Bringing the Traditions of Advent into Your Home

Bringing the Traditions of Advent into your Home

by Mrs. Kristen Street

As Christians, we know that Advent is the memories and conversations within your family. time of year leading up to Christmas, but do we An Advent wreath, along with a weekly Sunday really take the time in our homes to prepare our devotional, could hold a prominent place in your hearts for the coming Christ? How do we begin home to remind you of the hope, faith, joy, and to tackle all the traditions and messages that our peace that we have because Jesus came to us. churches bring to us this time of year, when we are Have you ever heard of a Chrismon tree? ey are living in a time of social distancing? Many people Christmas trees that are decorated with Christian will be unable to attend church this year during the symbols, each having a di erent meaning that holidays due to the current pandemic; however, we points us to the story of Christ. ese ornaments all have an opportunity to make Advent meaningful can be ordered or made using salt dough, then hung in our homes. ese activities will lead to a richer, on your Christmas tree. Other important events deeper understanding of the miracle of Christ that normally take place in church, such as an Angel while creating lasting memories for families or Tree or caroling, can be completed individually individuals. We need to transition our minds from as a family or with another family in the church the con nement of Advent during a pandemic to the so that we can bring the joy of Christmas to our blessing and beauty of Advent in our homes. neighborhoods.

Setting the Environment Advent Devotionals

One thing that makes church so meaningful With so many options available for devotionals, throughout the Christmas season is the atmosphere. the question becomes, how do I know which one Nativity scenes, garland, Christmas trees, Advent to choose? When you are planning your Advent wreaths and music are those familiar reminders of devotional, you will want to consider: the season. We don’t realize the importance of these •Child(ren)’s ages and abilities in reading and decorations and symbols until we are not able to concentration. be immersed in them. Decorating your home with •Plan when you will read the devotional so they Christian symbols that you would normally see do not get forgotten in the busyness of life. Reading while you are at church can bring about wonderful a short devotional around a daily occurrence such as

right before a meal, or at bedtime makes it part of your daily routine. •Adding a phone reminder or having your children mark o on a calendar when readings are completed could keep devotionals as a priority. •Keeping it simple and fun •Devotionals such as Ann Voskamp’s “Unwrapping the Greatest Gift” include Jesse Tree ornaments which can be pre-made or printed out to be colored while listening to the reading.

Interactive Activities

Children (and many adults too) can often lose focus if we do not include interactive activities. As a busy mom, the more simple, fun and Christcentered ideas are the best. Here are some ideas: •Advent Tree of Kindness - use blank labels to write down 30 simple and attainable acts of service or kind gestures that can be done for others •Advent Prayer Tree - make a list of 30 people or groups that you want to pray for each day •Advent wrapping paper - decorate plain packing or drawing paper rolls using symbols and pictures that remind us of Jesus’ coming •Create your own Christmas cards with Nativity and Advent symbols •“Shepherd on the Search” - a book that puts a spin on the Elf on the Shelf craze with activities including memory verses and crafts that lead to the Shepherd nding baby Jesus on Christmas morning. •Nativity Scavenger Hunt - search and add to your Nativity scene every few days until Christmas morning when you add the last piece, which is baby Jesus.

Ministers in our homes

Many of us have relied on the church to feed us spiritually so that we have not been diligent about learning God’s Word and bringing Christian traditions into our homes. Whether you are part of a big family or living on your own, let this season be a time that you begin digging into the Word of God so you can experience the true meaning of Advent.

Resource List:

Advent Activities Resources:

1. https://adrielbooker.com/family-advent activities-christmas-countdown-fun/ 2. https://www.loyolapress.com/catholic resources/liturgical-year/advent/activities/ Shepherd on the Search Resource: www.shepherdonthesearch.com

Devotional Resources:

1.“Unwrapping the Greatest Gift” by Ann Voskamp with free Jesse Tree ornaments at: https://www.tyndale.com/sites/greatestgift/ 2.“A Walk rough Advent” published by “Our Daily Bread”

Mrs. Kristen Street is the Youth Coordinator at Covenant in Morgantown, WV.