Join Lori as she shares tips on pointing your child to Christ on holidays and birthdays.
Well hey Friends, It’s Lori Joiner, Your Discipleship Coach. Thanks for tuning in to Your Discipleship Coach Kids edition where we are talking this season about raising our children in the Lord. They are our number one disciples. Their spiritual development is 100% our top priority, our responsibility, and our stewardship as their parents.
Both of my sons have birthdays coming up this month and next and I thought today I would take a minute to share how I use holidays to reinforce Christian, biblical truth, and teaching into their lives.
So this week, your Kids edition tip is…To be intentional about holidays to reinforce biblical teaching.
I want to start with Christmas actually as that is where I have a few things in place that I have done year after year to point them to Christ. Then I will talk about Easter, birthdays etc.
I know it may seem weird to be talking about Christmas in March, but here we go!
Each Christmas I do a few things that I would love to share with you. Some of these things you may already be doing with your kids, and others you may consider implementing this coming year.
#1. Happy Birthday, Jesus Cake. Each Christmas we make a cake and decorate it for Jesus' Birthday. I take a pic of my boys with this cake and we even sing Happy Birthday to Jesus. I have done this since the boys were little and even now that they are in Junior High. My sons knew early on that Christmas was about Jesus' birth. Not Santa Clause not Elf on the Shelf, but Jesus. I always kept the main emphasis on Jesus. And hey, a yummy cake that all can enjoy is a tasty way to reinforce that.
#2. Advent Boxes. Ok, so many years ago I was wandering through a Hallmark store when I saw these adorable tiny boxes, all stacked up like a pyramid, each with its own little door painted in Christmas colors. It was so cute I had to buy it. Oh but wait. Let’s get real. I could foresee my two sons, two years apart fighting over who got to open the little door each day so what did I do? Oh yes, I bought two.
Anyway, that first year I simply put a little chocolate in each door, or a few coins or a dollar bill folded up. Something Little. They loved opening the boxes. But the next year, I wanted the focus to be on Christ. And so ever since then, when the boys open a box there is a piece of paper inside. The paper either has a verse of the Christmas story from the book of Luke or one year I did the names of God such as wonderful counselor, mighty savior, Jehovah Jireh and each also had a corresponding verse to go with it.
This year I did a verse about who they are because of Christ. Such as I am loved, I am forgiven, I am saved, I am a citizen in Heaven. Each day the boys opened the boxes, read the statement along with the verse and we talked about that was it not for the life of Christ-his birth, death and resurrection, we would be lost, unsaved, and unforgiven. So year after year I have run off, and cut out little verses of one theme or another and stuffed them in the boxes for them to read. I love the idea that each day of December they are learning something about God and I am reinforcing the season is about Christ.
Now don’t think I took the fun out of it though! I still got them little gifts each day. Some of the gifts included money, like dollar bills or coins, some days it was candy and chocolate, other days they got the highly valued coupons. These are coupons for a free dessert, extra iPad time, a no chores day, etc. This year I also did a free phone case upgrade, their favorite soft drink, etc.
Also, you don’t have to have the little boxes I have to make this work. You all are crafty and can probably come up with an even better idea than I have. Listen, it can even be a set of 25 envelopes that they open each day with scripture inside and a note that says-“let’s play bingo” or “You have a treat hidden in the Christmas tree” or “Let’s make cookies” today! So have fun with it, but setting your child’s heart toward Christ in a fun way all through December is the goal.
#3. Reading the book of Luke in December. The Book of Luke is 24 chapters long. So one year we read, as a family each night, a chapter of the book of Luke after dinner each evening. And what did I do to help the boys pay attention?? Yes, I quizzed them after each chapter and they got cold hard cash if they could answer my questions. Actually, my husband came up with the questions, and sometimes I would answer them accidentally and he would look at me like-Lori-this is for the kids!
I absolutely loved that they woke up on Christmas morning having read the entire book of Luke. They fully, well the best they could at ages 9 & 11, understood why we were celebrating Christmas.
#4. Something Christ-related under the tree. Amidst all the gifts you may give your children-have something be Christ-related and age-appropriate. It could be a few books you picked up at a Christian book store, coloring books if they are young, a Christian t-shirt, poster, bookmark, new Bible, new Bible cover, necklace, bracelet, framed picture, or verse.
So I started with Christmas first as that really sets the stage for other holidays in our family. For example, for their Easter basket, I am putting in something that is Christ-centered. For their birthday, to mark their new year, my sons wake up to about 30 signs all over the house that say sayings like-“Only a 14-year-old can sit here”, or “this is a 14 year-olds lunch box”, or “only a 14-year-old can drink from this cup.” Just silly signs everywhere marking their new year. But in the midst of those signs is verses like-Psalm 139:14-You are wonderfully made. Or I will make a sign that reads-“I am so glad God created YOU!”
Again, you all are crafty, creative, and if you pray, and just think intentionally, I believe ideas will come to your mind, by the Holy Spirit, that will help you be intentional about using holidays and birthdays and such to point your children to Christ.
And I would love to hear your ideas! What do you do to point kids to the Lord on special occasions? Please shoot me a message on my website, LoriJoinerMinistries.org and let me know as I would love to take time in a future podcast to share those ideas!
Let’s pray!