Month: December 2012

Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room: Preparing Your Heart for Christmas

Kathie Phillips 2 Comments

“Let every heart prepare Him room…”

Earlier this month, I introduced our Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room series, posts dedicated to Christmas reflections.  Each Monday in December, through Christmas, we’ll look at different ways that you can make room for Jesus this Christmas.  Today’s guest post is written by Kathy R. Bruce, my beloved Mom.  Please visit her blog, The Looking Glass.

One year, a friend of mine wanted me to add more commitments to my already hectic schedule at Christmas. I told her that I could not squeeze anything else on my plate, to which she replied, “You need a bigger plate!”

things to doAre others’ expectations of and for you crowding out the true meaning of Christmas?  Are you so busy that you are forgetting what Christmas is all about?  Is busyness stealing your joy? How can you prepare your heart to receive the Christ for Christmas?

I love Christmas. It’s one of my favorite times of year. Approximately a month before the big day, I begin to prepare my house by making room for all my treasured Christmas items. I pack up my photos, everyday dishes, mantel clock, and loads of trinkets to make room for my decorations, trees, gifts and cards. All of these things are carefully put in the perfect places where they can be beautifully displayed.  I want everyone who visits our home to enjoy them as much as I do.

In all the preparations making room for my things, I can easily forget to make room for the main reason for the season. Yes, Christmas is for giving, loving, fellowship and glad tidings. But the main reason for this season is to celebrate the coming of The Lord Jesus Christ.

My desire is to celebrate His great love for me. To worship the One who put skin on and came to earth (via a humble birth) just to save me. That’s worth celebrating! So this and every Christmas going forward, I want to be intentional about preparing my heart for Christmas. I want to receive ALL He has for me.  I want to be intentional about recognizing that He is The Lord of Lords and The King of Kings. No more stumbling over the manger on my way to embracing the good but not the best.

If you want to be intentional too, here are some ways to prepare your heart for the Christ of Christmas:

1. Tell God how much you desire to focus on Him.

2. Confess that you can become easily distracted and caught up in the ‘hoopla’ of the holidays.

3. Ask Him to speak to your heart and show you what making room for Him would look like in your life.

4. Listen to His voice. Is He asking you to stop the frenetic pace of life so that you can spend time with Him?  Is He desiring that you spend your days in His Word rather than devouring latest Christmas magazines searching for ways to make your Christmas festive and meaningful?

5. Intentionally set time aside to be with the One whose birth you’re celebrating. How about the first moments of your day?  Offer the day and its schedule to Him.

6. Go and offer the Hope of the World (and the real reason for Christmas) to everyone you meet. Offer Jesus.

In all your preparations to make this the merriest Christmas ever, remember that Jesus is the reason for the season.  Jesus, Simply Jesus.

Kathy R. Bruce answered the call from God to ‘come to Me’ on Monday, June 23, 1980.  Her journey with God so far has been transformational, to say the least.  She has seen God enlarge her borders in many leadership capacities.  In 2008, Kathy earned a certificate in Leadership from the Women’s Leadership Development Institute.  Kathy is married to her biggest cheerleader, her husband John.  They are parents to 4 grown children and grandparents to 7 grandchildren.  She blogs regularly at The Looking Glass.  You can also follow her on Twitter.  

Our Ministry’s Response to the Newtown Tragedy

Kathie Phillips 2 Comments

blessed are those who mournLike most Americans, I watched the news in horror as the tragic events that took place this past Friday in Newtown, Connecticut unfolded.  I don’t think many of us can wrap our minds around the fact that someone could take the lives of innocent children and adults in such a brazen manner.

As Sunday approached, many of us in Children’s Ministry began to ponder how–and if–our ministries would respond.  Should we address the issue with the kids OR leave it up to the parents?  Should we address the issue AND leave it up to the parents?  I asked my fellow kidmin colleagues for their opinion, as I was unsure what to do.  After praying about what it, I felt God lead me to respond in the following ways:

We decided NOT to mention it in our large group worship.  We made this decision for the following reasons:

  • Our Pre-K through 5th Grade children have been together as a large group during our kids’ worship time for the past few weeks in preparation of our Family Christmas Eve services.  Therefore, we didn’t think it was appropriate for children as young as 4 to hear this news from us.
  • Many of our parents do not allow their children to watch television.  We didn’t want children to hear this horrible news for the first time from us and put our parents in an awkward situation.

We emailed our parents, informing them of our decision to NOT mention it up front.  We explained our reasons why but also directed them to websites that could equip them to facilitate hard conversations and raw emotions.  We wanted them to be the primary means of unpacking and discussions this event.

We decided to place the ball in the court of our teachers and small group leaders.  They know the climate of their classroom better than anyone, so we wanted to allow space for the Holy Spirit to direct each individual teacher or small group leader as to how to respond.  However…

We equipped our teachers by giving them tips to guide conversations that might take place.  We provided a hard copy in class for them as well in the event that they needed to refer back to it.  While there were several tips mentioned in the handout, I encourage them to listen to the children and what was on their hearts and pray for those who were hurting.  One of our 2nd and 3rd grade teachers did a great job with this by having her class circle up on the floor for prayer time (which occurs every week, so the children were very comfortable with this) and asking them to share what was on their hearts.  Some children mentioned the Newtown tragedy; others mentioned everyday events.  One of our preteen boys’ leaders mentioned that the boys prayed for the affected families during their prayer time.

I am so proud of our team.  They did a great job in being available to shepherd our children by listening to them and praying for and with them.  I am so blessed by them and their humble service.

If you are looking for resources to pass on to families in your ministry, here are two that I recommend:

http://www.biblicalparenting.org/pr-tip7.asp

http://lindaransonjacobs.wordpress.com/2012/12/14/school-shooting-in-newton-school-advice-for-parents/

How did your ministry respond to the Newtown tragedy?  How did your family process it?

Christmas Activities for Children

Kathie Phillips 3 Comments

Earlier this week, I posted a guest post that shared ways to celebrate Christmas with children.  I thought I’d share a few more ideas I’ve come across online that you could incorporate this Christmas.  These ideas can be used at home or in a classroom.

Christmas kids

For Kids of All Ages

I’ve shared lots of ideas to get you started on my Advent/Christmas page on Pinterest. There are printables, craft ideas, yummy snack options, and games that kids will love!

Brandon Baker listed many books to help children focus on the real meaning of Christmas on his blog.  If you’re using the books at home, you can take time to wind down a busy day with one of the many story books mentioned.  If you’re using the books in a classroom setting, you can choose to read a portion of a book each week until you finish.  You could also use one of the books to supplement a lesson.

For Kids Ages 2 – Young Elementary

I came across an Advent devotional using the “Jesus Storybook Bible.  Preschool families in our church receive this Bible as a gift from our ministry and they LOVE it.  What a great way to tie in all of the Bible stories that have been read throughout the year!

For Kids Ages 2 – 12

Jenny Funderburke has a great Family Advent Calendar on her blog.  Each day has a different Bible reading (or audio recording); a brief devotional to read and/or watch on video; a prayer activity; and a practical, hands-on activity to do that relates to that day’s topic.  A great resource!

These ideas are just a small plethora of Christ-centered ideas for children this Christmas.  And don’t worry about it being too late to begin using an Advent devotional.  It’s never too late to help your children understand the true meaning of Christmas.

I’d love to hear what ideas you’ve found helpful!  Please share them below!

Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room: Activities for Children

Kathie Phillips

“Let every heart prepare Him room…”

Last week, I introduced our Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room series, posts dedicated to Christmas reflections.  Starting today, and continuing on each Monday through Christmas, we’ll look at different ways that you can make room for Jesus this Christmas.  Today’s guest post is written by Jeanna Bruce-Wilson, owner of Splendid Events Project by Jeanna.  You can visit her website here.

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the Inn,

Not a baby was crying, not even a grin.

As baby Jesus’ parents arrived after long travel,

Little do they know all that was to unravel.

The Inn Keeper explained there was no more room.

What were Mary and Joseph going to do with the baby in her womb?

A stable in the back was available with hay.

The excited parents were grateful as they began to pray.

Three wise men followed a star that led them to the Prince of Peace.

All night they walked with gifts and walked far without cease.

Just as they showed up, our Savior Jesus Christ the Lord was here on earth.

For many years to come we recognize Christmas as the reason we celebrate his birth.

Isn’t it amazing how children retell the story of Jesus’ birth? It wasn’t until this year that my 5 year-old daughter thought that our Savior, The Lord Jesus Christ, was forever a baby. Little did she know that He grew into a man who performed many miracles, forgave many (and still forgives to this day), showed remarkable acts of kindness and gave His life on our behalf so that one day we can join Him in heaven. This time of year is about so much more then bringing and receiving gifts; it’s a time to reflect on the most blessed time that started our journey with experiencing Jesus in every area of our lives.

As an event creator, I desire to use my God-given talents, gifts and spiritual gifts to bring glory to His name.  I’d like to share three great ideas that you can do at home with your children ages 4-18.  These ideas can also be used in your church or school classroom to enhance their knowledge of Jesus’ Birthday. Get ready—it’s time to celebrate!

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Pin the Baby in the Manger (For children ages 4 to 8)

This game is modeled after a popular game played at most children’s birthday parties.  Does “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” sound familiar?  Well how about “Pin the Baby in the Manger”? Here’s how you play:

  1. Create a manger out of poster board.  (You can draw hay or get extra creative by cutting strips of colored construction paper and gluing it onto the poster board).
  2. Next take large popsicle sticks and place them strategically in the shape of a feeding trough to represent Jesus’ bed.
  3. Don’t forget about the baby Jesus! Locate a black and white picture on the internet. Print off the number of copies needed for each child and have them color and cut out baby Jesus. This allows for each child to use his or her imagination about what they believe He looked like and also makes it easy for each picture to be differentiated once pinned to the board!
  4. Break out the blind fold and see who can get baby Jesus closest to his bed!

12 Days of Birthday Gifts (For children ages 9-13)

Throughout your child’s Sunday school years and also what has been reinforced at home, many stories told throughout the bible tell of Jesus healing the sick, helping the poor and befriending the friendless. Each night at dinner or bedtime, have your child recount a story in the bible and ask them what gift they would give to God to aid him in accomplishing his many great deeds.

For example, in the story about Jesus healing the blind man, ask your child what gift they would give God to aid him in making that possible, knowing the things that are available today. Your child might respond by saying medicine or even eye glasses. Help your child mentally visualize a place where they are giving for 12 days and not only looking or talking about receiving. By doing so, you’ll strengthen their bible knowledge as well as their relationship with you.

Journal Joys (ages 13+)

Keeping a journal in high school is almost a must! How cool would it be for your teen to keep a journal filled with things that keep them in good spirits around the Christmas holiday and reminds them of how much God loves them? This is an activity that actually can be carried into their adult years because it never gets old. As you read back from year to year of what they were thankful for about that particular Christmas, you’ll see how much your child has grown emotionally, mentally and spiritually. You, too, can take part in this activity by writing a few lines in the morning while they are in school so they can read it when they arrive home. It’s a great way of constant connection and to re-emphasize how much their walk with the Lord brings you so much joy.

We here at Splendid Events Project by Jeanna want you to have the most wonderful Christmas experience yet. Open up doors for those both in and out of your life that have a hurting heart or spirit, just as God has opened His arms to us to receive His precious Son who was born to be our Savior.

Merry Christmas and have an awesome New Year!