Helping children grow in their love for Jesus during the Christmas season is vitally important for those of us serving in Kids Ministry. Anna Sargeant and John Murchison — from Austin Stone Kids — share in this post about how they help families celebrate through the season of Advent.
–Jana Magruder, Director of Kids Ministry Publishing at LifeWay
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Christmas is such a wonderful time of year! From the decorations at the mall to the presents piling up under the tree, it’s hard not to feel the excitement building towards December 25. But for Christian parents, the Christmas season is more than a time for holiday cheer and gift giving. During this time, we have an opportunity to help our children grow in their love for the true reason for all the celebration — Jesus! One way to do this is through celebrating the season of Advent.
The word “advent” comes from the Latin word “adventus,” which means “coming.” The purpose of the Advent season is to help us focus on the coming of Jesus Christ to seek and save His people, who were lost and in need of a Savior.
At Austin Stone Community Church, the children’s ministry teaches four stories on Sundays during the Advent season: the fall of man, the Passover, the prophecies of the coming Messiah, and Jesus’ birth.
The children make ornaments to accompany these stories during worship service. Because the ministry’s goal is to partner with families, they also provide a list of Scripture passages for families to read together during the weeks leading up to Christmas. A list of corresponding ornament pictures is included with the Scriptures. This is a spin on “the Jesse Tree,” a tradition based on Isaiah 11:1. All ornaments placed on a traditional Jesse Tree are to connect Old Testament history to the birth of Christ.
Our hope for families is that they will see that the coming of Jesus was prophesied and anticipated long before his arrival, and that the Christmas story began all the way back in Genesis. Our prayer is that reading these stories will remind families of God’s faithfulness and turn their hearts to worship and honor the King of Kings this Christmas season!
List of Scriptures (Ornament picture suggestions in parenthesis.):
December 1
The Fall – Genesis 3:1-6, 8-15 (Apple)
Key verse: Genesis 3:15
December 2
The Flood – Genesis 6:9 – 8:22 (Ark)
Key verse: Genesis 6:6-8
December 3
The Promise – Genesis 9 (Rainbow)
Key verse: Genesis 9:13-15
December 4
The Offering – Genesis 22:1-19 (Ram)
Key verse: Genesis 22:16,17
December 5
The Choice – Genesis 29 (Two Girls)
Key verse: Genesis 29:35
December 6
The Dreamer – Genesis 37, 41, 50:15-21 (Coat)
Key verse: Genesis 50:20
December 7
The Plagues – Exodus 3 – 5:9, Exodus 7:14-10:29 (Frog)
Key verse: Exodus 3:7-8
December 8
The Passover – Exodus 12:2-7, 12-13 (Lamb)
Key verse: Exodus 12:13
December 9
The Journey – Exodus 14-15 (Staff)
Key verse: Exodus 14:4
December 10
The Ten Commandments – Exodus 20:1-21 (Two Tablets)
Key verse: Exodus 20:2-3
December 11
The Wall – Joshua 3 & 6 (Simple Horn)
Key verse: Joshua 6:2
December 12
The Shepherd King – 1 Samuel 16 (Little Boy)
Key verse: 1 Samuel 16:12-13
December 13
The Giant – 1 Samuel 17:1-50 (Slingshot)
Key verse: 1 Samuel 17:37-40, 49
December 14
The Healing – 2 Kings 5 (River)
Key verse: 2 Kings 5:14
December 15
The Prophecies – Isaiah 9:6-7, 53:1-12 (Crown)
Key verse: Isaiah 9:6-7
December 16
The Protector – Daniel 6 (Lion)
Key verse: Daniel 6:22
December 17
The Messenger – Jonah 1-4 (Big Fish)
Key verse: Jonah 1:17-2:10
December 18
The History – Nehemiah 8-10 (Scroll)
Key verse: Nehemiah :5-6
December 19
A Shepherd’s Song – Psalm 23 (Harp)
Key verse: Psalm 23:1
December 20
The Waiting – Habakkuk 1:12-2:3 (Watch Tower)
Key verse: Habakkuk 2:1-3
December 21
John the Baptist – Luke 1:5-25, 57-80 (Rising Sun)
Key verse: Luke 1:76-79
December 22
The Good News – Luke 2:8-20 (Manger)
Key verse: Luke 2:9-11
December 23
The Savior – Luke 1:26-38 (Angel)
Key verse: Luke 1:31-33
December 24
Mary’s Song – Luke 1:46-56 (Mary)
Key verse: Luke 1:46-50
December 25
The Stable – Luke 2:1-7 (Nativity Scene)
Key verse: Luke 2:6-7
Anna Sargeant is the Director of Children’s Curriculum and John Murchison is the Director of Children’s Ministry at Austin Stone Kids with Austin Stone Community Church.
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If you’d like an Advent calendar for your mobile device or computer, consider The Expected One Advent guide. It’s an Advent devotional designed to unite families and foster spiritual conversations about Jesus Christ and the significance of His coming to earth.
