6 minute read
Reconnecting Kids with the Meaning of Christmas
“Christmas is JESUS!” is a popular line in a children’s Christmas play we did at my local church many years ago. All throughout the play, children would repeat this line. It seemed to be the main takeaway and teachable moment in every crisis and problem the characters faced. At the end of the play, it was the closing line that everyone, including the audience, was able to recite from memory.
We know the holiday season is busy, and often we hear it preached and are reminded as believers that we cannot have Christmas without Christ. After all, his name is literally part of the holiday name, so how could we miss it? It may be cliché and overused, but for some reason, we use this time of year to remind ourselves and our children especially about the real meaning of the season. Perhaps we see the glimmer in their eyes when we talk about presents or hear the excitement in their voice when they share all their hopes and desires for the holiday season. This can cause us to stop, pause, and evaluate if they are really getting it. After all, if following Christ is the most important decision a child could make, we do not want them to miss it. It is indeed something to be taken seriously. When we see kids excited about the decorations, treats, and presents, we can begin to place guilt and shame on ourselves for not “teaching them better” or “making them understand.” It can feel overwhelming, as if all our instruction has gone to waste.
Instead of entering the holiday season apprehensive and frustrated about what our children don’t know and don’t understand, let’s try to remember that Christmas is simply a time to reconnect our kids with the meaning of the season. This means we are simply pointing our kids back to the foundation in Christ that they are already building, not trying to cram it into one week or month.
Here are some helpful things to remember:
1. You can, and should, teach Christmas all throughout the year. Jesus was born into a lineage. This means his family has roots that we can trace into the Old Testament and the New Testament before he made his earthly appearance. Our home and children’s ministries should be helping kids connect these dots all year long and year after year. The stories we tell and the lessons we teach were written as part of God’s story. The same Christ that came into the world as a crying infant was present in Creation. The Jesus that died on the cross was connected to the King David who defeated Goliath and killed lions and bears as a young man. We don’t have to wait until Christmas to tie all the pieces together. We also don’t have to wait until Christmas to tell the story of his birth. Look for the “Christ connections” in what you are teaching and sharing with your kids. If you are teaching the Bible, then you are teaching Christ. Not only is this reinforcing the story of Jesus all year, but it is practicing good theology.
2. Be intentional with your time together. Usually during the holiday season, although it is busy, families and ministries tend to spend more time together. Take time to create and cultivate teachable moments and experiences that engage children in focusing on Christ. Christmas happens annually, so it is a great opportunity for churches and families to create traditions together. As these traditions are repeated, not only will kids get in rhythm, but they will develop deeper understandings and begin to ask questions to gain knowledge. We want kids to take ownership in their faith, and they do that by being active participants.
3. Plan ways for kids to give rather than receive. Children are naturally egocentric. It is not that they are intentionally trying to be selfish when moments in life come where they are given presents such as on a holiday or for a birthday, but their brains haven’t developed enough to realize that other people around them may have needs. Take time this holiday season to teach kids about the needs in their church, school, community, and world. Slowly, we can help them see the needs of humanity. Part of the mission of Jesus was to serve, and this should be modeled to our kids today. There is so much to be done; kids can serve with their families, their churches, or even find ways to give to others personally.
4. Kids can still be kids. Having wonder and awe is part of their growth and development. In fact, sometimes we need to revisit that posture and attitude when it comes to our own experiences. It is okay for children to enjoy the holiday season and all the fun parts that come along with it. Surely, the Jesus in the Bible who blessed the children and told them to come to him would not want us rebuking our children for the same excitement the children had when they came to be with him then. All the anticipation and emotion that children have is part of their natural growth and development, not only physically and mentally, but also spiritually. Awe and wonder are connected to faith and hope; these are also direct results of the birth of Christ. As children experience these things, they are filled with faith in the God who loves them so much that he entered this world to have a relationship with even them.
Throughout this holiday season, remember that our children are already connected to Christ and his love. It is our responsibility as church leaders, teachers, and parents/ caregivers to simply help them to make a reconnection amid a busy time of year. With the right intention and purposely pointing them to Jesus throughout the year, the reconnection is simple, fun, and something to look forward to. Our desire should be to produce disciples of Jesus; disciples follow and journey together consistently and continually. Let’s get the kids, unplug for a bit, and reconnect this Christmas season.
