How Do I Choose a Gift for a New Christian?
When someone becomes a new Christian, we naturally want to celebrate with them. We may wonder what we can give that will encourage them and help them begin this new life with Christ.
For me, that question is very personal because I still remember the first Christian gift that meant so much to me.
I was about sixteen years old when I was saved. I had not graduated from high school. I wasn't married yet. There were so many milestones ahead of me that seemed incredibly important.
Someone told me that accepting Christ was the most important thing I would ever do in my life.
At the time, I remember thinking, How can that be? I haven't even graduated from high school yet. I haven't gotten married.
It took some time and some growing for me to understand.
But they were right.
And one of the precious gifts I received as a new Christian helped begin that growth.
It was my very first Bible.
Start With a Bible of Their Own
If a new Christian doesn't already own a Bible, that is where I would begin.
I would give them a King James Bible.
My first Bible was burgundy, and my name was printed on it in gold. I loved it greatly.
There was something special about knowing that Bible was mine.
I read it at home, and every time we went to church, I carried it with me. I was so proud to walk into church carrying my own Bible with my own name on it.
One of the girls at church underlined and highlighted passages in her Bible, so I began doing the same thing.
During sermons, I would write the preacher's name and the date beside the passage. I highlighted important verses. Over time, those markings became a record of what God was teaching me.
Years later, I could return to a passage and remember the message I had heard there.
That Bible became much more than a book I owned.
It became part of my Christian life.
Give Them Something They Can Hold
Today we can read the Bible on a phone or computer, and there may be times when that is convenient. But I still believe there is something precious about having your own physical Bible.
It is something you can hold.
Something you can hug.
Something you can cry into.
Someday, you may even look back and see the tear stains on its pages and remember how the Lord carried you through that season of your life.
As you become familiar with your Bible, you begin remembering where things are on the page. You remember that a certain verse is toward the top, on the left, or near a corner.
Your eyes begin to know where to go.
That familiarity grows through years of reading, studying, listening to preaching, and walking with the Lord.
Psalm 119:105 says:
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” — Psalm 119:105, KJV
What better gift could we give a new Christian than something that helps place that light into their hands?
Give Gifts That Help Them Use Their Bible
After a Bible, I like gifts that help a new Christian study, remember, pray, and grow.
I have always used notebooks to take notes during Bible study and sermons at church. A Bible Verse Cards & InkPen King James Scripture Gift Set is a beautiful place to start — scripture cards a new believer can keep somewhere they will see them every day, paired with a pen to begin writing down what God is teaching them.
Highlighters and sticky notes can help them begin marking important passages.
A Bible case can protect their Bible while also keeping their study supplies together.
A prayer journal can help them organize prayer requests, Bible reading, gratitude, and opportunities for service.
These aren’t valuable merely because they are attractive Christian products.
Their value is in how they are used.
A helpful gift encourages a new Christian to develop habits that will strengthen their walk with the Lord. If you are still wondering what makes a Christian gift truly meaningful, that post is a wonderful place to begin.
Help Them Develop Habits That Lead to Growth
When I think about what I would tell that sixteen-year-old version of myself today, I would encourage her to begin looking beyond herself.
Ask God:
Lord, whom can I help?
What would You have me do?
Where can I serve You today?
There are people we pass every day who may need encouragement.
There are family members.
Friends.
Neighbors.
People at church.
People we encounter in ordinary daily life.
When we begin looking beyond our own routines and asking the Lord to direct us, He can open our eyes to needs that were around us all along.
Christian growth isn’t only about what we learn.
It should begin changing the way we live and the way we see other people.
Encourage Them to Read the Bible With Their Church
A new Christian can open the Bible and wonder, Where in the world do I begin?
One thing I appreciate is reading Scripture together as a church.
Our church follows a Bible-reading plan so that we are reading the same passages together.
That gives us opportunities to ask questions.
We can talk about what we have read and what we believe a passage means. Sometimes our preacher will preach from those same verses.
We are learning together.
For a new Christian, that is important because they should not have to figure everything out alone.
Give them a Bible, certainly.
But then help them learn how to read it. A scripture journal can help them slow down, reflect on what they are reading, and keep a record of what God is teaching them along the way.
A New Christian Needs More Than a Gift—They Need the Church
I believe very strongly that new converts need the church.
Every person in the church should be willing to help them.
Guide them.
Wrap an arm around them.
Help carry them through those early days until they begin growing stronger.
A gift can be wonderful, but handing someone a Bible and saying, “Good luck,” is not enough.
Invite them to church.
Sit beside them.
Answer their questions.
Pray with them.
Encourage them.
Help them understand the preaching.
Be patient when they don’t know something that seems obvious to someone who has been saved for many years.
The Christian family—the church family—is where we find support.
We all need to grow stronger together.
What Does Growth Look Like in a New Christian?
One of the first things I look for is faithfulness.
You begin to see them become faithful at church.
They attend the services.
They bring their Bible with them.
They begin joining Sunday School discussions.
At first, they may simply listen. Then one day, they raise their hand and share something they have learned from Scripture.
Eventually, they begin inviting someone else to church.
You can see the growth.
Something is changing on the inside, and eventually that inward change begins showing on the outside.
There is a glow.
They aren’t simply learning facts about Christianity.
They are learning to walk with Christ.
A Meaningful Gift Does Not Have to Be Expensive
Perhaps you want to encourage a new Christian but don’t have much money to spend.
Please don’t believe that makes your gift less meaningful.
Some of the most precious gifts cost very little.
You could give:
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A beautiful card filled with handwritten words of encouragement
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A promise that you will pray for them without ceasing
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Bible highlighters and sticky notes
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A slim notebook for sermon and Bible-study notes
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A Bible case to protect their Bible and keep supplies together
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A journal for Bible reading, prayer, service, and gratitude
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A Scripture card they can keep somewhere they will see it
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Something useful with God’s Word on it that will encourage them throughout ordinary daily life
For gift ideas at every budget, the Faith-Based Gift Guide for Christian Women is full of thoughtful options. And if you are looking for a complete set that has everything a new believer needs to get started, the Scripture Blank Cards & Green Ink Pen Gift Set is a meaningful, affordable choice right around $20.
Sometimes your greatest gift may not be something you purchase at all.
It may be sitting beside them at church.
Call them during the week.
Answering a question.
Praying with them.
Being there.
Give Them Scripture for the Days Ahead
If I were writing inside the Bible or card of a new Christian, Psalm 119:105 would certainly be one Scripture I would want them to remember:
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” — Psalm 119:105, KJV
They don’t have to know everything about the road ahead.
God’s Word will light the way.
I would also give them Philippians 4:6–7:
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” — Philippians 4:6, KJV
And the next verse gives this precious promise:
“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 4:7, KJV
There will be difficult days ahead.
There will be questions.
There will be worries.
There may be sadness and anxiety.
Teach that new Christian early that they can bring those things to the Lord.
Jesus Is Your Best Friend
If I were standing beside a brand-new Christian after church today, I think I would tell them what someone once told that sixteen-year-old girl:
You may not realize this today, but this is the most important thing you will ever do in this life.
Graduations will come.
Marriage may come.
Children may come.
Jobs, homes, accomplishments, joys, and disappointments may all become part of your story.
But nothing will be more important than what Christ has done in your life.
And then I would tell them:
Jesus is your best friend.
Talk to Him.
Share your heart with Him.
Tell Him about your feelings.
Tell Him about your sadness.
Tell Him about your joy.
Tell Him about your anxiety and whatever else you are carrying.
He wants to hear from you.
Read His Word.
Stay close to His church.
Learn from Christians who have walked this road longer than you have.
Serve others.
Be faithful.
Keep growing.
And when you don’t know which way to go, remember the words you can mark right there in your very own Bible:
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
He will guide your footsteps.
