What you need:
Children – gather your friends kids, your grandkids, the neighborhood kids
Advent wreath, candles & lighter
Optional: Manger scene, you can have it displayed or hand the pieces out to the children to hold during the lesson.
Meet every Advent Sunday or just once each week before Christmas.
For the last meeting optional- Birthday cake or cupcakes for Jesus
Individual (white) candles for kids – amazon link
Teachers Overview:
The word advent means coming.
The wreath symbolizes the passing of time.
Candles represent:
1st Sunday – Hope, purple
2nd Sunday – Peace, purple
3rd Sunday – Joy, pink
4th Sunday – Love, purple
Christmas Eve/Day – Light, Jesus is the light of the world giving the gift of eternal life, white (center candle sometimes not included in the wreath)
Play Simon Says before the start of each lesson to get energy out and practice listening.
Lesson 3:
This week at the end we will sing Happy Birthday to Jesus. I am also going to pass out a white candle to each of you. I want you to take this home and on Christmas Eve or Christmas day light this candle and thank Jesus for giving you the greatest gift of all, his love.
We have been talking about what Advent means. Does anyone remember what the word Advent means? (Allow time to answer) Yes, that’s right, the word Advent means coming. At Christmas we are excited about a lot of things that are coming up. At Christmas we celebrate and remember Jesus’ birth. Before Jesus was born they were waiting for him to come and now we are waiting on him to come again.
The wreath and the candles are all symbols; a symbol is often something you can see that helps you think of or remember something that you cannot see. The wreath is a symbol for the passing of time. Like the passing of time for those in the Bible who waited for Jesus and how we wait for Jesus to come again.
Who can remember the words we talked about the last few weeks as we lit the candles together?
Hope. Some think of hope as a feeling but hope is more of a way of thinking. In the Bible hope is a confidence (a sure thing) that God keeps his promises.
Peace. Peace in the Bible is having a right relationship. We talked about how Jesus came to give us peace with God. And how while there is not peace on earth now, that Jesus will one day come again and bring peace on earth for those who believe and follow Him.
Joy. A lot of things in this world can make us happy. Like presents, or even people. But what God offers and what he gives us through Jesus is a happiness that never fades away and that lasts forever and that kind of happiness is called joy.
This week we are talking about love. God’s love for us is the greatest gift of all. You do not have to earn God’s love. You do not get God’s love because you are good. God loves you because he is good. It is a gift he gives freely because he made you in his image, and wants to call you his child.
Sin are the things we do because we want to be in charge of our own lives and not let God be in charge. This keeps us from living forever with God. God sent Jesus his only son to the earth to live a perfect life and to take our punishment and die. But Jesus did not stay dead, he rose again. He lives forever with God and will one day return to earth to bring peace, not just in our hearts but with him in this world.
Jesus’ love for us is why he came, lived, died and rose again. It is our love for him and thankful hearts that help us follow him instead of our own way and it’s God’s spirit that is with us each day that helps us do this.
In this world there will be darkness but Jesus is the light. His light offers us hope, peace, joy and love. It is the greatest gift of all time and all we have to do is accept it.
Open your bible and read John 1:1-5 , have them repeat the final verse after you.
(This has been the emphasis reading each week, with a focus to memorize vs 5)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (have them repeat the last verse after you)
John 1:1-5 (Read again with the new Jesus emphasis)
1 In the beginning was Jesus, and Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God. 2 Jesus was with God in the beginning. 3 Through Jesus all things were made; without Jesus nothing was made that has been made. 4 In Jesus was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (have them repeat the last verse after you).
Light all 4 candles with some helpers.
Say a prayer. .
Sing happy birthday to Jesus and pass out white Christ candles if using them.
On Christmas Eve or Day – Light the white candle. Jesus is the light of the world giving the gift of eternal life to all who believe, confess and follow him.
John 1:5 – The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it.
