Welcome to our MBI Children and Family Ministry Newsletter! We seek to support Children and Family Ministry by providing free or inexpensive resources that inspire and educate faith in Jesus.
Isaiah 7:14 – Therefore the LORD himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Teaching Advent
Advent is the time of year that is set aside before Christmas day to prepare our hearts for the celebration of Jesus’ coming! Not only does advent prepare us for celebrating the birth of Christ, but in it, we are reminded of the hope and encouragement that we have in Jesus’ second coming (1 Thess. 4:13-18)! The lighting of Advent candles is a tangible and meaningful way to teach children how to prepare their hearts for Christmas as they remember the past and anticipate the future. In Landry Holmes’ article, he provides ideas for how to lead children in each advent with themes and scripture that go with each week. To Access, click here.
The true story of Jesus’ birth is full of joy and hope. Luke 2:10-11 records, “Behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” The Christmas story can be taught in a variety of creative and age-appropriate ways. Ministry to Children gives a helpful resource for telling preschool children this good news. To read, click here.
In addition, childrensministry.com provides a helpful Sunday school lesson for elementary age children. To read, click here.
Creating a Christmas program
As the Christmas season is coming upon us, we begin plans for different Christmas programs. We work hard to include all the children, focusing on the takeaways of the message, and sharing the truths of the Lord. John Felageller explains how the Lord shaped his view of his son’s participation in Church programs. Hear what the Lord put on his mind about children’s involvement in Christmas programs. To read click here.
Christmas programs are an important aspect of the season. They involve children in a special way and take a lot of preparation and planning. Lori Niles, in her article on Children’s Ministry Christmas Plays, provides an example of effective and easy Christmas program planning through her article on Christmas plays. To read these suggestions, click here.
Promises fulfilled
In Genesis 3, Scripture begins to promise the coming of a Savior. The steady presence of promises found and fulfilled in Scripture is a great source of joy for the believer. Click here for an article by Adam Simnowitz that outlines some promises about Jesus found in Scripture.
Teaching the Fulfillment
Children learn a valuable lesson about the Christmas story through looking at OT promises. In learning this lesson, children can gain excitement for the birth of Jesus and better understand the faithfulness of God. A lesson published by childrensministry.com is a great example for this teaching. To read, click here.
Celebrating the gift
The Greatest Gift
Giving gifts is a well-known tradition around the world that can be used to teach children about Jesus, who is the greatest gift ever given! Teaching Jesus’s life as the greatest gift can help children to celebrate Him and learn the importance of giving to others. In the spirit of this lesson, Tauna Meyer provides unique birthday gift ideas to give to Jesus. To read, click here.
Sharing the Gift with Others
Giving is an action described by God in the Bible as pleasing to Him (2 Cor 9:7). Operation Christmas Child is one way that we can encourage children to give to others, all while learning about why Jesus is the best gift. To read, click here.
The Fast before the feast
The Advent Fast
Advent is also called a “little Lent”, as it was traditionally a time of repentance and preparation. People fast during Advent to prepare themselves for the celebration of the coming of the Lord. In his article, Jay Richards argues why Christians should recoverthis tradition. To read, click here.
Why Fasting?
Fasting helps Christians to build a stronger relationship with God. In her article, Brenda Jo Wong writes about how fasting during Advent can help Christians center their focus on God in this season of joy. To read, click here.
