The National Retail Federation predicts consumers will spend $74.5 billion in the 2007 holiday season. Has Christmas become little more than a national excuse to indulge our collective spending compulsion?

Imago Dei, a Portland church, began the Advent Conspiracy to restore the meaning of Christmas “by worshipping Jesus through compassion, not consumption.” It has four goals: worship more, spend less, give more, and love all. Last year, 5 churches participated and raised $100,000 by making gifts instead of buying them. This year, 600 churches have already signed up to participate and an additional 500 churches are participating through the World Relief Organization, which is using the Conspiracy for its Christmas campaign.

In the spirit of the Advent Conspiracy, here is a diverse (but not exhaustive) list of organizations that give life and hope to people who need it most.

1. Angel Tree is an affiliate ministry of Prison Fellowship that provides Christmas gifts to children whose parents are in prison. Donate money online or organize a program at your church.

2. World Vision, a humanitarian organization, has an online Christmas Gift Catalogue. (Last year, my sister bought me a portion of an “easy-care” alpaca for a Peruvian family, and this year, I’ve been eyeing a share of a camel for my grandma.)

3. Restoration of Israel is a Messianic Jewish organization that provides material support for Jewish people making Aliyah (traveling) to Israel. You can donate cash, goods, services, or…trees.

4. Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry is a domestic Christian ministry of farmers and hunters who are “transforming a renewable, God-given resource into food for the hungry.” The ministry pays meat processors to butcher donated deer and elk to feed the hungry. You can make financial donations or you can donate a deer yourself!

5. If you do purchase gifts, buy from organizations that put 100% of the profits into the people and communities they support. Cultural Designs by Kate is a Lebanon-based organization that teaches women the skill of jewelry fabrication and then employs them. Select from over 200 one-of-a-kind designs online. Rahab Ministries supports Thai women who leave the sex-trade. The women make the greeting cards and jewelry that you can buy through the online bazaar.