One of the best parts of Christmas is making memories with our families. We eat amazing food, we talk for hours, and we laugh out loud. However, we sometimes run out of things to do. The kids start to ask, “What are we doing now? How many more sleeps until Christmas?” Plus, we want to make Christ the focus of our Christmas celebrations.
With that in mind, here are 5 ways to create Christ-centred family traditions this year.
1) Host an old-fashioned carol night.
First, borrow several hymnbooks from your church. Or just print off several copies of a carol collection. If you have any musicians in the family, enlist their help to accompany the singing. If not, just invite some musical friends.
Choose a confident singer to start you off and be the emcee of the evening. After singing for a while, make the rounds with hot chocolate and whipped cream to refresh the singers’ voices. Don’t forget to snap some photos of everyone. This one is so much fun that you’ll want to do it every year!
2) Give back to your community.
Teach your kids about following in Christ’s footsteps by serving others. If you know shut-ins who would appreciate a visit, help your kids bake some cookies and deliver them personally.
Or write Christmas cards to persecuted Christians around the globe. (For addresses, see Voice of the Martyrs Canada’s list of believers who are in prison for their faith here.) Or contact us to learn how you can help out in our prison ministries.
3) Watch a movie about the life of Christ.
Stock up on snacks and gather your tribe for a movie night! One of our favourite Christmas movies is Jesus of Nazareth (1977). With excellent acting and gorgeous scenery, it depicts the life of Christ in a Biblically accurate way. Since it is over 6 hours long, we recommend spreading it out over a couple of movie nights. For other films on the life of Christ, check out The Gospel of John (2003), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), and The Nativity Story (2006).
4) Attend a Christmas Eve service.
In the hustle and bustle of the holidays, don’t neglect the Christ of Christmas. To celebrate the true meaning of Christmas, why not go to a Christmas Eve service at your local church? You will enjoy singing carols, meeting friends, and hearing a brief message on the birth of Christ. This is one tradition you won’t want to miss out on!
Join us at our church in Prince Albert this year at 11 am for a special Christmas Eve service.
5) Read the story of Christ’s birth on Christmas morning.
Get out the family Bible on Christmas morning, and turn to Luke 2:1-19. One person can read the whole passage aloud, or you can take turns reading individual verses. From young to old, each one can participate in remembering the nativity story.
This tradition will help you keep Christ at the centre of your Christmas morning. In our prison ministries, we want to keep Him at the centre of all we do.
This Christmas, enjoy every moment with your family and friends, and remember—Jesus is the Reason for the Season!
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Are you searching? Jesus has the answers for addictions and stubborn habits. For more information, send the Crossmans a private message here on Facebook or come to a church service at Prince Albert Baptist Church. Take the first step in a walk of freedom!
For more information, call (306) 940-9554 or email anchorofhopeheb@gmail.com
