‘Compelled by the love of Christ’

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HOW do you plan to spend Christmas Day?

Long lie? Cup of tea while the children open their pressies? Slap up lunch while watching a movie on the TV?

For most of us, Christmas Day is a welcome holiday where the whole family can get together, but if it were not for a very large group of people, that sort of relaxing day would not be possible.

In this month of celebration of the birth of Christ, we consider just some of the people who will be working on December 25.

The Church’s Social Care arm, CrossReach springs to mind when considering those who work and support others over Christmas.

For people in care homes, that home is their family, and staff who work there are a part of that family.

Gaberston House, Alloa, is one of CrossReach’s residential services for adults with enduring mental health needs.

Sheena MacIntosh, team leader at Gaberston, explains: “The unit off ers 24-hour support to vulnerable individuals, which for staff means we off er care and support 365 days of the year, including Christmas Day.

Working on Christmas Day means time away from our own families and being away from the people we love and who care for us. Gaberston staff have always said the same thing about working Christmas: it is important for everyone to feel cared for at Christmas and often staff say that the Christmas shift, although busy, is rewarding and fun.

“Staff work hard to make the day special for those who live in Gaberston and for those we support in their own homes. For individuals with mental health problems, Christmas can be a difficult time of year because of loneliness and difficult memories. Of course, mental ill-health impacts on daily life no matter what day of the year it is.

“As a staff team we all feel that Christmas Day at Gaberston house has always been a very special time of the year, when the Gaberston family can spend time together ensuring that everyone experiences the festive spirit we all enjoy in our own lives. Residents and staff at Gaberston have a warm and open rapport and staff understand how important it is to meet residents’ wishes and choices. This is reflected on Christmas Day as residents relax and staff prepare Christmas dinner, everyone shares in the festivities, watches the Queen’s Speech and eats Christmas pudding. There is an opportunity for those who wish to join in to hear staff share from the Bible the story of Christmas and the message of peace and joy.”

Charities providing crisis support are among those working over the holiday.

“Safe Families for Children is a charity operating in Edinburgh and the Lothians.

They provide early intervention and flexiblesupport to families in crisis – at any time. Safe Families staff work hard to identify and tailor support to the needs of those families. We then rely on trained and approved volunteers to provide that support as a Family Friend or Host Home,” says Ruth Scott, Community Volunteer Manager.

It’s really vital work, because having this ongoing support in place can allow us to prevent further escalation of a bad situation and reduce the risk of harm to the children involved, so it’s vital work.

“For many of the families we work with, Christmas can be a particularly difficult time of year as nurseries and schools close and support from other professionals is limited. Whilst some emergency provisions are still available, for families teetering on the edge Christmas can be enough to push them to crisis point.

“We always have a member of staff on duty over the Christmas period to take calls, monitor existing placements and even set up emergency supports where necessary. This can mean having to drop everything to follow up on issues or arranging to meet with families and volunteers as soon as possible.

Safe Families for Children

“It’s really vital work, because having this ongoing support in place can allow us to prevent further escalation of a bad situation and reduce the risk of harm to the children involved, so it’s vital work.

“In one case, we had already started to work with a very isolated and overwhelmed mum of two children under the age of three. She had only recently given birth to her second child when we first became involved. As the Christmas holidays approached, it was clear she was becoming more and more overwhelmed and exhausted. She was struggling to cope with her older child in particular and her mental health was suff ering as a result. Our Senior Family Support Manager visited her on a number of occasions in the run up to Christmas, but there were growing concerns about how the family would get through the Christmas holidays without the respite and support provided by the child’s nursery placement and her usual social worker and the other professionals involved.

“In order to relieve some of the pressure, one of our volunteers stepped up to the plate, giving up precious family time to meet with the family and our Senior Family Support Manager on December 27 at a local café to discuss the support. From there, the volunteer arranged to care for the child for two full days before New Year’s Eve.

“Not only did this provide invaluable respite and space for Mum, but it gave the child a chance to have fun and get involved in our volunteer’s own family activities, such as sledging in the snow. That sort of help is priceless to a family at risk.

“What’s more, the volunteer and her own children still recall fondly that time they were able to spend with the young girl, despite the busyness generally associated with the time of year. Although seemingly small, that gift of time and fun allowed that family to maintain some stability through what would otherwise have been the hardest time of year for them. We are particularly thankful for all our volunteers who choose to give their time and energy during the Christmas holidays to help others in such need.”

Although seemingly small, that gift of time and fun, allowed that family to maintain some stability through what would otherwise have been the hardest time of year for them.

Another group of people for whom Christmas is a busy time – is ministers! “‘This will be your busy time of year then’ – if we had a £1 for every time a minister hears those words – then I suspect the Church of Scotland deicit might be solved!” says the Rev Shuna Dicks, minister at Cults Parish Church.

“Yes it is busy, but we are no busier than many other people trying to juggle work and family commitments along with inding time to do the Christmas shopping and organise travel arrangements, meals out and, of course, Christmas lunch.

“Christmas in our family has settled over the years I have been minister into a pattern born out of balancing the needs of the parish and family. This year it is being tweaked around the edges as we are now in a new parish and inding our way round the traditions of this new place. But the core of what we do as a family remains the same; inding a balance between ‘work’ commitments and inding time to be together.

Volunteers working on Christmas day.

“Christmas is, of course, a special time of year. And I hope that for both my parishioners and family I have managed to work out how to satisfy both and most importantly how to enjoy sharing the season with both. Starting on Christmas Eve, I love the excitement of a family orientated Christmas Eve service – the chatter of excited children, the sense of families gathered together – often with extended family reunited for Christmas. After this service it’s home to do some of the preparation for Christmas lunch. Then the quiet relective anticipation of the Watchnight Service – waiting for the Christ child and then celebrating His arrival. Wonderful! Then home for a nightcap before trying to sleep.

“As a family we have been lucky enough to have both our grown up children home for Christmas – and in our last parish we would as family serve mulled wine to the folks who gathered for the Watchnight. On Christmas morning most of us would attend the Christmas morning service. To date after the service it’s been home, apron on and into the kitchen. I love cooking Christmas lunch for the family (usually the four of us plus my parents, mother-in-law and sister-in-law). This year things will change as Cults Parish Church hosts a Christmas lunch for those who may otherwise be on their own. So Neil and I will pop along there for a bit whilst our own beef and turkey is cooking to help out. This is one of the compromises being made. When I suggested we all join the folks at the Kirk for Christmas Lunch, well, let’s just say I met with a little resistance.

“The balance between meeting family expectations and being minister can sometimes be tricky.

“But really that’s no diferent to any family where one or more members work on Christmas Day. It is a special time and we make it special in our way.”

One job that is a 24/7, 52 weeks a year, is working with the police and other frontline emergency services.

Stewart Scott is a police oicer and a Session Clerk.

During his 19 year career in the police service, he’s had lots of experience of working on Christmas Day. As a member of the Christian Police Association, Scotland, he detailed how Christmas can be spent on the frontline of policing.

“Christmas to me is a time to be surrounded by loved ones, however I take time to think and pray for those less fortunate than my family and me.

“I am an active member, Session Clerk and Safeguarding Co-ordinator at St Paul’s Parish Church, Provanmill, Glasgow.

“I will always make every efort to attend a church service on Christmas Day, shift pattern depending!

“This normally starts by attending the watchnight carol service, where I ofer thanks and celebration. The watchnight service is then followed by a time of fellowship with members of the community, where we come together to eat and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

“The watchnight service is extra special to me as I get to see people who may only attend at church at this time of year to celebrate their Christmas and to pray for those loved ones and friends who might not be around to celebrate with them.

“Having been a police oicer for 19 years, I’ve had to work most Christmas Days during that time keeping people safe.

“Working on Christmas Day is no diferent to any other day in policing, unfortunately crimes still occur, and serious incidents take place. Working over Christmas ills me with a sense of pride and gratitude that I am able to undertake this role.

“Sharing Christmas with colleagues is just as special, as I really do see them all as family.

“To try to make the day extra special, we make every efort to try and squeeze in a wee feast whilst continuing to do our jobs in keeping our communities safe.

“I am also conscious of those on my shift who may not celebrate Christmas, this to me is an aspect of my job that I thoroughly enjoy and an opportunity to involve everyone in the feast because it is a time to relect on how we come together to support our communities, through good times and bad.

“For me the Christian element is still there, however I endeavour to ensure everyone is involved.

“On my completion of my shift I then have a chance to spend time with family and friends to celebrate the remainder of this special day.”

A range of staf at CrossReach’s Rainbow House, an addiction support service, in Glasgow, will also be working on Christmas Day. Pete Birnie is a Service Leader at Rainbow House. He chooses to work on Christmas Day.

Stewart Scott

Dr Rani Hadassah Manu Mesa

“I have worked for Crossreach’s Rainbow House for 10 Years and worked Christmas Day every year. I feel at this time of year our service users are feeling lonely, maybe down, missing their families and loved ones. So if I can help raise their spirits on this day I will. I sometimes dress up as Father Christmas and give out gifts to all service users, we also include a full Christmas Day dinner, Christmas decorations, Christmas tree and Church service to try our best to bring the Christmas day spirit into our service.

“I feel although this is a very special day on the Christian calendar, God asks me to provide care and support for the less fortunate. After my own shift, I go to my own family and enjoy the festive time.

“Ultimately I finish with prayer and give thanks to God for this day and that I was of use to him and my fellows.”

Another of the Rainbow House Christmas Day workers is John. He volunteers there.

“I volunteer to come to Rainbow House on Christmas day, because it helps me as well as the residents. I like to keep busy at Christmas and I enjoy being a part of the atmosphere that we create for everyone.

I understand what it’s like to be estranged from family – I am in recovery myself – so I know that this can be a difficult time of year for people, especially people with kids who maybe don’t get to see them.

“I enjoy making their day a wee bit easier and better. We have a Christmas dinner together and in the morning we give out gifts to everyone. It’s nice to see people’s faces when they get a gift because lots of them don’t get gifts at Christmas – some people don’t have anyone in their lives.

“I volunteer every Christmas because it helps me to remember where I was, and also what Christmas is all about. I get as much out of being here as the residents do.”

“I have been employed here for over two years, and this is the irst time in my career that I have had to work Christmas” says Lou, another worker from Rainbow House. “When I irst found out that I was working on Christmas Day, I didn’t feel too pleased at irst. I have three grown up children, and although they now do their own thing for much of the day, I was worried that working would take away from our Christmas experience – especially since we wouldn’t make Church in the morning together.

“It turns out, working on Christmas Day has added to the joy of Christmas for me. Each year, many of the residents like to attend church at Christmas, and this is a beautiful thing to share with them. But it’s not only the spiritual side that is enjoyable, there is also a lot of humour shared between the staf and residents. It really is a time for counting our blessings and being thankful for what we have. Many of the residents who come into Rainbow come in with nothing and are estranged from family and friends.

“Working at Rainbow hasn’t taken anything away from my Christmas for the past two years – I have still managed to go to church and made it home in time to have dinner with my family.”

But it’s not just in the UK that Christians work on Christmas Day.

“I’m a medical doctor who works at Lindimara hospital in Waingapu, Sumba Island, eastern of Indonesia. There are not many doctors in our island and there are only four full time doctors at hospital now,” says Dr Rani Hadassah Manu Mesa, Medical Director of a project run by a Church of Scotland partner church. “There were times I was the only full time doctor at the hospital. So, on holidays, including Christmas, we are often on duty at the hospital.”

“I was raised in a traditional Christian family with a pastor as my dad and Sumba itself has more Christians than other religions. Christmas then is a very important holiday, not just because the Saviour was born on that day, but also because families and friends and basically the whole town celebrate it together at church and at homes. Christmas is a time of togetherness, joy, warmth, and peace.

It turns out, working on Christmas Day has added to the joy of Christmas for me. Each year, many of the residents like to attend church at Christmas, and this is a beautiful thing to share with them.

“As medical providers, we are formed and trained to put the needs of others irst, above our own needs. So, for me as MD and for the nurses, midwives and other staf on duty on Christmas, though it is somehow sad to be away from our families, we found that all who work at hospital during that time, the patients who can’t go home and their families at hospital, are all our family now, with whom we can celebrate Christ with the warmth and togetherness and joy as one.

“Do I miss having the day of with other Christians? Yes, if the day of means worshipping together at church or visiting former stafs or former patients in their homes. I don’t miss the commercialised Christmas celebration.

“Those who are also on duty on Christmas Day, patients and patients’ families who stay at hospital, they ARE our family now. So, we celebrate Christmas with them on that speciic day. We try though to make sure staf who are on duty during Christmas can spend New Year with their families at home. It’s not exactly the same, but the togetherness and joy would still be there.

“Most patients would ask to go home to be with their loved ones for Christmas. So, for those who can’t, we always try to make it a warm, memorable and meaningful time. A few of us would bring cookies and cakes from home, others would bring juice or syrupy drinks and then together we would go from one room to the next, singing one or two Christmas hymns for them, read the story from the Bible regarding Christ and His birth and how He saves us and enjoy with patients some cookies and drinks. Sometimes we make small Christmas cards with Bible verses to give them. “For patients, it’s always an emotional moment. The love of Christ is somehow translated or delivered to them through that simple act of caring, including for those who don’t share the same faith.

“Though I have been doing this for years, it touches me diferently each time.

“Christmas songs played through the speakers as we help mothers deliver their newborns, those we ight hard to resuscitate, those we care for so they can go home to celebrate New Year with their loved ones, God willing, it is all part of the magic.

“I personally consider it a privilege and honour to work at the hospital during Christmas. Compelled by the love of Christ, that’s why we are here and why we do what we do: for those who are sick, poor, lonely, neglected and forgotten.”

This article appears in the December 2018 Issue of Life and Work

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