It’s hard to believe how quickly the Christmas season is approaching! Whether you’ve been listening to Christmas music since August or you are a firm believer in waiting until after Thanksgiving, it’s never too early to start planning ways to keep Jesus at the center of the upcoming busy season. We rounded up five ways you can celebrate Advent with your family, on your own, or with your small group.
1. Countdown to Christmas with an Advent calendar.
This is especially fun with small children! Whether you complete this with nieces and nephews, grandchildren, or your own littles, this tradition is a great way to keep kids’ hearts fixed on Jesus in a busy season. A simple online search will yield hundreds of results for Christ-centered Advent calendars, or if you’re feeling crafty, you can make your own!
Kelly on our Lifeway Women team recalled this annual tradition from when her children were young: We did our own Advent calendar by using a die cut to cut out Christmas trees from construction paper. My kids would decorate them with glitter, paint pens, and so forth. We would attach a matching tree to the back with glue and leave a slit at the top of the tree. I would insert slips of paper inside each tree. It had a verse pointing to the Christmas story, and then there was an activity that we did together on that day. It took some time to coordinate things that were already on the schedule, but I included things like:
- Check out a Christmas book from the library;
- Buy socks and mittens for the homeless shelter;
- Pack a stocking for a local ministry;
- Sleep under the Christmas tree (an annual favorite!);
- Sing Christmas carols;
- Make Jesus a birthday cake;
- Go to the post office to mail Christmas cards;
- Listen to Christmas music during dinner.
It gave us something to do each day, and my kids felt like it was Christmas all month long.
2. Light an Advent wreath.
You may be familiar with lighting an Advent wreath at church, lighting a new candle each Sunday of Advent, and reading Scripture anticipating the coming Savior. Bring the tradition home by using an Advent wreath as a centerpiece or placing it somewhere in your home that you’ll see it often. Whether your church provides a Scripture plan or you find one online, lighting the candle, reading Scripture, and praying each Sunday of Advent will be a meaningful tradition in your home. Even if the candles remain unlit for the majority of the week, it will still serve as a reminder of the reason for the season.
3. Decorate a Jesse Tree.
Whether you use a cut tree branch, make a tree out of felt or paper, or simply use your own Christmas tree, this is a fun and interactive activity for the Christmas season. There are plenty of free printable ornament templates to be found online, each one symbolizing a story about someone in Jesus’s family tree. As you add each ornament to the tree, you can read the story in Scripture and remind children (and ourselves!) how the whole story of Scripture fits together and points to the coming Savior.
4. Host or watch a virtual Advent event.
Whether you use this event as part of your personal Bible study or experience it with your church or small group, the Prepare Him Room virtual event is a special way to celebrate Advent. Available to watch on demand throughout the month of December, this year’s debut event features teaching from Kristi McLelland, who will dive into the historical and cultural context of Christmas. Plus, experience worship with Laura Cooksey.
5. Complete an Advent Bible study.
Stay rooted in God’s Word throughout the Advent season by studying Advent: The Weary World Rejoices by Lifeway Women. Over five sessions, you’ll learn why we celebrate Advent and how it fuels our worship of Jesus. Plus, you can study with us on Instagram starting December 1! Each week we’ll post a new video discussion relating to the coming week’s teaching. Connect with a global community of believers as you experience the joy of new life signaled by the coming Christ.
How do you celebrate Advent? Let us know on Instagram @lifewaywomen.
About Heather Ross
Heather Ross is a marketing strategist for the Lifeway Women marketing team. She loves good company, sweet treats, and fresh air. Though native to Michigan, she and her husband call Lexington, Kentucky, home.
