Celebrating Advent at Home
Share the ideas below with families to celebrate Advent at Home. Post them on social media, share them in your newsletter, or send them in an email.
Printable Nativity Scene
VeggieTales Light of Christmas performed by Owl City, featuring Toby Mac
Chuck Knows Church explains Advent
2022 Reverse Advent Calendars
This year we have two Reverse Advent Calendar options. The first is a non-perishable food or household item each day. The second includes a combination of food, household items, prayer starters, or a practice each day throughout Advent. Or, print the blank one and create your own calendar!
Advent and Christmas are significant in the life of children and in the church. This toolbox will have ideas, articles, resources, and more for ministry in 2022 as well as general information and ideas that may be able to be adapted for this year.
This toolbox will be updated through November. Ideas are also posted in the Michigan Conference Children's Ministry Facebook Group.
This page contains a lot of information. Click on the topic you are interested to jump there.
Christmas Pageant & Christmas Eve Resources
Advent/Christmas Mini-Grants
Mini-grants are available for Michigan United Methodist churches and affiliated ministries for Advent/Christmas curriculum, resources or supplies including, but not limited to: A Sanctified Art, resources from Cokesbury, Illustrated Ministries, book study materials, Worship Bags for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day resources or supplies, etc.
Maximum amount is $300/church. Deadline to apply is November 13. Learn more and apply here.
Advent and Christmas Ideas
Advent and Christmas Resources: Worship Bulletins, Devotionals, Christmas Eve virtual resources, Nativity figures and more.
The Michigan Conference recorded a Christmas Day worship service along with resources to go with it. The worship video and resources can be found here.
Advent and Christmas Resources from Building Faith
Advent at Home Resources
Faithful Families for Advent & Christmas Advent & Christmas in a Box idea from Traci Smith
Advent Kit Gallery from Building Faith
Advent in a Box from Building Faith
Devotionals
Salt Project - specifically the Advent resources
Sanctified Art (could be used congregation wide)
What Does This Season Mean? Handout for Advent at Home
(This article is from 2020, but may continue to be relevant.)
Christmas Pageant & Christmas Eve Resources
Christmas Pageant/Christmas Eve Scripts
These can be adapted for a physically distanced worship or pre-recorded for online worship. With all scripts, read through and make adjustments for your congregation before using.
A to Z Christmas Eve Script (easy to adapt)
Christmas Script - Participation Story Part 1 (moderately easy to adapt)
Christmas Participation Story, Part 2
Christmas Cameo Script (more challenging to adapt; it could be stitched together if pre-recorded)
Just a Little Christmas Script (can be recorded and stitched together as a video to share during worship and/or online.)
Recommended by Children's Ministry Leaders:
Five Little Christmas Dramas for Today's Kids
The Fumbly Bumbly Angels: Instant Christmas Pageant
'Twas the Evening of Christmas by Glenys Nellist (read the book or use the story walk for the service, additional resources below)
For additional ideas, email Kathy.
Michigan Conference Children's Christmas Eve Service (2020)
Christmas Pageant Ideas (these are from 2020 and can be adapted for 2022)
Christmas Eve Tips
- Use glow sticks or LED candles instead of real candles for littles (advantage of glow sticks- they can take something home)
- Kids activity bags for Christmas Eve/Day services - they can take them home - filled with goodies such as Deep Blue Christmas/Advent books, Illustrated Ministry Nativity stickers, crayon packs, etc. Could also do other Christmas Crafts from Oriental Trading!
ADVENT/CHRISTMAS BOOKS FOR CHILDREN & FAMILIES
Downloadable Activity Pack to accompany 'Twas the Season of Advent
Downloadable Activity Pack to accompany 'Twas the Evening of Christmas including a Story Walk now available.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- Advent Resource from Four Publishers
- Advent & Christmas Resources from Paraclete Press
- PRCLI Advent & Christmas Resources and Links
- Messy Church
- The Season of the Nativity by Sybil MacBeth
- Let's Make a Jesse Tree by Darcy James
- Advent A to Z: Prayerful and Playful Preparations for Families by John Indermark and Sharon Harding
- Liturgical Calendars from the Wesley Bros.
- Resources from Spark House
- Over 100 Christmas Ideas for Your Children's Ministry from childrensministry.com
- Additional Children's Books from picturebooktheology.com