and drawing out the underlying meaning and values.
Looking for ways in which worship can more readily reflect the reality of the first Christmas.
Listening to the pressures people experience and working together to find ALTERnatives.
Helping ourselves and others understand the implications of excessive consumerism, both environmentally and for people across the world.
Exploring practical ways in which we can simplify the celebration so that it becomes more sustainable - at a personal level, at a global level and environmentally.

ALTERnativity has ideas about getting started but whatever it is you choose to do, it needs to start with a conversation. You can't make the Christmas changes alone - it needs to be with friends and colleagues who share your unease with the way we celebrate.

Check our resource section for ideas.

We have recognised that it is not easy to go against the flow so there are simple steps for making a change and making a difference to the celebration.

Our underlying question is always: "How can we celebrate Christmas in a way that recognises that half God's children are starving?"

We want to celebrate and we want it to be fun but we also want it to be caring, authentic and with a concern for the whole of God's world.

The bottom line is that it is all about money and the decisions we make. Mary gave us a manifesto of "Advent economics" which challenges us all, especially at Christmas where we seem to lose all sense of proportion: "he has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly, he has filled the hungry with good things and has sent the rich away empty"