CHRISTMAS: More Than Just a Season

Questions and practices to celebrate weekly Advent with your kids.

-Pastor Jordan McCaslin, Executive Leadership Team

Week One (December 1-7)
Week Two (December 8-14)
Week Three (December 15-21)
Week Four (December 22-24)

When I was a kid, the magic of Christmas was almost unbearable… “What do I want? What is Santa going to bring me? I better make sure I get my list done or Christmas won’t live up to my expectations.” I know I can’t be the only one who had impossibly high expectations for Christmas. And while those thoughts and worries are real for a kid, even as a kid, I always felt l a little sad and empty when the flurry of the day was over. All the expectation and wonder had ended and the day suddenly felt very… normal.

As an adult, and as a believer it’s easy to see why: my childlike hope and faith had been all packaged up and put into a single day….more like the stuff I was getting on a day. When the excitement wore off, the let-down was real and even as a kid, although I couldn’t have articulated it, I knew I’d misplaced my hope, peace, joy, and love. The good news is, however hijacked Christmas has gotten by culture, there is a very real reality that we’re celebrating that far outlasts the wonder and mystery of Christmas Day.

Now, I have little kids and helping them see Christmas for what it really is, is no small task! But it’s still a great opportunity to start teaching them that there is so much more to the holiday season than a single, admittedly fun day. And maybe, we parents can help stave off a little bit of the childhood “holiday hangover” I was describing above.

As we jump into the weeks leading up to Christmas, we enter into the season of the Christian calendar called Advent: a four week period where Christians historically prepared for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. Each week has a different theme, and our hope is to resource the parents of Red Rocks Kids with some really simple and practical ways to walk their kids into the holiday season with a bigger perspective. I hope you’ll join us each week as we practice Advent!

Week 1 (December 1-7)

HOPE – Jesus is always with us

As culture is trying really hard to get us to place our hope in our ability to make the day really fun and special (which is fine!), we get the opportunity to remember that bigger than anything that could be purchased or done on Christmas Day, Jesus’ birth represents the arrival of hope. And not just for us as believers, but for the whole world.

Matthew 1:23 – “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel” (which means “God with us”).

QUESTIONS FOR YOUR KIDS:

  • Who is your best friend?
  • Now, imagine they’re always there and never leave your side. How brave would you feel?

That’s what it’s like with God! When Jesus was born, it was God’s way of saying, “I’m here, and I love you.” Even when we feel alone, we can know that God is with us, watching over us and helping us.

PRACTICE FOR YOUR KIDS:

  • When you feel scared, remember to say, “Jesus is with me.”
  • Talk to Jesus in prayer whenever you feel happy, sad, or worried. He’s not just God, He’s also your friend; and He wants to talk to you!
  • Write or draw a picture about how it feels to know God is always with you.

Week 2 (December 8-14)

PEACE – Jesus gives us peace

Sometimes life feels busy or overwhelming, like when you’re rushing to finish homework or trying to solve a problem. Jesus came to give us peace—a calm feeling inside, even when things around us are crazy. We can trust Him to take care of everything.

John 14:27 – “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.”

QUESTIONS FOR YOUR KIDS:

  • Think of a time when you felt really upset (angry or scared or frustrated). Now imagine if whatever it was, just went away, what would that feel like? That’s what peace feels like!
  • What is one thing that is really scary right now? How could I help you find some peace in it?

PRACTICE FOR YOUR KIDS:

  • If you’re upset, take a deep breath and say, “Jesus, please give me Your peace.”
  • Think of one thing you’re thankful for each day.

Week 3 (December 15-21)

JOY – Jesus brings us joy

Even though things and situations can make us happy, what the arrival of Jesus brings is the true ability to have joy. Bigger and deeper than just being happy, joy is shared experiences with people that are close to us. Even in times that are hard, we can find joy by being with the people we love and remembering that Jesus came for us, that He wants to know us, and that He cares deeply about what we are going through.

Nehemiah 8:10 — “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”

QUESTIONS FOR YOUR KIDS:

  • What is something that makes you feel happy?
  • How is joy different than being happy?
  • Have you ever felt joy even in a hard time?

PRACTICE FOR YOUR KIDS:

  • This week, create a “Joy Jar.” Write down things this week that make you smile or feel thankful and put them in the jar. At the end of the week read them and remember how Jesus’ joy has been with you all week.

Week 4 (December 22-24)

LOVE — God’s love is the gift of Jesus

I can’t imagine a situation where the only way I could save someone would require giving my child away. Especially for someone who definitely didn’t deserve it. That one gesture can give us an idea of how much God actually loved us by giving us His Son.

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.”

QUESTIONS FOR YOUR KIDS:

  • Who is someone that you really love?
  • Can you imagine that God loves you more than you love that person?
  • How does that make you feel?

PRACTICE FOR YOUR KIDS:

  • Make or give a small gift to someone to show God’s love.
  • Think about how much God loves you and say “Thank you, God!”
  • Practice being kind or helpful, remembering Jesus shows us how to love.

We’re so glad you are practicing weekly Advent with your family! And we hope you will join us this year for Christmas at Red Rocks Church.

Christmas at Red Rocks Church
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