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Light the World 2026 for missionary families

Light the World is the Church’s Christmas invitation to share the light of Jesus Christ through acts of kindness. Here are simple ideas for families at home, alongside your missionary.

Unofficial family guide. GotMyCall isn’t run by the Church. Official Light the World resources are at ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Updated October 30, 2026.

More
Official Light the World → Ideas ↓ Giving Machines ↓

Quick answer

Light the World is the Church’s Christmas invitation to share the light of Jesus Christ through acts of kindness. The Church hasn’t posted the 2026 theme yet, and last year it kicked off on November 12 with the video out November 30.

At a glance

  • When: December, the Christmas season.
  • From: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
  • 2026 theme: not posted yet. The official page still shows 2025. We’ll update this.

Source: Light the World (official)

What to expect this season

The Church hasn’t posted the 2026 theme or video yet (checked ). Here’s how last year went, so you know roughly when to look.

  • Mid-November: kickoffThe 2025 initiative kicked off in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.

  • End of November: the videoThe 2025 video, “The First Christmas Story, Retold by Children,” came out Sunday, November 30, 2025.

  • The 2025 themeAdd the light of Jesus Christ to the Christmas traditions you already have. Elder Gary E. Stevenson put it this way: “His light was never meant to be admired from afar. It was meant to be shared.”

  • What the official site hadAn idea generator, a downloadable list, invitations you can customize, pass-along cards, phone wallpapers and videos.

  • For 2026If the Church follows last year, expect news in mid-November and a video near the end of the month. That’s our guess from last year, not an announcement. We’ll update this page when the official page changes.

Dad tip: don’t try to do all 25 days perfectly. Pick one idea a week, take a photo, and put it in your weekly email to your missionary. They love hearing that home is doing it too.

Official Light the World page →

Sources: Church Newsroom: Light the World 2025 · Church News: Light the World video and initiative (Nov 30, 2025) · Light the World (official)

Ideas for home

Pick one. All are from the Church’s own idea list.

  • Cookies for a neighbor
  • Extra food for a food bank
  • Cards for a care facility
  • Hang lights for an older neighbor
  • Invite someone to Christmas dinner
  • Text a verse from Luke 2
  • Thank store workers
  • Act out the nativity
  • Find a local project. JustServe is a Church-sponsored resource for local service projects.

Want more? The Church’s Light the World page has two idea tools:

Add Light to Your Christmas Traditions → Add a Little Light List (printable) →

The first picks a tradition, like cookies or Christmas cards, and adds one way to share light. The second is a downloadable list for the fridge (a PDF on the Church’s site).

Sources: Light the World: Add Light to Your Christmas Traditions · Add a Little Light List · What Is JustServe?

Alongside your missionary

Seven simple ways to share the season with your missionary, inside the mission rules. Serving somewhere cold? Here’s what winter on a mission is like.

In the weekly email

  1. 1
    One “light” photo a weekSend a photo of the family’s service that week with one line about it. Short is easier to read on P-day.
  2. 2
    Ask one easy questionFor example: “Who did you see serve someone this week?” One question is easier to answer than ten.
  3. 3
    Share a verse you read togetherLuke 2 or another Christmas passage, plus a sentence on what it meant to your family.

On the Christmas call

  1. 4
    Plan the call by emailMissionaries may contact family on special occasions such as Christmas, and they start the call. Agree on a time by email and have a short list ready. Holiday calls →
  2. 5
    Share your favorite dayEach person picks one day from the 25-day list below and tells the story in a minute or two. Then let your missionary talk.

In a flat Christmas package or letter

  1. 6
    Paper keepsakesPrinted photos, a handwritten note from each person, a child’s drawing, or this 25-day list with your family’s check marks.
  2. 7
    Cards from homeChristmas cards from grandparents, ward members or friends, gathered into one envelope. Flat paper lasts and doesn’t spoil.

New to mailing overseas? Start with how to send letters and packages to a missionary. Before you mail: some missions ask families to use the mission office address for mail and packages (Missionary Standards 3.9.4). Check the mission’s own guidelines, your postal service’s rules and the 2026 mailing deadlines. Your missionary’s schedule comes first, so replies may be short. Christmas package tips → · Weekly call tips →

Source: Missionary Standards 3.9.1 and 3.9.4. Ideas are GotMyCall’s own suggestions.

25-day family service checklist

One small act each day, December 1 to 25. Print it, put it on the fridge and tick off each day.

  1. Dec 1Write a thank-you note to someone who helped your family this year
  2. Dec 2Take in a neighbor’s bins or clear their walk
  3. Dec 3Leave a kind note for your mail carrier
  4. Dec 4Call a grandparent or older relative just to talk
  5. Dec 5Donate coats or clothes you no longer use
  6. Dec 6Bring a treat to a neighbor you haven’t met yet
  7. Dec 7Write to another missionary from your ward
  8. Dec 8Do a chore for someone in your family without being asked
  9. Dec 9Look for a local service project (JustServe, where available)
  10. Dec 10Pray as a family for the people in your missionary’s area
  11. Dec 11Send a card to someone who is alone or grieving
  12. Dec 12Thank a teacher, coach or leader
  13. Dec 13Pick up litter at a park or street nearby
  14. Dec 14Give a sincere compliment to five people
  15. Dec 15Drop off food at a food bank
  16. Dec 16Read Luke 2 together
  17. Dec 17Call or visit someone in a care facility (follow their visiting rules)
  18. Dec 18Make a meal for a family who has had a hard year
  19. Dec 19Let someone go ahead of you in line
  20. Dec 20Share a Christmas video from the Church with a friend
  21. Dec 21Write down one blessing from your missionary’s service
  22. Dec 22Help set up or clean up a ward Christmas activity
  23. Dec 23Thank a store or delivery worker by name
  24. Dec 24Family night: share what serving this month taught you, then email it to your missionary
  25. Dec 25Christmas Day: talk with your missionary and share your favorite day from this list

GotMyCall’s own list, inspired by the Light the World invitation. Swap in any idea that suits your family. GotMyCall · unofficial · gotmycall.com

What are Giving Machines?

Red vending-style kiosks, part of Light the World. Instead of buying a snack, you pick a gift for someone in need, like shoes, books, a meal or even a chicken.

  • You choose the charityEach item supports a local or global nonprofit. The charities are vetted by the organizers.

  • 100% to charityThe Church covers all operating costs, so 100% of your gift goes to the nonprofit you pick.

  • How to giveCredit and debit cards and mobile pay in most places. Cash in a few countries.

  • How big it isIn 2025, nearly 1 million people visited kiosks in 126 cities across 21 countries. About US$70 million has been given since the first machine in 2017.

  • None near you?The Church suggests a Light the World service project where you live.

Official Giving Machines page →

Sources: Giving Machines (official) · Light the World: Giving Machine Kiosks · Church Newsroom, 2025 report

Where last year’s gifts went

From the Church Newsroom’s 2025 Giving Machine report (March 16, 2026).

  • About 4.8 million itemsGiven by nearly 1 million visitors in 126 cities across 21 countries.

  • More than 500 nonprofitsAnd more than 3,200 different items to choose from.

  • Real resultsGifts helped provide about 3.5 million meals and vaccinations for 500,000 children, among other help.

  • How charities are pickedNonprofits are vetted and can’t use more than 10% of donations for administration.

  • New cities in 2025Bangkok, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Rome, Santiago, São Paulo, Tokyo and Vienna. If your missionary serves near one of these, ask in your weekly email whether the machines are back this year.

Source: Church Newsroom: 2025 Giving Machine report

Find a Giving Machine near you

2026 cities and dates the Church or its local Giving Machine organizers have posted so far, . More cities are added in November.

United States

Japan

Don’t see your city? Check the official page below. Dates can change, so check the source before you go. Planning a Salt Lake City trip next year? See our Salt Lake Temple open house 2027 guide.

Find more cities on the official page →

Questions

Tap to open · 13 common questions
What is Light the World?

It is an invitation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ by sharing His light with others during the Christmas season through acts of kindness.

What is the Light the World theme for 2026?

The Church has not posted a 2026 theme yet. , its official Light the World page still shows the 2025 season. Check the official page for updates.

Where are the Giving Machines in 2026?

Locations are announced city by city. As of November 1, 2026, Church and local Giving Machine pages list Las Vegas (from November 12), Columbus, Ohio (November 13 to December 5), Chicagoland (from November 14), St. George, Utah (mid-November through December 31), the Boise area (November 19 to December 31, moving between Boise, Caldwell and Meridian), Kansas City (from November 20), El Paso, Texas (November 21 to December 10), Medford, Oregon (December 15 to January 3), Tokyo (December 1–25) and Osaka (December 5–25). Check the official Giving Machines page for other cities.

What are Giving Machines?

Giving Machines are vending-style kiosks that are part of the Church’s Light the World initiative. Instead of buying something for yourself, you choose an item, like shoes, a meal or a chicken, that a participating nonprofit gives to someone in need.

Is there a Giving Machine in Las Vegas?

Yes. The Church’s Las Vegas page says the Light the World Giving Machines return November 12, 2026, with the opening listed at 827 Temple View Dr. More details are coming on that page.

Does all the money from Giving Machines go to charity?

Yes. The Church covers the operating costs, so 100% of each donation goes to the nonprofit the donor chooses.

What is JustServe?

JustServe is a Church-sponsored resource that helps organizations find volunteers and helps volunteers find service projects in their community, where it is available.

Is this the same as LDS Light the World?

Yes. Light the World is from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Church asks that its full name be used.

Can missionaries call home at Christmas?

Yes. Missionary Standards encourages missionaries to contact family on special occasions such as Christmas, and the missionary starts the call or chat. Agree on a time by email.

What can we send our missionary for Light the World?

Flat, lasting things work well: printed photos, handwritten notes, children’s drawings and Christmas cards. Check the mission’s mail guidelines and your postal service’s send-by dates first.

When does Light the World 2026 start?

The Church hasn’t announced 2026 dates as of November 1, 2026. In 2025 it kicked off in Salt Lake City on November 12, and the video came out November 30. Some 2026 Giving Machines open in mid-November, like Las Vegas on November 12.

How much was given through Giving Machines last year?

In 2025, nearly 1 million visitors gave about 4.8 million items in 126 cities across 21 countries, supporting more than 500 nonprofits. About US$70 million has been given since 2017.

Can I pay cash at a Giving Machine?

In most places you pay by credit or debit card or mobile pay. Cash is accepted in a few countries. Check the official Giving Machines page for your city.

Sources and fine print

Tap to open · 18 sources + fine print

Fine print

  • Tokyo hours: 11 a.m.–7:30 p.m. at OOTEMORI, Otemachi Tower (Church Newsroom East Asia, October 15, 2026).
  • We only list Giving Machine dates published by the Church or its local Light the World Giving Machine organizers. Local news dates aren’t included until they’re official.
  • Boise-area and Columbus dates come from those cities’ Light the World Giving Machine sites. St. George says “mid-November” without an exact start date yet.
  • JustServe is available in some countries, not all. Missionaries may use it where it is available (General Handbook 24.6.2.2).
  • The official Light the World page also has a downloadable Add a Little Light List.

. GotMyCall is unofficial and not affiliated with or endorsed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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