As we swing into the end of summer and the unending advertisements for back to school, you likely heard a few in July – already talking about Christmas!
When you heard “Christmas in July,” what thought came to mind?
"Wow! I need to nab that great deal now!”
"Help! I have less than 6 months to shop, decorate, wrap, and bake!”
"Wait! That’s a reminder to focus on preparing for Jesus’ birth this Advent and Christmas.”
Society urges us to hurry and spend starting as early as July with peak times from Halloween to Black Friday and through 11:59 p.m. on December 24. Scripture calls us to slow down and wait during four weeks of Advent. The 12 days of Christmas invite us to go and tell others, “Jesus is born!” – not rush to return presents, eat the rest of the cookies, or move directly to New Year’s parties.
As ministry leaders, your Advent and Christmas planning wheels are already turning! (And your stress levels are likely already rising as you think about all that comes with it, both at church and home.)
This year, we invite you to join us for the Sparkhouse Reason for the Season. To give you a chance to truly support your kids, families, youth, and adults with ideas for your ministry, and for your community to use at home, to truly celebrate the reason for the season: celebrating Jesus’ birth.
Here’s a peek at what you can look forward to as we celebrate Reason for the Season:
Introduce little ones to the story of Jesus’ birth in the way that preschoolers learn best – through play! We are excited to offer a NEW Frolic Preschool Christmas lesson just for your little ones to get in the spirit of Advent and Christmas.
Give fun Bible storytelling tools to expand the Christmas story to include the Annunciation to the Wise Men’s visit! For your Sunday school kids, we will have an exclusive Spark Story Bible Christmas Coloring Book and Whirl Mini-Story Bible – Christmas Edition! Perfect for you to hand out to kids during worship, include in quiet bags, or use as ministry gifts. (Plus, we’ll continue to offer our downloadable Christmas options for your children’s ministry!)
Help youth unpack and understand Jesus’ birth story in new ways with a special-edition, single T.B.D. lesson for the holiday season. Invite them to gather and explore what they believe about the reason for the season – giving them an opportunity to discuss in a teen small group about the true meaning behind December 25.
God’s gift of a Savior to us inspires us to find ways to give to others, especially during Advent and Christmas. Look for downloadable resources for service projects that can be done by small groups as well as intergenerational opportunities.
Interested in learning more about Sparkhouse’s Reason for the Season? Sign up now to be the first to know when our Advent and Christmas resources will be available!