Today, I preached about how Advent can help us keep Jesus at the centre of our Christmas celebrations. Here are a few of the resources I mentioned that I hope will help you prepare your hearts for Christmas.
John Piper’s Advent e-books
Advent Bible Reading Plans
- The Advent Project. The Advent Project website also has heaps of other resources and information about Advent.
- YouVersion
- Konemann Family Plan (see below)
Children’s Storybooks
- Song of the Stars by Sally Lloyd Jones
- Unwrapping the Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp
- The Big Picture Story Bible by David R Helm
- Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd Jones
Ideas for celebrating Christmas in community
- Gospel Community Christmas Party
- Do Advent with your Gospel Triplet
- Come to our Christmas Eve service The Mess of the First Christmas
- Invite people who don’t have family to share in your family Christmas
- Give gifts to one another
Ideas for being on mission this Christmas
- Host a Christmas Party and invite your non-Christian friends
- Invite non-Christian friends to your Gospel Community Christmas Party. Read the Christmas story together as part of your celebration.
- Invite friends and family to The Mess of the First Christmas
- Prayer walk your local area and distribute promo postcards for The Mess of the First Christmas
- Make an Advent gift basket for your neighbour
- Do something to serve the needy
Konemann Family Advent Bible Reading Plan
In each pocket of our Advent calendar there is a Bible reading plus something fun for the kids (something yummy or a decoration to put on the tree).
We read the Bible passage and then I draw a picture of the key idea on a postcard-sized piece of paper (see example below). Eva colours in the picture and we stick it on the wall.
We then sing a Christmas carol together while looking at a Bible storybook and showing the kids what we’re singing about. We are doing the following four carols, one each week:
Then we pray together.
- Day 1 Isaiah 2:1–5
- Day 2 Romans 13:11–14
- Day 3 Jeremiah 33:14–17
- Day 4 Matthew 24:37–44
- Day 5 Isaiah 9:1–7
- Day 6 Psalm 80:1–7
- Day 7 Romans 15:4–13
- Day 8 Isaiah 11:1–10
- Day 9 Psalm 85:8–13
- Day 10 Isaiah 40:1–10
- Day 11 Luke 3:1–6
- Day 12 2 Peter 3:8–13
- Day 13 Colossians 1:15–20
- Day 14 Zephaniah 3:14–17
- Day 15 Titus 2:11–14
- Day 16 Micah 5:2–5
- Day 17 Luke 1:26–38
- Day 18 Luke 1:39–56
- Day 19 Matthew 1:18–25
- Day 20 Psalm 24
- Day 21 2 Samuel 7:1–12
- Day 22 Isaiah 7:10–14
- Day 23 Luke 2:1–7
- Day 24 Luke 2:8–21
- Day 25 Philippians 2:1–11