Kia Ora Bay Kids Whanau and welcome to the Season of Advent,
This Family Discipleship Email is for you. It’s just some little bits of learning as you go into this Advent Season and seek to navigate this with your families amidst the busy-ness and the weariness.
Advent is historically the season of anticipation for the coming of the Messiah and for the fulfilment of the hopes of God’s people.
Advent makes space for us to feel a sense of longing, and a sense of expectation. Reminding us again of the excitement and the eagerness found in waiting. Reminding us again of the beautiful way that children relish the build-up and anticipation of Christmas (while also driving us crazy with their countdowns and impatience).
We can take this opportunity to be once again wrapped in the joy that Christ came as a baby, to be with us, as well as longing for Him to come again, in victory, as the King of Kings.
Advent can be a very rich season of allowing ourselves the space, however small, to slow down and to savour what’s coming.
Advent is a meaningful reminder of God’s perfect timing. When the time was right, God’s one and only Son, Jesus Christ, entered this world as a baby.
Here are some Advent facts to share at home with your children:
The word advent comes from the Latin word adventus, which means “coming” or “arrival.”
Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve.
The four weeks of Advent have four themes: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.
The church introduced the Advent season to prepare for the coming of the Messiah.
Advent is a time when believers celebrate the first advent of Jesus and look forward with anticipation to His second advent—a time when He will come again as King.
We can use the colour purple to decorate our homes in the Advent Season
The Advent season gives the opportunity to light Advent candles, read Scriptures, sing carols, and participate in the re-telling of the Christmas Story.
It’s a great way to take some time to focus on the true meaning of Christmas and it's also a pretty fun opportunity to make Happy Birthday Cards for Jesus and maybe even a cake!
Here’s an Advent Action Prayer you might like to do with your preschoolers in this season:
Reach up high - Jesus came to bring HOPE
Flop down low - Jesus came to bring PEACE
Spin around - Jesus came to bring JOY
Give yourself a big hug - Jesus came to bring LOVE
Clap your hands - Thank you Jesus for being our CHRISTMAS GIFT
And here’s some suggestions of great Christmas books to share with your children this Advent. I found these ones through Manna Books and we're going to be sharing them in Bay Kids on Sundays.
Not So Silent Night! By Rebecca Elliott (a board book)
The Christmas Promise by Alison Mitchell and Catalina Echeverri (a board book Christmas Story)
Christmas Stable by Juliet David (Candle Tiny Tots fold-out book)
The Shepherd (The Chosen presents…) by Dallas and Amanda Jenkins
An Advent prayer for your children..
Loving God, as we await Christmas day by celebrating Advent, help us to become patient in waiting. Please teach us to realise that Jesus is the most precious gift You have ever given to the world. May we learn to copy His example as a child, and may we grow in wisdom and grace. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Many blessings on you all as you traverse this season together. May you know the Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love of Advent. And may you find little pockets of excitement amidst the anticipation and preparation.
Thank you all for a beautiful year in Bay Kids and thank you for your grace in advance as I send you all multiple organizational messages about our epic Bay Kids Christmas Service!
Arohanui, Charlotte
