By Dennis Rainey
I know many of you are busy and nearing exhaustion with all the activities and commitments which swirl around during the Christmas season. For many, December is a wall-to-wall overload of shopping, Christmas parties, school concerts, church gatherings, and more.
It’s so easy to neglect to truly celebrate the One who made Christmas famous.
I’m going to give you a smorgasbord of 10 ideas you can do together to connect as a family and make much of Jesus this year.
Coaching Tip: Don’t be overwhelmed by all these ideas. Pick one or maybe two and put them in your Christmas shopping cart … then schedule when you are going to prepare and execute it.
1. Beginning with Mom and Dad, each family member share the story of how they came to faith in Jesus. Psalm 78:5-8 tells us to teach our children to put their hope in God and not forget His works and commandments. Don’t minimize this: Do your children and adult children know the details of your conversion to Christ? Don’t assume they do … in fact, I’d recommend your sharing that story every Christmas season.
An outline for your story could be as simple as this:
· Explain your religious background (or lack of) and what your life was like before Christ.
· Recall the circumstances God used in your life for how you came to faith in Christ.
· Tell how your life has changed and importantly, how it is still changing as you now follow Christ. Share how you are experiencing Him and His will for your lives.
· Decide ahead of time whether you want family members to tell the abbreviated version of their testimony (five minutes) or a lengthy version (15-20 minutes). Give them the freedom to pass if they don’t want to share. If a family member hasn’t made a commitment to Christ, this can be a safe time to hear how others have encountered the King of kings, the Savior of the world.
2. Create a “hide and seek” game called “Follow the Star.” Tell or read the story of the Wise Men who followed the star and found Jesus (Matthew 2:1-12).
Here’s the game: As a family, make a star out of construction paper, a piece of cloth, tinfoil, wood or something else. If needed, use a family time to brainstorm what your family’s star could be made out of. For two or three days before Christmas, hide the star somewhere in the house and encourage family members to find it. The person who finds the star that day gets to share why they follow the Star (Jesus). This game is like “Elf on a Shelf” but better because an elf can’t help you or your children like Jesus can.
3. Take turns reading the story of Jesus’ birth and first years of life (Matthew 1:18-2:23 or Luke 2) from a different translation or paraphrase: The Living Bible, The Message, or The Good News Bible. There’s also a great paraphrase in a book, The Jesus Story, which is a harmony of all Gospels—a compilation of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. (You may want to continue reading it after Christmas is over.)
Ask each family member to listen to the story with fresh ears and be ready to share what impressed them as the story is read. Questions can include: If you were God, how would you have made your entrance to planet Earth? Discuss why you think God chose to show up as a baby in a stable?
4. Look up five Old Testament passages that foretell of Jesus’ coming. There are over 300 prophecies of His first advent in the Old Testament. You can find a great list by going to clarifyingchristianity.com. You may want to assign this as a weeklong project to older children in your family and discuss the results when you get together. Talk about your findings, why they are important and how these prophecies set Jesus Christ apart from all religious leaders throughout history.
5. As a family, declare a “global holiday” for the One who made Christmas famous. Brainstorm how to celebrate His arrival and craft a press release from your family. Keep it simple or make it elaborate … your call, but after you complete the announcement, post it on social media and consider sending out an email to extended family and friends.
Optional: Get the kids involved in shooting a video, record it like a “Breaking News Alert.” Post it on social media and YouTube.
Another option: organize and videotape a “Quiz Show: Who Made Christmas Famous?” Have some fun with it, but in the end disclose the One who is the founder and introduce Him (and the gospel) to your audience.
6. As a family discuss some of the names of Jesus in Scripture from the Old and New Testaments and what each name explains about who God is and it’s impact on them:
· Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6)
· Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6)
· Eternal Father (Isaiah 9:6)
· Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6-7)
· Emmanuel (Matthew 1:23)
· Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11)
· Savior (Luke 2:11)
Discuss what each of those names mean, then take turns making a personal application. If appropriate, ask each family member to pick their favorite name and explain why they chose it. Close your time in prayer with each person giving Jesus thanks for one of His names.
7. Make your Christmas tree a “Jesus tree.” Only decorate your tree with ornaments that celebrate Jesus ... no Santas, reindeers, candy canes, snowflakes or snowmen. Just ornaments that speak of the true reason for Christmas. You can even make some homemade ornaments to add to ones you already have. Consider taking the first two or three days of December to make your tree and decorate it.
8. Brainstorm seven new names for Jesus that are true of Him but are not named in Scripture. You may want to give your children the assignment of each of the 7 passages below and challenge them to come up with 7 new names. If your family is large enough form a teams and give them an assignment everyone does over two or three days, then create a list together. If your family is smaller, assign Dad to work with one child and mom with another…over a period 2 or 3 days.
Here’s my list: (don’t give them these names, challenge them with coming up with a new name from each of these Scriptures.)
· Light of Life (John 8:12)
· Lighthouse (Revelation 21:24)
· Heaven’s Gate (John 14:6)
· Path Finder (John 14:6)
· Life Giver (John 3:16, 6:35)
· Promise Keeper (2 Peter 3:8-10)
· The Greatest Gift Giver (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Have fun creating a list which everyone contributes to, anchoring each name in Scripture if possible.
Ask each person to pick their favorite and share why they selected it.
9. Ask each family member to share an example of how Jesus has been at work in their life in the past year. Even if this was a difficult year for you, it’s good to remember that God blesses us even in the midst of hardship and challenges. You may want to give them the question earlier in the week … some family members may need time to process the question.
10. Pick a week in December to ask people outside your home the question: “Do you know the One who made Christmas famous?” They should be people you interact with … in stories, at school, in the neighborhood, at work, or online. Ask the question, then pause and let them answer.
Look over this list and pick just one of these ideas … that’s right, just one. Don’t try to do everything. Pick one and execute it well.
And don’t worry if you fall a little short of expectation. I don’t think that Barbara and I ever lit all five of our Advent celebration candles in a single December season. Three out of five may have been our best effort.
I pray you have a wonderful Christmas ... and don’t forget the One who made it famous!
