I think the angels started it-this tradition of bringing news to loved ones at Christmas time. After all, it was Gabriel who brought Mary the news she would bear the Christ-child. An angel told Joseph about it, too.

Then Gabriel and a whole host of his friends appeared to the shepherds declaring: I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people (Luke 2:10, NIV). Today many of us send family news to loved ones at Christmas-although we usually send ours in letters and via the Post Office!

Well, okay, maybe Christmas letters didn't start with the angels. Still, holiday letters have become a tradition. We stuff them full of news and notes and goings-on like stockings hung on the mantel. But holiday letters can deliver more than just family news to distant relatives and faraway friends. Holiday letters provide an excellent opportunity to tell loved ones about Christ.

I've found advantages to sharing my faith through holiday letters. For instance, people seem more open to spiritual messages during the holidays. And you know your reader is listening because personal letters get their recipient's undivided attention. Also, I can revise my words to get my message just right before I send it. Then the recipient can refer to the letter, and the message, again and again. I've also found holiday letters can reach others like neighbors, acquaintances, business associates and clients.

If you'd like to share the "good news of great joy" with others through a letter this holiday, I've learned some tips that might help:

1. Start early. I need time to find a message, write and revise it, and compose the rest of my letter. Then I'll need to type it up, print it out and stuff the envelopes. So, I begin thinking about my "good news" message well in advance.

2. Prayerfully find your "great joy" message. I ask God to show me what message He wants me to convey. I can explain a Bible verse, tell a personal story or relate a fun fact from scripture. I might find an idea in my daily Bible reading, the notes I've written in my Bible or a recent study. A calendar, journal or prayer diary can remind me of events where I saw God at work.

3. Use personal stories. What God has done in our lives is our most powerful testimony. Still, you need not include all the dark details. If a particular story might embarrass you or someone else, don't tell it. Once you mail your letter, you can't get it back.

4. Pray before composing. Actually, this is Christ's message, not mine. I need to include Him in everything from my salutation to my signature.

5. Write one letter. Considering writing a personal letter to each individual on my Christmas list overwhelms me. So I compose one generic letter addressed to "Dear Family and Friends." Then, I can always jot a personal note in the margin, on the back of the letter or inside the holiday card.

6. Choose one idea. I write out my message's main point in one sentence to focus my thought so that my reader picks it up. This gives me clear direction in where I'm going with my words and how to get there.

7. Keep it short. I begin my one-page letter with family news and end with my "great joy" message. Messages need not be long-a paragraph or a few sentences is enough. And a one-page letter tucked inside a Christmas card doesn't add to my postage expense.

8. Keep it simple. A statement telling what God has done in my life has far more power than some profound thought that loses my reader in its complexity or flowery words.

9. Don't preach. Avoid sounding preachy by using I statements rather than you statements. I tells what happened to me-what I learned or what I discovered rather than telling my reader you need to do this or you must learn that.

10. Cut the Christian lingo. I can't assume every reader knows the meaning of words like saved, sin or even Christ or Messiah. I strive to use everyday terms and carefully cut words some readers may not understand.

11. Don't sweat the grammar. Perfect spelling, grammar and punctuation help my reader understand my meaning, but they are secondary in importance to my message. Don't let a lack of grammar skills keep you from sharing the "good news of great joy."

12. Print multiple copies on holiday paper. I use my home computer to print copies on pretty, seasonal paper. But copiers, too, can print onto stationery. Write your letter on plain white paper allowing room for your stationery's design.

13. Wrap it up with prayer. Once I've stuffed my "good news of great joy" letter into Christmas cards, I send it off with a stamp and a prayer. I pray God will use my letter to encourage any unsaved readers to invite Christ into their lives. But whether I see the results or not, my heart sings knowing I've kept the tradition of the angels. I've shared the Savior-the greatest gift of all-by proclaiming the good news of great joy that is for all the people.

Dianne E. Butts is a freelance writer living in Pueblo, Colorado. You can visit her website at www.DianneEButts.com.