Easy Ways to SLOW DOWn and Teach Your Family About Advent
Well it’s not even Thanksgiving and Hobby Lobby is already clearancing their Christmas decorations. Believe it or not, next Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent (it completely caught me by surprise this year). It’s so easy to race through the “holidays” from one plan to the next. This is the wisdom of the church year in giving us space to focus on one season at a time. Twice in the church year a massive holy day is preceded by a season of preparation. Many of us are used to giving something up for Lent (to prepare our hearts for Easter). But it can be so difficult to wait in the season of Advent. We want carols, lights, hot cocoa, and presents! These are all wonderful joys; but if there’s one thing you do this Advent season I want to encourage you to slow down, to wait in the longing for Christmas. This is the very reason for Advent. And for your kids (and mine!) that can’t wait for Christmas day and celebration and presents there are ideas below to help them (and you!) to slow down and anticipate the coming of Jesus. There’s several ideas below but I want to encourage you towards simplicity. Pick one or two that jump out. Go for quality over quantity. We’ll republish this blog next year and you can try out the others.
Attend aDvent Services
Okay I’m goin to cheat a little right off the bat and suggest you do this in addition to 1 or 2 other ideas. The Christian life is life in the local church. If you’re not already part of a congregation I want to cordially invite you to join us a Trinity San Antonio. We have a few Advent services this year. As well as our usual Sunday service, which we’d love to have you at! There’s tons of options below or you can read through them here.
Thanksgiving leftover potluck and wreath making: Bring your Thanksgiving leftovers and make an Advent wreath with provided real greenery. Sunday, November 27th; after service; at the Woehler Family Center.
Advent Midweek Service with Meal and Crafts: Join us in a brief worship service and a shared meal. Crafts for the whole family too! Wednesday, November 30th; 5:30PM; at the Woehler Family Center.
Saint Nicholas Party: Food and bonfire as we honor the spirit of generosity modeled by the historical Saint Nicholas of Myra. Wednesday, December 7th; 5:30PM; at Pastor Matthew Ballmann’s home.
Las Posadas: This has become a highlight for the whole year for my family. We’ll recreate the story of Joseph and Mary going inn to inn trying to find a place to stay. There’s songs, Mexican hot chocolate, a Mariachi band, piñatas, costumes, and of course buñuelos! Wednesday, December 14th; 6:00PM, outside the Woehler Family Center.
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service: Worship and anticipate the arrival of Christ ending in a beautiful candlelight moment. Saturday, December 24th; 4:00PM, at the Woehler Family Center.
Christmas Day Service: This year Christmas is on a Sunday! What better day to gather for the Divine Service than Christmas. Please join us at 10:30AM on December 25th at the Woehler Family Center.
PRactice Generosity
There’s no better season to give to others than Christmas, when God gave us His Son. The best thing about this idea is it can be as simple or complex at you like. You could:
Tell your kids to secretly give their family and friends gifts. Kids get a big kick out of the anonymity and it keeps the focus off ourselves.
Spend some time at a local retirement community. Often the elderly unfortunately get too few visitors and this can be difficult season for many to be alone. Kids are also a great addition to a visit and it can be a great opportunity for conversation.
Put together bundles for the homeless. Buy some warm clothes, socks, toothbrushes, and other essential items. Pack them up in bundles and put them in your car. When you see someone in need give the bundle! Or make a trip to a local shelter to deliver several.
Invite someone over for dinner. Those of us with families can take for granted our daily opportunity for community (or chaos). Invite a neighbor, a single friend, a military member you know over. They may not have a place to celebration traditions and opening your home can be a great way to share.
Read an Advent Devotional
Reading a daily Advent devotional at the dinner table is a super easy way to reorient ourselves around Jesus. There’s no shortage of good ones out there. For younger kids I’d recommend Counting to Christmas. We have copies of this at church on Sundays, our gift to you! Still doable with younger kids but one for older kids, or you and your spouse, is God Is in the Manger. This book features reflections from Dietrich Bonhoeffer that you can read in a few minutes.
This can be combined with the classic Advent Candles and wreath. Kids love to light and snuff the candles each night to countdown the days to Christmas.
You could also read from the Lectionary (remember we’re going to Series A this Advent). Here’s a handy link. Consider reading the passages multiple times each week.
While not a devotional this is a great season to learn about the historical Saint Nicholas. This is a beautiful book to read to your family.
Make an Advent Craft
Here’s a few ideas:
Buy (or make!) an Advent Calendar to countdown the days to Christmas
Make some Advent “stained glass” (these are paper crafts also some coloring sheets are there).
Come to the wreath making after Service on November 27th! Or grab some greenery and make your own.
Make your favorite Christmas cookies and combine with the idea about generosity and share with someone.
If your feeling ambitious you could make red and white striped candy canes. You can talk about how they look like a shepherd’s crook (like the shepherds who witnessed the birth of our Good Shepherd or it’s a J for Jesus!), the red for the blood Jesus spilled to make us white as snow.
Listen to Advent Music
Just wait. You can wait to play your favorite Christmas music. I know it’s hard (okay even I cheat). But there are tons of wonderful Advent songs that have us sit in anticipation and longing. Maybe you can even make it practical but talking about patience with the kids. Here’s a playlist to get you started.
Add to Your Homeschool or Supplement School
If you homeschool your kids, add Advent and Saint Nicholas to your classes. Read Advent scriptures. And definitely make sure to include color pages and other fun worksheets. There’s plenty of resources out there even for Lent specifically. Definitely check out: https://www.lutheranhomeschool.com/. We also love the site https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/ (note you do need a free account). You can search for Advent or Saint Nicholas and filter to free (just make sure to review the content before handing to your kiddos). And bust out those purple crayons since that’s the Advent liturgical color.
If you don’t homeschool I encourage you to supplement your kid’s classroom learning. Any of the above can be added as “homework” or done as a mini class after school around the diner table.
More Ideas
If you’re still hungry for more recommendations, check out our previous years’ blogs here and here.
Whatever you do, or don’t, make it intentional and talk about it! Even one little activity with some good conversation will go a long way to bring your children, and your family, into preparation for the majesty of Christmas. Blessings on your Advent season!
About the Author
David Hein is a member of Trinity San Antonio with his wife Mindi and three boys: Kirk, Wesley, and Caleb. He is a first year seminarian at Lutheran Brethren Seminary. The picture below is the closest they’ve gotten to one with everyone’s eyes open.
