Teach Advent to Your Family
Busy parent looking for easy ways to teach your kids about Ash Wednesday?
Easy Ways to SLOW DOWn and Teach Your Family About Advent
Well it’s not even Thanksgiving and Hobby Lobby is already clearancing their Christmas decorations. Believe it or not, next Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent (it completely caught me by surprise this year). It’s so easy to race through the “holidays” from one plan to the next. This is the wisdom of the church year in giving us space to focus on one season at a time. Twice in the church year a massive holy day is preceded by a season of preparation. Many of us are used to giving something up for Lent (to prepare our hearts for Easter). But it can be so difficult to wait in the season of Advent. We want carols, lights, hot cocoa, and presents! These are all wonderful joys; but if there’s one thing you do this Advent season I want to encourage you to slow down, to wait in the longing for Christmas. This is the very reason for Advent. And for your kids (and mine!) that can’t wait for Christmas day and celebration and presents there are ideas below to help them (and you!) to slow down and anticipate the coming of Jesus. There’s several ideas below but I want to encourage you towards simplicity. Pick one or two that jump out. Go for quality over quantity. We’ll republish this blog next year and you can try out the others.
Attend aDvent Services
Okay I’m goin to cheat a little right off the bat and suggest you do this in addition to 1 or 2 other ideas. The Christian life is life in the local church. If you’re not already part of a congregation I want to cordially invite you to join us a Trinity San Antonio. We have a few Advent services this year. As well as our usual Sunday service, which we’d love to have you at! There’s tons of options below or you can read through them here.
Thanksgiving leftover potluck and wreath making: Bring your Thanksgiving leftovers and make an Advent wreath with provided real greenery. Sunday, November 27th; after service; at the Woehler Family Center.
Advent Midweek Service with Meal and Crafts: Join us in a brief worship service and a shared meal. Crafts for the whole family too! Wednesday, November 30th; 5:30PM; at the Woehler Family Center.
Saint Nicholas Party: Food and bonfire as we honor the spirit of generosity modeled by the historical Saint Nicholas of Myra. Wednesday, December 7th; 5:30PM; at Pastor Matthew Ballmann’s home.
Las Posadas: This has become a highlight for the whole year for my family. We’ll recreate the story of Joseph and Mary going inn to inn trying to find a place to stay. There’s songs, Mexican hot chocolate, a Mariachi band, piñatas, costumes, and of course buñuelos! Wednesday, December 14th; 6:00PM, outside the Woehler Family Center.
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service: Worship and anticipate the arrival of Christ ending in a beautiful candlelight moment. Saturday, December 24th; 4:00PM, at the Woehler Family Center.
Christmas Day Service: This year Christmas is on a Sunday! What better day to gather for the Divine Service than Christmas. Please join us at 10:30AM on December 25th at the Woehler Family Center.
PRactice Generosity
There’s no better season to give to others than Christmas, when God gave us His Son. The best thing about this idea is it can be as simple or complex at you like. You could:
Tell your kids to secretly give their family and friends gifts. Kids get a big kick out of the anonymity and it keeps the focus off ourselves.
Spend some time at a local retirement community. Often the elderly unfortunately get too few visitors and this can be difficult season for many to be alone. Kids are also a great addition to a visit and it can be a great opportunity for conversation.
Put together bundles for the homeless. Buy some warm clothes, socks, toothbrushes, and other essential items. Pack them up in bundles and put them in your car. When you see someone in need give the bundle! Or make a trip to a local shelter to deliver several.
Invite someone over for dinner. Those of us with families can take for granted our daily opportunity for community (or chaos). Invite a neighbor, a single friend, a military member you know over. They may not have a place to celebration traditions and opening your home can be a great way to share.
Read an Advent Devotional
Reading a daily Advent devotional at the dinner table is a super easy way to reorient ourselves around Jesus. There’s no shortage of good ones out there. For younger kids I’d recommend Counting to Christmas. We have copies of this at church on Sundays, our gift to you! Still doable with younger kids but one for older kids, or you and your spouse, is God Is in the Manger. This book features reflections from Dietrich Bonhoeffer that you can read in a few minutes.
This can be combined with the classic Advent Candles and wreath. Kids love to light and snuff the candles each night to countdown the days to Christmas.
You could also read from the Lectionary (remember we’re going to Series A this Advent). Here’s a handy link. Consider reading the passages multiple times each week.
While not a devotional this is a great season to learn about the historical Saint Nicholas. This is a beautiful book to read to your family.
Make an Advent Craft
Here’s a few ideas:
Buy (or make!) an Advent Calendar to countdown the days to Christmas
Make some Advent “stained glass” (these are paper crafts also some coloring sheets are there).
Come to the wreath making after Service on November 27th! Or grab some greenery and make your own.
Make your favorite Christmas cookies and combine with the idea about generosity and share with someone.
If your feeling ambitious you could make red and white striped candy canes. You can talk about how they look like a shepherd’s crook (like the shepherds who witnessed the birth of our Good Shepherd or it’s a J for Jesus!), the red for the blood Jesus spilled to make us white as snow.
Listen to Advent Music
Just wait. You can wait to play your favorite Christmas music. I know it’s hard (okay even I cheat). But there are tons of wonderful Advent songs that have us sit in anticipation and longing. Maybe you can even make it practical but talking about patience with the kids. Here’s a playlist to get you started.
Add to Your Homeschool or Supplement School
If you homeschool your kids, add Advent and Saint Nicholas to your classes. Read Advent scriptures. And definitely make sure to include color pages and other fun worksheets. There’s plenty of resources out there even for Lent specifically. Definitely check out: https://www.lutheranhomeschool.com/. We also love the site https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/ (note you do need a free account). You can search for Advent or Saint Nicholas and filter to free (just make sure to review the content before handing to your kiddos). And bust out those purple crayons since that’s the Advent liturgical color.
If you don’t homeschool I encourage you to supplement your kid’s classroom learning. Any of the above can be added as “homework” or done as a mini class after school around the diner table.
More Ideas
If you’re still hungry for more recommendations, check out our previous years’ blogs here and here.
Whatever you do, or don’t, make it intentional and talk about it! Even one little activity with some good conversation will go a long way to bring your children, and your family, into preparation for the majesty of Christmas. Blessings on your Advent season!
About the Author
David Hein is a member of Trinity San Antonio with his wife Mindi and three boys: Kirk, Wesley, and Caleb. He is a first year seminarian at Lutheran Brethren Seminary. The picture below is the closest they’ve gotten to one with everyone’s eyes open.
Teach Ash Wednesday to Your Family
Busy parent looking for easy ways to teach your kids about Ash Wednesday?
Easy Ways to Teach Your Family About Ash Wednesday (And maybe Lent…)
Perhaps you’re like me staring at three unruly boys and wondering how do I teach these lovable miscreants about Ash Wednesday? No matter the number, age, and gender of your children it’s a simple fact us parents are long on aspiration and short on time. So this sleepless parent thought he’d share his findings on some easy ways to teach your whole family about Ash Wednesday (and a little bit of Lent too). Before we dive in, let me offer a piece of advice: make a plan, keep it simple, and participate in Church. If you don’t have a church home I cordially invite you to join us at Trinity at 10:30 AM on Sundays.
Review the Previous Blog Posts
If you haven’t already, read the two great blog posts Pastor Matthew has put together here and here summarizing Ash Wednesday and Lent, respectively. If you’re old hat to the church year or brand new it will help to brush up on the basics for your young, inquiring minds.
Attend an Ash Wednesday Service
One of the best ways we can catechize our children is faithful attendance to church. Ash Wednesday is an especially great one for kids because of the tactile imposition of the ashes. Kids love stuff and textures. The feel of the gritty yet smooth ash on their foreheads is something you can discuss with them to hype the anticipation. Plus you can talk about how we sacrifice a Wednesday evening to gain an encounter with Christ. Lent is all about sacrifice that allows space or resources for God’s work. What better way to start the season than gathering with brothers and sisters in Christ.
Sacrifice and Serve as Family
If you know one thing about Lent it’s the tradition of giving something up: coffee, rich food, social media, Netflix or other streaming services. Too often though we can treat this as our second chance at New Year’s resolutions. It’s certainly good to intentionally work on self improvement; but it falls short of the fuller vision for Lent. Fasting and self-denial are meant to create space for almsgiving (generosity). Maybe your family goes out to eat or orders in once a week; choose to forgo that luxury and instead donate the money to a food bank. Perhaps family movie night is sacrificed for a night of prayer. Consider skipping a kid’s event (sports, drama, etc.) to go serve as a family. There’s endless options; but definitely talk about it as a family and discuss the why.
With older kids consider an actual fast day (Friday is a great choice in remembrance of Good Friday). You could cut out meat, eat simply (bread and water), or consider a full day without a meal (I find sundown Thursday to sundown Friday works well). Again don’t just focus on the sacrifice use the extra time or money purposefully.
Read or Memorize Psalm 23
David’s most famous Psalm is also a great one for Ash Wednesday. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil” (verse 4). We are reminded that the LORD truly is our Shepherd who guides our lives, gives us rest, saves us, and one day we will dwell not in the sadness and pain of death (from dust to dust) but we will dwell in the “house of the LORD”. It’s also a great Psalm for kids to read (short, not too difficult) and a must memorize passage of Scripture.
Again with older kids I’d commend following the lectionary as a family. The Ash Wednesday passages are the same regardless of year: Joel 2:12-19, 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10, and Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21. Throughout Lent there are additional readings provided by the historic church. Our church is in Series C of the Three-Year cycle (easy link here). Typically you’ll read the week’s passages twice with the Old Testament reading on Monday and Thursday, Epistle on Tuesday and Friday, Gospel on Wednesday and Saturday; but there is complete freedom in what works for your family.
Make a Lenten Chain
You’ve likely heard of (or eaten) Advent calendars. Those 24 or 25 boxes of chocolates that count from December 1 to Christmas. There’s a beautiful practice for Lent that’s similar. You make a series of paper loops like the image on the right. Each day you’ll tear one off to count down to Easter. There’s an easy link here. You could also go a step farther and write things to pray for. Or perhaps use this Lenten Guide for activities you can add to each loop. Better yet, have your kids come up with their own! Another fun “craft” is making pretzels. They are somewhat bland which is good for Lent and the shape looks like arms folded in prayer.
Listen to Lenten Music
Kids love music. Find or create a playlist of Lenten specific hymns. Sing them as a family. Here’s two to get you started: one and two.
Add to Your Homeschool or Supplement School
If you homeschool your kids, add Ash Wednesday and Lent to your history units. Read Lenten scripture. And definitely make sure to include color pages and other fun worksheets. There’s plenty of resources out there even for Lent specifically. Definitely check out: https://www.lutheranhomeschool.com/. We also love the site https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/ (note you do need a free account). You can search for Ash Wednesday or Lent and filter to free (just make sure to review the content before handing to your kiddos). Or here’s a direct link to some coloring pages. And bust out those purple crayons since that’s the Lenten liturgical color.
If you don’t homeschool I encourage you to supplement your kid’s classroom learning. Any of the above can be added as “homework” or done as a mini class after school around the diner table.
Whatever you do, or don’t, make it intentional and talk about it! Even one little activity with some good conversation will go a long way to bring your children, and your family, into preparation for the glory of Easter. Blessings on your Lenten season!
About the Author
David Hein is a member of Trinity San Antonio with his wife Mindi and three boys: Kirk, Wesley, and Caleb.
How to Celebrate the Resurrection of our Savior
Forty days of Lent is drawing to a close; we are walking through Holy Week and are about to arrive at the biggest celebration of the Church Year, Easter Sunday! But Easter isn't just one lone day at the end of weeks of fasting, prayer, and reflection. Easter Sunday kicks off the season of Easter, which lasts 50 days until Pentecost Sunday.
In the cycle of the Church Year, seasons of fasting are followed by seasons of feasting. So how can we press into a season of feasting and celebrating our Savior's resurrection for the next 50 days? Here are several ideas; hopefully you can find a couple that will work for you and your family this year!
Easter Sunday
It's a celebration, so let's party! A party looks different depending on the person, house and family you come from, but a party usually incorporates the five senses. There might be music, some fun activities, almost always good food, and maybe even some decorations. Think about how you want to celebrate Christ's resurrection tomorrow; maybe it's a playlist of Easter worship and hymns that you put on first thing in the morning, or your grandma's famous coffee cake for breakfast. It might be a special meal for dinner, or a banner that says "He is Risen!" You might want to fill your house with Easter lilies, yellow daffodils and pink tulips. Of all the days to go all out on a celebration, Resurrection Sunday is the day!
Even though we will be in our homes for worship services this year, we can still continue the sense of celebration by dressing up in our Easter best. If you have something white, you might want to wear it to remind yourself of your baptism and the new life we have in Christ!
The Week Following Easter
We can keep following Jesus' footsteps even beyond Holy Week. Here are two recommendations for you to try sometime during the week after Easter Sunday:
1. Fish for Breakfast
Read the beautiful story in John 21, where Jesus appears to the disciples and makes them fish and bread for breakfast. Yes, the resurrected Christ cooks breakfast for a bunch of fishermen! After you read this passage, go ahead and eat some fish for breakfast! Baked white fish with eggs and toast could be a place to start, but if you have a fire pit, wrap some fish in foil and make it really authentic. Or if fish for breakfast just isn't your thing, try going fishing after reading this passage.
2. Take an "Emmaus Walk"
Read Luke 24:13-35, and then take a walk with a neighbor, friend or your family and discuss a topic from Scripture, or talk about what it would have been like to be these followers of Jesus having this conversation on the road.
The Season of Easter
Here are some ideas for keeping the joy and celebration of the resurrection before us in the 50 days of Eastertide:
1. Listen to Easter music.
Use a playlist like this one or pick a different Easter hymn/song to learn each week during this season. You could sing this song every morning after breakfast or each night after dinner.
2. Keep your Easter decor up until Pentecost.
If you have a cross you could drape it with a white cloth, or maybe you want to make or purchase a special sign or banner that says," He Lives!" or "He is Risen!" to keep out during the season of Easter.
3. Party every week!
Pick a certain day of the week and plan a party on that day every week of Eastertide! It doesn't have to be complicated-you could have a Blue Bell ice cream party, a water balloon party, an Easter music jam session (if you're the musical type!), a game of hide and seek (read John 20:19 and talk about how the disciples went into hiding after Jesus' crucifixion), or a movie night (Maybe something like Ben Hur (1959) or Jesus of Nazareth (1977), or another family favorite. Be sure to preview before showing to your kids!).
4. Make or buy a special candle to remind you of the resurrection, and light it at breakfast or dinner each day during the season of Easter. Try this DIY idea.
5. Join Natalie every Monday of Eastertide for an Easter themed children's book read aloud on our YouTube channel:
Thanksgiving and Thankfulness
1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." Giving thanks in all types of situations is God's will for us. Not only does giving thanks mean walking in obedience to God, it also gives us a new perspective on life. Instead of feeling frustrated and discouraged by all the less than perfect situations we encounter each day, giving thanks turns our eyes to all the good gifts God has given us, and helps us to realize that He is working even in the midst of the hard things. When we start giving thanks, our eyes are drawn to the glory of God, and our hearts turn to Him in praise, not just for His good gifts, but for who He is. We all know this, and yet it is so easy to forget to be thankful. We even forget to thank God we can breathe through our nose until a bad cold comes along!
So, giving thanks is God's will for us. It's good for us and our spiritual lives and our perspective. But we so often forget to be thankful! And here enters November.
With the holiday of Thanksgiving coming up at the end of the month, November is a natural time to turn our hearts to the habit of being thankful. Here are a few ways to cultivate a heart of thankfulness in your children (and yourself!) in the month of November with just a few minutes a day:
1. Make a thankful tree.
You could also make a thankful bowl, or box, or pretty much anything that holds small slips of paper. To make a thankful tree, scour your backyard or local park for a short branch with lots of places to hang little pieces of paper. Then stick this tree in a vase, and place beside it a stack of small pieces of paper with a hole punched through one of the side. You can use pieces of string or Christmas ornament hooks to attach these pieces of paper to your thankful tree. Each day in November, have each member of your family write (or help them write, for the littlest ones) one thing they are thankful for on a slip of paper, and hang it on the tree. Sometime on Thanksgiving Day read through all the slips of paper and reflect on God's goodness! You can save these in an envelope with the year marked on it. It's really meaningful to look back on past years as well!
2. Memorize a verse about thankfulness.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 is a great choice, but there are many to choose from! Just read it together 2-3 times as a family at breakfast each day, and you should all have it memorized by the end of the month!
3. Read a different verse about thankfulness together as a family, at dinner time or whatever time of day works best for you, each day in November, and spend a few minutes discussing it together. Pick out your own or use this printable list.
4. Three kernels of corn at Thanksgiving dinner.
Start a new family tradition and give each person at your table three (or five, if you want to do more!) kernels of popcorn. Pass a jar around the table, and take turns sharing one thing you are thankful for from the past year as you drop a kernel in the jar. Go around the table three times until everyone has used all their corn. This tradition stems from the legend that the pilgrims ate a ration of just a few kernels of corn a day their first winter in Plymouth. It can be a great tangible activity to help us slow down and thank the Lord! As Black Friday comes earlier and earlier each year, this is a small way to prepare our hearts for contentment amidst the waves of consumerism waiting to wash over us.
5. Listen to some music that will encourage you in gratitude on this Spotify playlist.
Bonus: Picture book recommendations to read with your kids.
Give Thanks to the Lord by Karma Wilson. This book is inspired by Psalm 92 and walks through a family Thanksgiving dinner.
Thankful by Eileen Spinelli. A look at thankfulness that combines the idea of vocation as well.
Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving by Eric Metaxes. This excellent retelling of the story of Squanto emphasizes how God used the hard circumstances in Squanto's life to lead to the huge blessing he ended up being to the struggling colony of Pilgrims.
Sharing the Bread: An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving Story by Pat Zietlow Miller. This whimsical book follows the preparations for Thanksgiving dinner, and has a nice emphasis on family and gratitude.
Thank You For Thanksgiving by Dandi Daley Mackall. A little boy waits for his turn to say what he is thankful for at Thanksgiving dinner.
Let's be intentional this November about being grateful, and let these beautiful habits of praise and thanks transform us and our children more into the image of Christ each day.
Soli Deo gloria