During the Advent season, to-do lists grow and calendars fill up. We’ve got church events, Christmas parties, recitals, parades, and Nutcracker ballets to attend, plus shopping, baking, and wrapping. Plus, we are supposed to keep Christ at the center of it all! Here are three simple, but effective ideas for family Christmas discipleship.
Love, Teach, Play Family Discipleship
As a parent coach that helps families to disciple their children, I teach my love, teach, play approach to family discipleship. This is based on Deuteronomy 6:4-7 ICB (bold added for emphasis):
“Listen, people of Israel! The Lord is our God. He is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and strength. Always remember these commands I give you today. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and walk along the road. Talk about them when you lie down and when you get up.”
Then, knowing how God designed children to learn best through play and how play is an incredible way to experience the abundant life of Christ, I add play.
Love
Loving God is the only way to start family discipleship. As parents we need to be walking with Jesus, not only to model it, but to equip us to join God in the work of ministry with our children.
“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 NLT
Teach
Deuteronomy 6:7 then commands us to teach our children about God and His Word. Parents are invited to join God in bringing our children into His family through sharing stories of God, His wonders, and His Word.
“We will not hide these truths from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
about his power and his mighty wonders.
For he issued his laws to Jacob;
he gave his instructions to Israel.
He commanded our ancestors
to teach them to their children,
so the next generation might know them—
even the children not yet born—
and they in turn will teach their own children.
So each generation should set its hope anew on God,
not forgetting his glorious miracles
and obeying his commands.”
Play
Finally, by understanding that God designed children’s brains to learn through experience, play, wonder, and creativity, we invite our children to explore God, the Bible, and a life of faith through hands-on, interest-driven, voluntary play. This includes art, pretend, music, creativity, and more allowing children to know the joy of the Lord.
“You reveal the path of life to me;
in your presence is abundant joy;
at your right hand are eternal pleasures.”
Loving God during Advent
I encourage a love, teach, play approach to family discipleship throughout the year, so it is no different at Christmas. To disciple our family, we must begin with our own faith and relationship with God.
What might it look like for you to love God during Advent? For me, I continue to prioritize my time with God through Bible study, prayer, and play. I also add an Advent devotional or two and invite God to join me for shopping, baking, and other errands and activities.
There is no right or wrong way to do this.
Teach Your Kids about Christ’s Birth
While modeling is the first step, it isn’t the only step to nurturing our children’s faith. Then, we get to teach our kids, or some translations say to talk about God and His Word. Not just at church or at family devotions, but at home, on the road, when we go to bed, and when we get up.
During Advent, we can focus our conversations on the incarnation, the Nativity story, and all the prophecies Jesus fulfilled. Jesus’s birth is much bigger than a couple of chapters in Matthew and Luke. Be creative, follow your children’s interests, and listen to the Holy Spirit.
Play with the Nativity Story
Finally, play with the nativity story. Keep a child-friendly nativity out that your children can play with, play the “Who am I?” guessing game with nativity characters, and read great children’s books.
Play doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it shouldn’t. Grab some paper and crayons, hop in the kitchen, or turn on some music. As long as you are all having fun and invite God to join you, it can be playful discipleship.
Blessings for Your Christmas Discipleship
My prayer for you during this Advent season is that nurturing your children’s faith doesn’t feel like another hefty item on your to-do list. I pray that it will be woven into your life in such a way that it brings you joy and helps you to experience the abundant life that Jesus was born to offer us.
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