This is Christmas: not the tinsel, not the giving and receiving, not even the carols, but the humble heart that receives anew the wondrous gift, the Christ.
- Frank McKibben
I pray that all who read this blog may have a
blessed and holy Christmas as we celebrate the coming of Christ our saviour
into the world and human history. I hope these resources might help you to
enjoy the time with your family and tell the story of Jesus birth really well.
Family
Closeness
Game:
Christmas
Card Toss
Simply gather together a collection of old
Christmas cards and carefully cut off the backs. Avoid glittery cards.
Now set up a "course" by placing a
large box or bin on the floor and marking a place to stand some feet away from
it, depending on the age of the children. If you are playing with mixed ages,
older children should stand further away than younger children. Each family
member takes turns tossing a stack of cards (like a frisbee) into the box.
Count up and the family member with the most cards in the box wins.
Sharing:
Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.
- What is your favourite thing about Christmas?
- What does it mean to be thankful?
- What do you find special about the story of Jesus birth?
- What can we learn about God at Christmas?
Story
With your family
read Luke 2.1-20
Questions for
Discussion:
- How do you think Mary and Joseph felt about having a baby in a place where they didn’t live?
- Why do you think the shepherds were the first to be told about Jesus birth?
- What effect did seeing the baby Jesus have on the shepherds?
- What amazes or intrigues you about this story?
Prayer
and Celebration
Each day
choose a Christmas card you received. Put it in a central location such as your
dining room table. Pray for the people who sent the card.
Service
Make a special
Christmas recipe to share with your neighbours. Include a card with pictures
that tell about Jesus birth. (One easy recipe is for Rocky Road. Ingredients.
375g chocolate, 100g mini marshmallows, 200g red & green glace cherries
chopped. Slowly melt the choc. in the microwave on medium stirring every
minute. Mix in mallows and cherries. Pour onto a paper lined baking tray.
Refrigerate until firm.)
Family
Time
Story of St Nicholas
With your family discover the real story of Santa
Claus – or St Nicholas. Think about his story and let it transform the way you
do Christmas. Below are some links to websites with information about St
Nicholas.
Christmas is also a great time to read Christmas
stories. This blog provides some ideas for great Christmas books.
(This material is based on and draws from earlier Faithful Families emails by Stephen Harrison & Richard Browning: An Unless Ideas Production.)
Unless otherwise noted all material on this blog is copyright Stephen Harrison and Richard Browning
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