Celebrating Advent as a Family
Advent marks the start of the Christmas season. It begins on the Sunday nearest November 30, and lasts four Sundays. The date it begins changes from year to year. As a result, so does the length of each Advent season. This year the first Sunday in Advent is Sunday, November 29, 2009. The word advent, from Latin, means "the coming." It is a time of spiritual reflection as well as joy and anticipation.
The children at FPC-Kingwood will do a variety of activities at church throughout the advent season, including lighting an advent wreath during Sunday school. Children will be receiving an advent calendar and activity guide in Sunday school November 30 ( extras available in the church office and CE resource room) to bring home as a resource.
At home, the Advent devotion should include the lighting of candles in the Advent wreath. The candle lighting is progressive from week to week, preparing the way for the coming of Jesus. Often the lighting of the candle(s) is before dinner, but the family or home advent devotion time can be unique to your family’s preferences. Add bible verses, carols, discussions questions, etc. as your family chooses. If your children are older, pick a leader for every week. The leader can select what they want incorporate into the lighting that Sunday.
To make it easier to get started and fit the activities into your schedule, the children’s ministry blog will have suggested bible verses, conversation topics, and activities throughout the Advent season. Use them as a guide only, and tailor the devotionals to fit your family’s needs.
Spend time together in prayer as a family this Advent. May your appreciation deepen for Christ and one another.
A little background...
The Advent wreath started in Germany as a Lutheran family custom. This custom didn’t become popular in churches until the middle of the 20th century. The circle of the wreath reminds us of God Himself, His eternity and endless mercy, which has no beginning or end. The green of the wreath symbolizes the hope that we have in God, hope of newness, renewal, and eternal life. The candles symbolize the light of God coming into the world through the birth of His Son.
The four outer candles represent the period of waiting during the four Sundays of Advent. Four Sundays of Advent actually represent the four hundred years of waiting between the prophet Malachi and the birth of Christ. Historically, the candles in the wreath have no more meaning than a countdown (4-3-2-1), but in the church they have the following symbolic meanings:
1st candle – purple – hope; 2nd candle – purple – love; 3rd candle – pink – joy; 4th candle – purple – peace
You may have learned different names for the candles. Some sources say that the candles mean prophets, Bethlehem, shepherds and angels. No one is “wrong”. Different churches do this differently.
The colors of candles can vary also. We use 3 purple and 1 pink; lighting the pink candle on the 3rd Sunday. Some use all purple and some light the pink on the 4th Sunday. The white candle in the center is the Christ Candle and it is lit last, on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Having the Christ Candle in the center of the wreath reminds us that Jesus is the heart of the season, giving light to the world.
As we light the candles each week, we are reminded that Jesus is the light of the world that comes into the darkness of our lives to bring newness, life and hope. We will also remember that we are called to be a light to the world as we reflect the light of God’s grace to others.
The First Sunday of Advent
Show the Advent wreath and talk about how you will be lighting a candle each Sunday. Explain we are waiting for Christ to be born. Talk about how there is another Advent wreath in the sanctuary and those candles will be lit at the beginning of the worship service, just like you are lighting these candles at home.
Reading: Isaiah 7:14
A prophecy tells ahead of time something that will happen in the future. Prophets were people that God used during Old Testament times to give messages to His people. Beginning with the prophet Malachi, 400 years before Jesus was born on earth the Old Testament prophets foretold that God would send a Savior, a Messiah, to save His people and to reign forever. Isaiah was another of these prophets. Here is one of the things Isaiah said:
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign; the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Emmanuel.”
On this, the First Sunday in Advent, we light the HOPE candle (purple).
Place a Bible near the Advent wreath, and say:
“On this first Sunday in Advent, we are grateful that the Good News of Jesus Christ, and the HOPE He brings, has been passed down to us through all the generations.”
Pray together
“Lord Jesus, thank You for the prophets, who brought HOPE to the world by revealing that You would come to us. Amen.”
The children at FPC-Kingwood will do a variety of activities at church throughout the advent season, including lighting an advent wreath during Sunday school. Children will be receiving an advent calendar and activity guide in Sunday school November 30 ( extras available in the church office and CE resource room) to bring home as a resource.
At home, the Advent devotion should include the lighting of candles in the Advent wreath. The candle lighting is progressive from week to week, preparing the way for the coming of Jesus. Often the lighting of the candle(s) is before dinner, but the family or home advent devotion time can be unique to your family’s preferences. Add bible verses, carols, discussions questions, etc. as your family chooses. If your children are older, pick a leader for every week. The leader can select what they want incorporate into the lighting that Sunday.
To make it easier to get started and fit the activities into your schedule, the children’s ministry blog will have suggested bible verses, conversation topics, and activities throughout the Advent season. Use them as a guide only, and tailor the devotionals to fit your family’s needs.
Spend time together in prayer as a family this Advent. May your appreciation deepen for Christ and one another.
A little background...
The Advent wreath started in Germany as a Lutheran family custom. This custom didn’t become popular in churches until the middle of the 20th century. The circle of the wreath reminds us of God Himself, His eternity and endless mercy, which has no beginning or end. The green of the wreath symbolizes the hope that we have in God, hope of newness, renewal, and eternal life. The candles symbolize the light of God coming into the world through the birth of His Son.
The four outer candles represent the period of waiting during the four Sundays of Advent. Four Sundays of Advent actually represent the four hundred years of waiting between the prophet Malachi and the birth of Christ. Historically, the candles in the wreath have no more meaning than a countdown (4-3-2-1), but in the church they have the following symbolic meanings:
1st candle – purple – hope; 2nd candle – purple – love; 3rd candle – pink – joy; 4th candle – purple – peace
You may have learned different names for the candles. Some sources say that the candles mean prophets, Bethlehem, shepherds and angels. No one is “wrong”. Different churches do this differently.
The colors of candles can vary also. We use 3 purple and 1 pink; lighting the pink candle on the 3rd Sunday. Some use all purple and some light the pink on the 4th Sunday. The white candle in the center is the Christ Candle and it is lit last, on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Having the Christ Candle in the center of the wreath reminds us that Jesus is the heart of the season, giving light to the world.
As we light the candles each week, we are reminded that Jesus is the light of the world that comes into the darkness of our lives to bring newness, life and hope. We will also remember that we are called to be a light to the world as we reflect the light of God’s grace to others.
The First Sunday of Advent
Show the Advent wreath and talk about how you will be lighting a candle each Sunday. Explain we are waiting for Christ to be born. Talk about how there is another Advent wreath in the sanctuary and those candles will be lit at the beginning of the worship service, just like you are lighting these candles at home.
Reading: Isaiah 7:14
A prophecy tells ahead of time something that will happen in the future. Prophets were people that God used during Old Testament times to give messages to His people. Beginning with the prophet Malachi, 400 years before Jesus was born on earth the Old Testament prophets foretold that God would send a Savior, a Messiah, to save His people and to reign forever. Isaiah was another of these prophets. Here is one of the things Isaiah said:
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign; the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Emmanuel.”
On this, the First Sunday in Advent, we light the HOPE candle (purple).
Place a Bible near the Advent wreath, and say:
“On this first Sunday in Advent, we are grateful that the Good News of Jesus Christ, and the HOPE He brings, has been passed down to us through all the generations.”
Pray together
“Lord Jesus, thank You for the prophets, who brought HOPE to the world by revealing that You would come to us. Amen.”
