Celebrating Advent with Your Children

To celebrate Advent at home, all you need is four Advent candles, one Christ candle and your family!

Each week, gather the family together, light the candles and read the scripture. Older children can read it aloud for the whole family to hear. Remind your family that Advent is the season of waiting with hope.

Sunday, November 29 – First Sunday in Advent – The Gift of Light

Scripture

Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved. But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand, the one whom you made strong for yourself. Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name. Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved. Psalm 80:7, 17-19

Family Activity

Light the first Advent candle and recall a time you had to wait for something very special, such as a birthday, the day of your wedding or the day when your child or children were born. How did you feel? In what ways is waiting fun and hard at the same time? Close by sharing that for the next three Sundays your family will celebrate waiting for Jesus’ birth!

Jesus comes and shows us how to love one another. Older children can be taught when we die, we are saved by Christ, our sins are forgiven and Jesus welcomes us into Heaven to be with God forever.   

Sunday, December 6 – Second Sunday in Advent – The Gift of Patient Preparation

Scripture

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” Mark 1:1-3

Family Activity

Light the second Advent candle and share that sometimes very special things will happen after we’ve prepared ourselves. Share an example from your life, such as studying for a hard test or practicing a musical instrument before a public concert.

Older children can be taught that Christmas, being with Christ, is more important than the commercialization we see to buy stuff. Gifts are good, but experiencing God is something we can treasure forever.

Sunday, December 13 – Third Sunday in Advent – The Gift of Prayer

Scripture: My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. Luke 1:46b-49

Family Activity: Light the third Advent candle and share that the scripture passage comes from a prayer by Mary, the mother of Jesus, when she learned that she was pregnant.

Share with your children that you pray. Share what you pray for. Invite them to talk about prayer. Why do we do it? How often? Children observe and notice more than they let on. Close your time in prayer with each member of the family sharing things they look forward to doing or learning!

For a fun activity, bake cookies and safely leave them for a neighbor or an older friend who can’t have any visitors right now. 

Sunday, December 20 – Fourth Sunday in Advent – The Gift of a Child and God’s Creation!

Scripture

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights!
Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host!

Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars!
Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created.
He established them forever and ever; he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.

Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command!

Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!
Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds!

Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!
Young men and women alike, old and young together!

Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven. Psalm 138:1-13

Family Activity

Light the fourth Advent candle. (Wait and light the center Christ candle on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning). Share with your children that God creates everything, including them!

This is such a fun passage of scripture. The Bible verse teaches us that EVERYTHING created by God praises him. Angels, sun, moon, stars, sea monsters, fire, hail, snow, frost, stormy winds, mountains, hills, fruit trees, cedars, cows, bugs, birds, kings, princes, young people, old people, everything praises God; wow, what a celebration of God. And soon, on Christmas morning, we will praise God for the gift of a child, God’s son. Jesus comes to teach us how to love one another.

Older children can reflect on being appreciative for everything that have and how they can share that love with others in need. Close this time by going for a walk as a family and pointing out that everything we see, people, trees, birds above and ants below, all praise God for creating the world and the sun, moon, and stars above! Share with your children that you praise God for the gift of a child, Jesus, AND the gift of your child or children.  

Written by Rev. Peter D. Crouch, PCHAS Vice President of Development