LITTLETON, Colo. — The pastors and parishioners at all three campuses of Mission Hills Church based in Littleton are celebrating Christmas by bringing joy to the world.
For the past month, they've been performing secret acts of kindness.
Those acts began culminating Sunday, during the first of nine Christmas Eve services, when select recipients were bestowed with a special moment of joy.
On the Littleton campus, Brandt Kuhr, a young man battling a crippling disease, was given a $1,000 donation to help pay for medical expenses.
Kuhr, who was profiled in a previous Denver7 report, is being treated for Cerebral Cavernous Malformations and Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy, which affects his nerves and muscles.
Medical bills are mounting.
When the pastors at Mission Hills asked Kuhr's mother, Pamela, what she wanted them to pray for, she said a complete recovery, if that is God's will.
She said she and her son have been talking about an experimental therapy, which she hopes he'll be able to take part in.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help Brandt.
Rev. Craig Smith, the lead pastor at Mission Hills, said the way Brandt has handled the difficulty is a good reminder of how to tackle difficult circumstances with a sense of positivity.
"We just wanted to do something to put a little joy in his life," Smith said. "I know that people like to say that giving is better than receiving, but actually, Christmas is about getting joy. That's the point of it. God intended it that way, and so we've been doing these moments as a reminder of what Christmas is all about."
Other surprises including the blessing of a local ice cream shop at Mission Hills' Espanol Campus, and the blessing of a local school where the Dove Valley campus meets.
"It has been so fun to plan these surprises over the past few months," said Kelly McSparran, the church's communications director. "We hope it can give everyone who watches a picture of the joy that we have in Christ this season."