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The Christmas season brings lots of joy and cheer as we celebrate the birth of our Savior. One of my favorite parts of Advent is the hymns. Advent hymns are some of the most recognizable and well-known hymns, but they can be hard to remember because they are sung only during this time of year. Plus, hymns can be confusing if one is not aware of the Scripture and concepts behind it. That’s why it can be a good idea to create lessons based on the hymns that will be sung this season. Here are ways to teach and discuss four Advent hymns to help your youth understand what they will be singing about.

How can your church intentionally engage with families this Advent season? This is already a high-volume, overly scheduled time of year. Even so, I would argue that the need for community relationships has never been greater.

Advent is coming! Advent is coming!

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5)

Around Thanksgiving, we think about being thankful to God for family, friends, and food. But how can we illustrate the lesson of God’s bountiful gifts in new ways? Having something visual and tangible can make things more understandable to children of all ages—and even to adults.

As Thanksgiving approaches, many of us are already creating our lists. We are focused and detail-oriented, thoughtful and precise. Wait! To be sure you and I are on the same page—I’m not talking about the Thanksgiving dinner shopping list or the Christmas wish list! No, right now I am pondering the list of all of the blessings God is showering on each of us in daily life.

It’s hard to believe that only a few short months ago, we were hosting VBS and watching children learn to praise the Lord. Now that we’re no longer in that season and we’re looking towards next year’s Vacation Bible School, the stories, lessons, and songs from this past year seem so far away.

What if we brought them back?

Reinforcing VBS lessons is crucial at this point in the year. By bringing back lessons from VBS into your youth ministry, you will be able to go further with teaching your youth about God’s promises.

Consider the scene: Goldfish crackers, a tub of largely mismatched (read: broken) crayons, a half-used container of partially dried hand wipes, and the unmistakable smell of something vaguely sour. . . . Do you see it? What kind of space am I describing? No, NOT Pastor’s office! I’m talking about the preschool room of Sunday school kiddos at your church!

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, it’s appropriate to reflect on the importance of giving thanks from a Christian perspective, examining especially Jesus’ example and the impact it has for us. In this month’s blog, you’ll find valuable insights to share with students and ideas for reinforcing activities.

“Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”
(Matthew 19:14)

God gives children such beautiful faith! Even the smallest members of His family are invited to worship Him, read His Word, and live out vocations for His glory.

Luther recognized this and sought to teach faith-building lessons in an attainable way to youth. His Small Catechism was written to teach children about the faith in a simple way! One perfect object lesson for teaching matters of faith and salvation is Luther’s seal (also known as Luther’s rose).

Why the Protestant Reformation matters