The Christmas season is a time for sharing memories, gathering with our loved ones, and a few last-minute trips to the store to buy those gifts you forgot about. But anyone who has ever wrapped a gift for a kid knows Christmas is more than just a single day. The anticipation starts as soon as November (or December 26th for those of us who count down all year long)!
We can start to celebrate Jesus’ birth in the weeks leading up to Christmas Day with that same anticipation. This time is known as Advent, and it’s a way for us to reflect on Jesus’ arrival on earth, celebrate all that God has done for us, and pray for what’s next in our lives. If you’ve never celebrated Advent, there are simple ways to help the families in your ministry connect. Advent is all about reflecting on the hope, peace, joy, and love God brought to earth through Jesus.
Here are a few of our favorites…
SING TOGETHER
How often do you get to sing Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You with your family? This is your moment! You don’t need to be vocal powerhouses for this, either. During the Advent season, encourage families to get together to make a playlist of their favorite Christmas songs. Then, they can choose a singing schedule. Maybe they can make time every day to sing through a song or two or have a weekly Family Karaoke Party. From there, they can just press play, turn up the music, and sing their favorite carols, Christmas anthems, and silly songs together. You might even give an award for the best family Christmas performance!
Singing together is such a great way to connect, build memories, laugh, and worship together. After they sing, invite families to talk through why these songs are special to them or how they relate to the Christmas story. There are so many possibilities for each singing session and conversation!
ADVENT CRAFTS
If families want to give their voices a rest, they could try creating something instead. There are all sorts of great Christmas crafts to make. From nativity scenes to Christmas wreaths and even handmade ornaments, Advent is the perfect season for crafting!
When it comes to making Advent crafts, each family could make individual crafts to put on display or work together on one each week. Then, they could save their crafts with their holiday decorations and add to them throughout the years. Not only is it a great way to spend time with kids, but it also makes for great keepsakes!
LIGHT ADVENT CANDLES
One of the activities we tend to associate with Advent is lighting candles. Traditionally, we light a new candle each Sunday of Advent. Each candle has a color associated with the theme of that week— hope, peace, joy, love. Depending on the tradition, there may be a fifth candle at the center of the wreath that represents Jesus.
As families celebrate Advent, they could craft or buy their own Advent wreaths. Then, each week, have families light a candle and talk about how they see the theme of that week arrive through Jesus. Here’s the order and meaning of each candle:
- Week 1: Hope (A candle to represent the prophecies about Jesus)
- Week 2: Peace (A candle to represent Jesus’ birthplace, Bethlehem)
- Week 3: Joy (A candle to remind us to rejoice like the shepherds in the field)
- Week 4: Love (A candle to remind us of the message of God’s love given to us through Jesus)
You could even incorporate the candle lighting into your Sunday service together as you help kids explore their faith and relationship with Jesus in a new way.
A JESSE TREE
Another way to celebrate Advent is with a tree! This isn’t your regular Christmas tree, though—it’s called a Jesse Tree. A Jesse Tree is a way to count down the days leading up to Christmas by sharing stories that help us reflect on Jesus’ birth.
Starting on the first day of December, invite families to place a different picture, symbol, or ornament on their tree. Afterward, they can read the stories from Scripture that build on each other, eventually leading to Jesus’ birth on Christmas day. You could print out passages and pictures for families to take home as they decorate their Jesse Tree together. Not only is this a great way to spend time together as a family, but it also helps kids learn stories from the Bible and grow in their faith.
USE AN ADVENT CALENDAR
Finally, one of the most common ways to celebrate Advent is with an Advent calendar. There are all sorts of Advent calendars containing anything from chocolate to LEGO pieces to collectible toys. An Advent calendar comes with special compartments marked for each day of December. Once a day, simply open a box and take out what’s inside. Each day is a new surprise! Advent calendars are simple ways to spend time together, and they’re one of the easiest ways for families to celebrate Advent.
And if you’re looking for an Advent calendar to share with families this year, we’ve got one just for you! Our 2024 Advent calendar is called The Advent Journey. It’s a card deck kids and their families can use to celebrate and anticipate Jesus’ birth. For each day of Advent, we’ve created cards with four different prompts for families…
- They can read a passage of Scripture inspired by the Revised Common Lectionary.
- They can share their thoughts with one of our daily prompts.
- They’ll be challenged to do something together to bring their Advent experience to life.
- They’ll get to pray together and grow their relationship with Jesus.
Plus, if a family is looking for a way to take their Advent Journey to the next level, we’ve included a helpful guide with extra activities and ways to display their cards.
We’re so excited for you and the families you serve to use this Advent calendar, and we can’t wait to hear your stories! So, if you’re ready to help families begin their Advent Journey this Christmas, check out the 2024 Advent calendar.
In this post, here’s what we’ll cover: