Pastor Jonathan Olavarria, Child Discipleship & Faith Formation Specialist
If there is one memory most children will remember, it’s how they celebrated Christmas at home. It is usually a wonderful time of food, gifts, singing, and bonding together. My family and I did celebrate Christmas, and I knew it centered on Jesus’ birth. At home, we had lights on our windows, a Christmas tree in our living room, and (best of all) presents under the tree.
When I had my children, I searched for a family Christmas tradition we could enjoy yearly. One that moved us away from the commercialized version of Christmas to one deeply rooted in the Bible and Christian tradition.
The Padron family encouraged us to adopt this rich tradition of celebrating Advent. One Sunday in late November, the Padrons asked me if they could share their Christmas tradition with our church family throughout December. They brought an Advent wreath with colorful candles to our church and explained that Advent is a season of worshipping Jesus, the promised Savior who has come- and will come again.
What is Advent?
Advent means “coming” or “arrival,” it is a special time when the church remembers the promises of Jesus’ first coming and looks forward to His promise to come again. Just as John the Baptist told the Jewish people to “prepare” for the Lord’s coming, we are to encourage one another to be ready for His second coming. The Christian Church has observed a Christmas season since the 4th century, and there was always a preparation period before Christmas Day. In the 10th century, the Christian community settled on the four-week pattern, so we’ve been doing this for 1000 years!
Why celebrate Advent?
This celebration is a powerful opportunity to rekindle or begin a devotional life for ourselves and our families. Advent can help us restore Jesus to the center of the Christmas celebration as we read, sing, and talk about the need for a Savior. The season is a time for remembering and rejoicing, watching and waiting. It’s a time to reflect upon God’s promises and anticipate the fulfillment of those promises. We celebrate that God is faithful, has been faithful, and will always be faithful.
When is Advent?
The season begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and, depending on the year, can last from 22 to 28 days. Each of the four weeks features a different liturgical theme. However, the best celebration is the one that matches your family’s rhythm.
What do I need to celebrate Advent with my family?
It depends on how you want to celebrate. There are several different traditions people use to celebrate the Advent season. One popular tradition we have adopted in our family involves using our Bible, Advent wreaths, and candles. This symbolic tradition mirrors multiple expressions of light in the Old and New Testaments, more importantly, Jesus being the light of the world. A new candle is lit each week in anticipation of the final lighting on Christmas Eve. Other helpful items include Christ-centered children’s stories for younger children and Christmas music.
What Do the Candles Mean?
- The first candle, the “Prophet’s Candle,” symbolizes hope. The Old Testament prophets, especially Isaiah, hoped for the Messiah’s arrival.
- The second candle, called “Bethlehem’s Candle,” represents faith. Micah had foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, forging a connection between Kind David and his coming descendent whose kingdom and throne would be established forever.
- The third candle, the “Shepherd’s Candle,” symbolizes joy. To the shepherds’ great joy, angels announced that Jesus came for humble, unimportant people like them.
- The fourth candle, the “Angel’s Candle,” represents peace. The angels proclaimed that Jesus brought peace on earth and brought people closer to God and each other again.
- The (optional) fifth candle, “Christ’s Candle,” represents purity and light. It is placed in the middle of the wreath and lit on Christmas Day to commemorate the arrival of the Light of the World. [1]
Are there additional ways to use the Advent season to help us focus on Christ and others?
Yes! We’ve created this Advent Moments resource to help turn everyday moments into memorable moments with God. Do as many as you want with your family.
An Opportunity for Discipleship
In Psalm 78, the author reminds us to tell the coming generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, his might, and the wonders that he has done… so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments (Psalm 78:4, 7).
As we show our children God’s plan of redemption through a promised Savior, we pray they will see the Lord’s glorious deeds. When we read about the multitude of angels, shepherds, and magi worshiping Jesus, we show our children the might of our King. When we praise God for sending Jesus to save us from our sins, we can marvel with our children at the wonders He has done in saving us while we were sinners.
Let’s use the season of Advent to help our children put their hope in God, not forgetting His works but keeping His commandments. Let’s start a new tradition: set aside time each week around the table, before bed, or even in the car to lead your family to purposefully reflect on God’s greatest gift, our Savior, Jesus Christ![2]
December is notoriously the busiest month of the year. Christmas programs at school and church, family gatherings, and last-minute preparations crowd out any free time.
Creating space for your family to remember Jesus coming to Earth to be with us is an opportunity for discipleship, not a task to be completed. With just a little bit of intentionality, start a conversation with your kids about Christ; you won’t regret it!
[1] How to Lead Your Kids’ Ministry Through a Beautiful Advent. https://ministryspark.com/advent-in-kids-ministry/
[2] 5 Ways to Have Advent Conversations With Your Family. https://www.awana.org/2021/11/22/5-ways-to-have-advent-conversations-with-your-family/
