Family

Advent
Guide 2022
 Merry Christmas
Christmas is an exciting time where families can see how God has
given us peace, joy, hope, and love! Each week’s devotion will explore
one of these themes as you open the Bible as a family and read a
part of the Christmas story. After you read the story, we have
included discussion questions to help get the conversation started
and connect this story from Scripture to your kids’ lives.

One of the best parts of Christmas is the memories that we make

with our families, and we want to give you a chance to make some of
these memories. In each devotion, we are including nativity figures
from the Bible story that your family can print out and decorate. By
the fourth week, you will have a full nativity set to help remember the
Bible stories and how God has given us peace, joy, hope, and love!
 Week 1

Peace
Mary and Joseph
Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 1:18-25

Talk about it Make it

Christmas is almost here! As we get closer to Create a part of the Christmas story! Cut apart and
Christmas, sometimes life can feel a little bit crazy, decorate the Mary and Joseph nativity figures on the
and we may be wishing for peace. Do you know next page. While you are decorating the figures, talk
what peace is? (Invite your kids to share what they to your kids about the story that you just read from
think the word peace means.) Peace is a time of the Bible and how God gives us peace.
calm when we trust that God is in control. Let’s open
the Bible and see how God gave peace to two Pray it
people who were afraid and didn’t understand what Take some time to pray as a family. Ask God that as
was going on. We are going to read from the New you enter this season, He would give you peace.
Testament, the second part of the Bible, from the
books Luke and Matthew. God, thank You for giving us peace through Jesus.
Please help us trust You and know that You have an
Read it amazing plan for our lives. When things feel crazy in
Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 1:18-25 our lives, help us to remember that You are always in
control. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Ask it
Have you ever been afraid or didn’t understand what
was going on? (Invite your child to share a time when
they may have felt afraid.) What happened to help
you get through that time? (Ask your child to share
how the situation they were in was resolved and how
they were able to get through that tough time.)

In these Bible verses today, we learned that Mary and

Joseph had moments where they were afraid and
didn’t know what would happen.

When the angel appeared to Mary and Joseph, he

said, “Peace be with you.” The angel told them that, Week 1 - Peace
even though they were afraid, God was with them.
God had a plan for Jesus to be born. Everything may
have felt crazy or unsettling for Mary and Joseph,
but they could have peace knowing that God is
always in control. She will give birth to a son, and you
are to name him Jesus, because he
How can we ask God to give us peace? (Remind kids will save his people from their sins.
that we can pray and ask God for peace, no matter
what is going on. We can trust that He is in control,
Matthew 1:21
and that He has a plan for them.) God sent Jesus to
earth so that we can have a relationship with Him.
Through Jesus we can know God and have peace!
 Nativity Figures
Week 1

Joseph Mary

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 Week 1

Family
Activity

Peace Banner
Make a simple banner to decorate your home and remind
your family that trusting God’s plans brings peace.

Directions:
You’ll need: Cut triangular banners from the paper and arrange
them pointing down. Help your younger child print
• plain or printed scrapbook paper in the P E A C E with markers, one letter per banner. Older
colors of your choice children can make a more elaborate banner with a
• scissors P E A C E O N E A R T H caption (inserting blank
• narrow fabric or curling ribbon triangles between words).
• markers
• a hole punch or stapler Punch holes in the top two corners and help your
child thread ribbon through the holes, or simply
fasten the triangular banners to the ribbon with
a stapler.
 Week 2

Joy
Shepherds and Angels
Luke 2:8-19

Talk about it Make it

Christmas is an exciting time of the year and a word Create a part of the Christmas story! Cut apart and
you may hear a lot is, “Joy!” What is joy? (Invite your decorate the shepherds and angel nativity figures.
kids to share what they think joy is.) We can have joy Talk about the joyful news that the angels shared with
in our life when we love and follow God. Let’s open the shepherds and how the shepherds reacted.
the Bible and read about a group of people who felt
joy after they got some very exciting news. We are Pray it
going to open to the second part of the Bible, the Take some time to pray as a family, and ask God that
New Testament and look at the book of Luke. He would give you an opportunity to share the joy He
has given you in this season.
Read it
Luke 2:8-19 God, thank You for giving us joy by sending Your Son
for us. Please help us to remember Your love for us no
Ask it matter what is happening in our lives. Show us ways
we can share Your joy in our lives this season. In Jesus’
Have you ever been super excited for something? name, amen.
(Invite your kids to share a time when they were
excited about something that was happening.) Have
you ever been filled with so much joy that you couldn’t
keep the excitement to yourself? (Allow kids to share
how they told people what they were excited for.)
We saw in this story from the Bible that the shepherds
were amazed and full of joy when the angels told
them that Jesus had been born! The shepherds did
not keep the news of Jesus’ birth to themselves. They
were too excited! They were overflowing with joy as
they told people that Jesus had been born.

Jesus’ birth gives us joy too! How can we respond to

this good news that Jesus was born? (Help your family Week 2 - Joy
know that we can pray and thank God for sending
Jesus. We can worship Him for how amazing He is. We
can also tell others that Jesus came to earth, just like
the shepherds did.) The shepherds were excited The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid,
because they knew that the Savior they had been for look, I proclaim to you good news of
waiting for had arrived. By sending Jesus, God great joy that will be for all the people:
showed us that He loves us and wants a relationship Today in the city of David a Savior was
with us. That is something to be joyful about! born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.

Luke 2:10-11
 Nativity Figures
Week 2

Shepherd 1 Shepherd 2
Angel

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 Week 2

Family
Activity

Joy Jump Board Game

Play a game that allows you to talk about Jesus, the source of
true joy, and how to share that joy with others this season.

Directions:
You’ll need: With your child, create a game path by making a
closed loop of red and green stickers or dots with
• poster board or a large sheet of paper markers—as many spots as you wish.
• red and green stickers or markers
• dice (2) Players can begin with their tokens anywhere on the
• buttons, coins, or other game tokens game path. The youngest player may toss the dice
first and move his or her token in any direction. If the
token lands on a red space, prompt the player to
explain why Jesus gives me joy. If the token lands on
a green space, the player should describe how I can
share joy with others.

For fun, if a player tosses doubles, yell, “Joy break!”

Allow everyone to jump up and down, shout,
and clap.

Time the game to last no longer than your child’s

attention span, or after everyone has had an
agreed-upon number of turns.
 Week 3

Hope
Wise Men
Matthew 2:1-12

Talk about it Make it

Christmas is getting closer! The excitement is growing, Create a part of the Christmas story! Cut apart and
and we can’t wait for it to arrive. Can you tell me decorate the wise men figures. Talk about how the wise
exactly how many days there are until Christmas? men had hope that God would send someone to save
Imagine having to wait more than a whole year for the world, and how Jesus gives us hope to have a
this day? What if you had waited your whole life? We relationship with God. Remind your child that the wise
are going to learn about some important people in men visited Jesus after He was born. They gave gifts
the Christmas story. These people visited Jesus after and worshiped Jesus for being the hope that had come.
He was born, but we want to learn about them today
because they teach us so much about hope! Let’s Pray it
open the Bible and read about a group of people Take some time to pray as a family and ask God that
who had waited their entire life with the hope that He would give you an opportunity to share the hope
God would send a Savior to earth. We are going to He has given you in this season.
open to the second part of the Bible, the New
Testament, and look at the book of Matthew. God, thank You for giving us hope by sending Your
Son for us. Please help us to remember that You will
Read it finish what You have begun in each of us through
Matthew 2:1-12 Jesus. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Ask it
Have you ever had to wait for something that you
were really excited for? (Invite the kids to tell you
about a time they had to wait for something to
happen.) Was there ever a moment when you didn’t
know if it would actually happen? (Let your kids share
if they were ever worried that it would not happen.)
When we wait for something good that we believe will
happen, we have hope. We are excited for it to
happen, and we look forward to it. The wise men had
Week 3 - Hope
hope that God’s promise would come true. They
studied the sky and saw the sign that God had left.
These men had hoped for a long time for Jesus to
come. After Jesus was born, they traveled to see Jesus, Where is he who has been born king
to give Him gifts, and to worship Him.
of the Jews? For we saw his star at its
God kept His promise to send Jesus for us. We have rising and have come to worship him.
true hope that Jesus is powerful and completely
forgives us from our sin when we respond to Him Matthew 2:2
in faith. One day, Jesus will come again to make
all things new.
 Wise Men Figures
Week 3

Wise man 1 Wise man 2

Wise man 3

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 Week 3

Family
Activity

Shadow Figures
Play with light and shadows to help your child remember elements of
the Christmas story. Use the “together time” opportunity to talk about
the hope Christians have because Jesus is the Savior God promised.

Directions:
You’ll need: If you wish, before “lights out,” allow your child to
use the previous weeks’ nativity cutouts related to
• a camping lantern or small light the Christmas story. If your children use the wise men
• construction paper and scissors (optional) cut outs, remind them that the wise men traveled
from far away. They had hope for a very long time
that God would send Jesus. At just the right time, God
sent Jesus to be the hope of the world.

Darken the room except for the lantern. Allow

your child to move the cutouts back and forth,
experimenting with sizes and angles. Encourage him
to explain what each cutout represents and share
part of the Christmas story related to that person.

For a paper-free twist, challenge your child to use her

hands or objects in the room to approximate shapes
and figures related to the Christmas story.
 Week 4

Love
Jesus
Luke 2:1-7

Talk about it Make it

How can you show people that you love them? You can Create a part of the Christmas story! Cut apart and
write them a note, do something nice for them, give decorate the Jesus nativity figure. Talk about how
them a hug, or just tell them! As we get closer to God showed His love to us by sending Jesus to earth
Christmas, we can remember how God showed His so that we can have a relationship with God.
love for us. He sent Jesus! Let’s open the Bible and see
how the world was changed forever when Jesus was Pray it
born. We are going to open to the second part of the Take some time to pray as a family and ask God that
Bible, the New Testament and read in the book of Luke. He would give you an opportunity to share His love
during the Christmas season.
Read it
Luke 2:1-7 God, thank You for showing us love by sending Your
Son. Please help us to remember Your love for us no
Ask it matter what is happening in our lives. Show us ways
we can share Your love in our lives this season. In
What is something that you really care about? (Give Jesus’ name, amen.
kids a chance to talk about people or things that they
cherish and care for.) What would you do for that
special person or thing to show that you care? (This
can be fun like giving them a gift, or it can be sincere
like protecting them from the rain.)
God showed us how He truly loves us by sending His
Son to earth. God wants us to have a relationship
with Him, but we were separated from Him because
of the wrong things we think, say, and do. The Bible
calls these wrong things sin. We all have sinned, and
there is a fair punishment due because of our sin.
(See Romans 3:23 and 6:23.) Jesus came and took the
punishment we deserve because He loves us!
(Romans 5:8) When we trust in Jesus and respond to
Week 4 - Love
Him in faith, we can know God! We can talk
to Him, and we can show His love to others!

God loved the world in this way: He

gave his one and only Son, so that
everyone who believes in him will not
perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16
Nativity Figure
Week 4

Jesus

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 Week 4

Family
Activity

From Our Kitchen with Love

Let the sweet treats you deliver to neighbors or serve at a Christmas
gathering signify the love Jesus showed when He came to earth.

Directions:
You’ll need: Start with a base of your favorite home-baked,
slice-and-bake, or picked-up-at-the-store cookies,
• pre-baked cookies, cupcakes, or brownies cupcakes, or brownies. Show your child how to gently
• white frosting frost the treat with a smooth layer of white icing.
• fine point decorator icing tube
• spatula or butter knife When the base layer is ready, help your child squeeze
the decorator tube to make a single heart on the
treat. Encourage kids to add additional decorations
or a design of their choosing. Remind your child that
Jesus’ love inspires His followers to show love to
everyone—not just at Christmas, but all year long.

As a family, choose a time this week to deliver treats

to neighbors and friends, celebrating the love of Jesus
this Christmas.
 Christmas Day
Synopsis:
Luke 1:26-39, Luke 2:1-19, Matthew 1:18-25, Matthew 2:1-12

Gather your family and encourage your child to

re-tell the Christmas story using her finished nativity
scene. Remind your family how an angel came to
Mary and Joseph and gave them peace by reminding
them that God is in control. Call attention to the
shepherds and remark how they had joy when
the angels told them that Jesus had been born in
Bethlehem. Talk about the wise men’s long journey
and how they had hope that the promise God had
made had finally come true. Lastly, look at Baby Jesus
in the manger and remember how God showed us
His love that first Christmas by sending His Son to
earth so that we can have a relationship with Him.

Remark that each one of these people’s lives were

changed when Jesus came to earth! Ask your family
to share how our lives have been changed by the
good news of Jesus.
 Christmas

Family
Activity

Thank You Cards

After a day of celebrating, help your child express thanks to the people
who made this day special, and to Jesus, who can change us forever.

Directions:
You’ll need: Later in the day, when your family is ready for some
quiet time, bring out the card making supplies. Help
• blank card stock your child fold card stock to fit your envelopes and
• markers and stickers decorate the fronts of several cards to write thank
• envelopes and stamps you notes in the coming days.

Save the last card for a special purpose: before the

day ends, encourage your child to design a special
thank you card to place in the empty space under
your Christmas tree. Inside, encourage your child to
write a prayer to thank Jesus for the difference He
makes in the lives of those who trust Him.
 Merry Christmas!
We hope you are encouraged by the peace,
joy, hope, and love that Jesus brings your
family this Christmas season!

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