Monday, November 30, 2009

Advent Scriptures for your Calendar


Here is this years' Duty Chronicles Advent Calendar...

Advent 2013

And in case you haven't seen, here are some ideas for Advent activities to do with your kids. The point being to spend quality time with them, not rushing around trying to get the right supplies or check this off your to do list. Add some to your family time together and just enjoy it!

Hopefully the Advent Calendar + devotional will help all of us to become more consistent in worshipping with our families each day. Let me know if you have any other fun ideas to reinforce Christ this season! Here are some great ideas that our family uses or that I have heard of other families using:

Christmas Card Prayer Box – make a prayer box that will hold your Christmas cards from last year. At family worship every night, have the kids choose one card from the box and  pray for that family.
OR
Christmas Card Prayer Sticks - we are utilizing these throughout the year and the kids love it! They even ask to keep some in their room to pray for them on their own. I love that!

Advent Wreath – a picture of ours is here as well as a description of the 4 weeks of Advent

This goes along nicely with the Advent calendar to reinforce the “waiting” period. We use battery-operated candles so the kids can take charge of doing this without burning the house down.

Kids’ Play – reenactment of the Christmas story, do a scene each day or reenact the whole thing on Christmas. Don’t worry about costumes, pull out sheets to wrap around yourself, grab a kitchen towel and keep it on your head with a headband or rubberband. Get creative! Your kids will love putting their costumes together!

Manger Ritual – putting Jesus in a “manger” on Christmas Day, empty basket under the tree until Christmas (great for small toddlers, with knowledge that you will explain “waiting” to them everyday)

Christmas Songs – O Little Town of Bethlehem, Joy to the World, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, O Come All Ye Faithful, Silent Night, Go Tell it On the Mountain, Angels We Have Heard on High, Away in a Manger, What Child is This (these are just a few well known Christmas/Advent songs). Focus on one song per week so that your kids can actually learn the words and tune.

Stargazing - pretend you are a Wise man, grab a constellation map and gaze at the stars. Imagine where the Star of Bethlehem would have been and talk about how bright it would have to be to guide you miles and miles to the newborn king!

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

22 comments:

  1. I wish I was there for family worship and that I got to participate with y'all in your Advent study!! I miss that. I love how intentional you are with your lives and especially at Christmas.

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  2. Kendra, How did you post the PDF file? I'd love to know! We do our newsletters in PDF and I'd love to be able to put them on our blog so they're easier to access for some. Thanks.
    (BTW, I follow Heather Hendrick's blog and then came to yours through a link on someone else's blog that was linked from hers.)

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  3. Megan,

    I uploaded the document to Google Docs and then on the right side of the page (when you are in the document you want) there is a button that says, "Share". Click and it will give you a link you can use to share with others.

    Hope this helps! We LOVE GFA!

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  4. Anonymous6:05 AM

    Hello dear sister, what a blessing it was for me to find your page, and what an encouragement you have been in the brief minutes i have been here :) I'd dearly love a copy of your advent devotional, it will bless our family (i have a girl and two boys also, and just about to launch into homeschooling - very excited about that!!).

    Blessings,
    Naomi
    jag32@optusnet.com.au

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  5. Anonymous1:14 PM

    I posted a comment, but I don't see it showing up :( Thank you for posting this, what a great tool for moms creating an advent calendar for their families to know more about the TRUE meaning of the Christmas season.

    Thank you very much! God Bless!
    Courtney
    courtneyleach@hotmail.com

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  6. I really love ur site, I downloaded the 30 day advent activity I think my kids would love that...I would like to see the 4 week advent devotion if its different than the one I just downloaded...TYSVM!!

    braveleesy@yahoo.com

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  7. Leesy,

    I will email the Advent Devotions to you! The 30 day Activities are different. Thanks for stopping by!

    Blessings,
    Kendra

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  8. Anonymous11:02 PM

    I would love to have your Advent Devotions emailed to me!! Thank you so much for helping me start this tradition with my little family:-)

    heathermoo82@gmail.com

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  9. Hi Kendra!
    I love your blog and all of your great ideas! I was wondering if it would be okay if I pinned a few of your crafts to pinterest. Your blog will be credited of course! I am never sure if people mind pins, so I always like to check first! Thanks for letting me know!
    brittanysciba@gmail.com

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  10. I just saw that you have lots of other pins from your blog, so I assume you don't mind!:) You are so talented!

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  11. Kendra, I would love the advent devotion to use with my family :)
    stephenandlinds@gmail.com

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  12. Anonymous8:46 AM

    I would like a copy of your devotions!!!

    follisfam@yahoo.com

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  13. I would love a copy of the devotions! Finally putting this together for my two sweet girls. Thanks so much!

    linzini@gmail.com

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  14. Crystal McGahan8:09 AM

    I would love a copy of the advent devotions to share with my family. Thanks for sharing!

    mcgahanfam@yahoo.com

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  15. Anonymous2:30 PM

    I would love to have a copy of your Advent Devotions.

    Thanks,
    Julie
    jfarris70@gmail.com

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  16. Anonymous3:25 PM

    Thank you for the wonderful Advent season ideas. May I please have a copy of the devotions as well? Thanks in advance kohler957@gmail.com

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  17. Anonymous4:43 PM

    This is amazing. Doing some of it with my 3 under 7's and they loving it. Would love a copy of your devotionals. Thanks
    d.wool@btinternet.com

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  18. I would love a copy of advent devotions. My email is: bethanyroseallen@gmail.com. Bless you!

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  19. Anonymous6:15 PM

    Please email me a copy of your advent devotions.
    buzcliffe@aol.com
    Thank you.

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  20. Anonymous8:57 PM

    Please email me a copy of your advent devotions
    Thanks

    Lynne
    blondy1110@hotmail.com

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  21. Anonymous8:58 PM

    Love your blog
    Lynne

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  22. I am really impressed with your writing skills and also with the layout on your blog.
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    ReplyDelete

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