Church leaders have urged people to remember the true meaning of Christmas.

As people across Sussex prepare for the big day, religious leaders have urged the county’s population to ensure that they do not get swept away on the consumerist tide.

In a special piece for The Argus, Martin Warner, the Bishop of Chichester, reminds people that the greatest gift they can offer is themselves.

The tone is reflected in similar pieces from two other leading church figures from across the county which appear in today’s paper.

In his Christmas message, Dr Warner, who is leader of the Church of England in Sussex, said: “This Christmas, your plans might take into account the question of what ‘enough’ means.

“The greatest gift you have to offer is yourself.

“It is the gift of relationship in a form that enriches the life of others, and deepens your own sense of having something to give.

“Simpler, self-giving celebrations could be a better way of finding enjoyment in your Christmas holy-day.”

Excluded In a separate piece, Father Andrew Manson- Brailsford, of St George’s Church in Kemp Town, Brighton, said: “With all the supposed wealth creation that came with it, we still had a housing price bubble, a credit bubble, and it has left people feeling excluded from society because they are not able to meet their daily needs, let alone keep up with new trends and products.

“Christmas could so easily be a homage to the great god Economy.

“There is one difficultly – the central messages of Christmas turn all of that on its head.

“Christmas tells us that above the political and economic wrangling and manipulation there is a God who created us, who cares for us, and who wants us to be fulfilled by reaching our own unique and different potentials.

“And that we should strive to be God-like in nurturing those who we live with, by caring for them, and by helping them to reach their full potential as fellow human beings.”