December Family Nights

Each week when my family was young (preschool, elementary school and even high school-aged), our family set one night a week aside as a family night. These ideas, with a calendar are included on my website under the Advent tab. Please feel free to use these ideas with your family.

Family nights on my website are set around the following weekly themes: 1) Prophecy; 2) The Journey of Joseph & Mary; 3) The Shepherds; 4) The Magi. Family nights include: a special meal, an opportunity to read a portion of the Christmas story, times of singing, and surprises.

During the week of November 28, I try to share with my family how God told us about the birth of Jesus even before He came. To reinforce this children can help bake bread. What starts as dry ingredients turns into a lump, which rises, and then with baking becomes the bread we eat. In a similar fashion, the Gospel began as an idea, as God shared parts of his plan through the Old Testament, where we can began to understand the idea. Then Jesus was born in Bethlehem. We read scripture from Luke 1:1-4 with a focus on the prophets.

We set up the tree this day; the evergreen is a promise of eternal life. We set out Nativity sets, which tell the story of Christmas. We will eat the bread as part of our dinner, and sing Christmas carols. We will also look at pictures of former Christmases, and talk about what we want to see happen this year.

During the week of December 5, I share with my family how God announced the birth of Jesus to Joseph and Mary. In response, the couple traveled to Bethlehem where Jesus was born (a “journal” of this trip can be found in the book Advent Journeys). We bake a Birthday Cake in order to tell the story of Christmas from Luke 2:1-7. We sing songs, and then eat dinner as a picnic by the Christmas tree. Joseph and Mary ate picnic lunches as they traveled. We sing songs during this celebration.

During the week of December 12, I share with my family the story of the shepherds. During the week I try to take them to see a pasture with sheep in it. For supper on Shepherd week, I build a fire in the fireplace. We roast hot dogs, and can have s'mores. The shepherds cooked their meal over a real fire. We tell the story of the Shepherds from Luke 2:8-20. We string popcorn on the Christmas tree. We also prepare Christmas cards. As the angels announced the Birth of Jesus to the shepherds, we tell our friends of our love for Jesus.

During the week of December 19, I will tell the story of the Magi. Our special foods are sugar cookies and eggnog because the Magi lived such rich lives. We might eat steak, or a similar meal. Or we go out (if not planned for another night) to burger king, where we wear crowns, and talk about the Kings. We read the story from Matthew 2:1-12. We also look at the decorations on our tree.

Christmas is for sharing; please consider sharing the book Advent Journeys this year with others. A reading each day will enhance this season and make it more meaningful than other years. As you read, share your readings with others to encourage them. I have been amazed as people shared with me the blessing they found in reading this book. Several non-believers and skeptics were given this book, were captured by the first chapter and read the book, discovering for the first time the real meaning of the Christmas story. Pray about who you know who would benefit by reading Advent Journeys ... and then order copies (so you will have them to give to friends on Thanksgiving Day). The publisher’s website (CreateSpace owned by Amazon.com) is listed here: Order the book through CreateSpace. When you give Advent Journeys to others as a gift, you will reap the blessing of having them share from their perspectives the discoveries and joys they receive from the book.

Parts of a Christmas Plan

The Christmas season ... Christmas day ... each of these hold more meaning when pre-planning takes place. Today, I want to share the parts of a good Christmas plan and a tool which will help make sure the plan falls into place (and is not consumed by the business of the Christmas Season).

The first part of the plan is to establish spiritual themes. I give each week of Advent (beginning the Sunday after Thanksgiving, November 27 this year) a theme. On my website these are: 1) Prophecy; 2) The Journey of Joseph & Mary; 3) The Shepherds; 4) The Magi. Then, each day I mark in the calendar two verses (an Old Testament and a New Testament) verse to share. These can be found in a calendar on my website under the tab for Advent.

The second thing I do is to take a look at my personal calendar. Days when work demands my attention need to be more self-directed; days (weekends) when I am less consumed will become valuable family times because I plan them (early, now) for my family. Long ago I decided if I do not have three days (worship at church, a family night, and an activity day) for my family, I am too busy. The Bible commands us to pass our faith on to the next generation. If I cannot successfully pass on my faith to my children, I have failed.

Next I look at community calendars. Many great things are happening in our community that are worth sharing with my family. Churches have musicals and family days. Museums and towns themselves offer special events and concerts linked to Christmas. Many communities have live Nativities and walk through dramas, such as Walk Through Bethlehem in our community. These events share ideas and fun far beyond what we could provide for our families individually. The events also help children understand that others also feel the spiritual element of Christmas is important.

After unmovable work events and community events are logged on my calendar, I set a family night each week in order to re-tell parts of the Christmas story in a fun way. I place these days as unmovable events on our family calendar. These events (I will share more tomorrow, and each Monday) include a special meal, an opportunity to read a portion of the Christmas story, times of singing, and surprises.

With the calendar planned, I produce a tool which will make sure no day is forgotten during the Christmas rush. This tool is the simple paper chain we made as children. On the outside of each link I place the date (like November 27). On the inside I place the two Bible verses to be read, and the activities I have planned for each day. My children make sure I take off the link for the day each morning. With the promise given in print each day, there is no going back.

These ideas are contained on my website, and linked to the book Advent Journeys.

Advent Traditions

   The Advent traditions of my family began almost thirty years ago in a young adult Sunday School class at University Baptist Church in Wichita, KS.  Our study for December included four lessons: Zechariah, Joseph, Shepherds and Magi.  In preparation for these lessons I picked up a book from our church library, the title of which I have long forgotten.  The book said the Christmas season is a great time to teach on spiritual things because people were more attune because it was the time of Jesus' birth.
   Members of the class I was teaching had young children, three of them born the same month as my oldest daughter, Chelsea.  The lessons I prepared that year included not only the scripture but also ideas for teaching our children the Bible stories on a preschool level.  I made a notebook for each member of the class (color coded by week).  The ideas presented in the notebook I continued to use and improve each year.
   As my daughters aged from preschool to young child to older elementary and then on into middle school I continued to develop the idea of Advent scripture and stories.  I added activities according to their age.  I picked up the idea of sharing finger plays from the Hutchinson, KS library.  Those were included in a new Advent schedule.
   I began to develop other activities in the schedule as my daughters reached five years of age and beyond.  These included a weekly family time with dinner, songs, a skit and the story.  One of the favorite stories was the trip of Joseph and Mary to find a room in Bethlehem.  One of the girls was Joseph, the other Mary.  I was the donkey (many people told me that was a good role for me) and Denise was the innkeeper.
   When the children entered elementary school in Apex, NC, I added more activities.  We prepared Christmas cards on the week the angels told the Shepherds of Jesus' birth.  We drew wrapping paper in the week we told of the gifts brought by the Magi.  We made care packages for our neighbors to minister to them.  We also saw a sheep farm (or sheep at the zoo), and Christmas programs.  Christmas grew to be a season we loved.
   When my daughters entered Middle School, I stopped reading the story as much, because I wanted them to be more self disciplined.  I put a story with their lunch each day, along with thought questions, activities we would do when they came home, and also with a game: word search, crossword, maze, or similar, which they could solve as they ate lunch.  We still have a notebook of these pages.
   The devotions came full circle as Sarah helped me write Advent Journeys, a Christmas devotional.  We had fun, and talked about some of the activities of the past.  I put out a pamphlet for others to enjoy for many years.  I will be putting the same ideas on our website in the very near future (this week I hope) so others can enjoy celebrating Advent with their families.
   To celebrate a fun Advent will bring families closer to the true meaning of the Christmas season.  I have found these activities to be the perfect antidote for consumerism so prevalent at this time of year.  Keep an eye out for the list ... and if you have other ideas, please share them.