By Dema Kohen
This Christmas, families in your church will gather around the Christmas tree to unwrap their presents. Here are five fun and exciting ideas that will help them to also unwrap the real meaning of Christmas and have a super-fun holiday that’s all about Jesus.
BIRTHDAY CAKE
As a family, bake a cake on Christmas Eve for Jesus’ birthday, and on Christmas morning, break the rules and have a slice of cake and ice cream for breakfast! You could even sing “Happy Birthday” before slicing the cake.
And let’s not forget about the candles! Decorate your cake with as many candles as you wish, and then take turns blowing them out. The person whose turn it is to blow out the candles should say something they like about Jesus before they blow.
EMPTY MANGER
In the days leading up to Christmas, make a manger. Use wood or building blocks. A shoebox would work too. Place this empty crib under the tree as a reminder that we’re waiting for a Savior. Then place a baby doll wrapped in a blanket in there for your kids to discover on Christmas morning.
FAMILY PRAYER
Invite your family to kneel in prayer and express gratitude to God for the birth of Jesus Christ. By doing this, you’ll be following the example of the wise men who “saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him” (Matthew 2:11 KJV).
Getting down on our knees is such a simple gesture but it has a profound impact on our hearts. It humbles us. It helps us to declare God’s worth. When we are on our knees, near the floor, we recognize that God is everything to us and that without His love we are nothing.
HOME THEATER
Invite your kids into a Christmas story by encouraging them to act out certain parts. Pull out towels, scarves, bathrobes, and old costumes. Assign everyone a role, and then have the oldest member of the family read the biblical account from Luke 2 while everyone else acts out the story. If you want more guidance for your “production” CTA has several free Christmas services you could adapt to use at home, and they even have original music included!
GIFTS FOR JESUS
Since Christmas truly is all about Jesus, why not encourage everyone in your family to give a personal gift to Jesus? The wise men brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh as tokens of their love, loyalty, and worship.
Ask your kids: what can you offer to Jesus? They could choose to give Jesus the gift of their time, the gift of their gratitude, or the gift of their prayers.
You may also discuss what you can give to Jesus as a family.
Perhaps, you could serve food at a temporary housing center. Or gather and donate baby items to a crisis pregnancy center.
Is there an assisted-living facility in your town? You could reach out to its program director and find out if your family could bring some cheer to the residents who have few visitors.
Maybe you could even take dog treats to a local animal shelter.
Whatever you do, you’ll end up having heaps of fun, making great memories, and discovering that truly it is more blessed to give than to receive.
