Echoing the Word Vol. 10 No. 5, 2011Liturgies & Activities

During Advent, we prepare for Christmas as we wait to celebrate Jesus’ birth.
How do I welcome God into my heart to get ready for Christmas? Illustrate your preparations with drawings or cut outs.

Pray for Peace. / Be kind to my friends.
Help my family. / Quiet time with God.

Mary and Josephprepared for the birth of theirJesus.

How wonderful is God to give us the gift of his sonJesus.

Can you illustrate how Mary and Joseph might prepare for their new baby Jesus?

Teacher Notes

This lesson can be organised around the focus words of ADVENT and PREPARE (Years 3-4).

Orientation

Introduce the wordPREPARE by role playing how we prepare for special events.(E.g. A special dinner, birthday party, going on holidays, the first day of school, a new sister or brother, a new pet, Christmas morning.) Link the orientation of waiting to the focus of ADVENT.
Identify ADVENT as the preparation time before Christmas.
Discuss the feelings and emotions we might experience during a preparation time. (Eg. excited, anxious, happy, wonder, worried, nervous.)
Read and share the story from Scripture of Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-55), preferably using an appropriate children’s version of the story. Discuss with the class how you think Mary and Elizabeth might be feeling about a new baby coming.

Explore

Access the website invite the children to explore what life might have been like in Jesus’ time -
Explore and discuss the cultural and historical differences
How might it have been different 2000 years ago to prepare for a special event? (E.g. census, birthdays, a new baby, a new pet or animal)
Would people’s feelings and emotions be different too?
Explore the story of Christmas using picture books or DVDs. However as you do this, discuss and focus on the characters’ actions, feelings and emotions as they wait, rather than the ‘Christmas event’ itself.
Make use of You Tube clips with the class. Check for their particular suitability to your students. (Be aware that some clips include initial random advertisements which might detract from their suitability.) Useful ones might include:

“Do You Have Room? “ (Artist: Shawna Edwards)
The Christmas Story “Birth of Jesus Christ” (Music: Silent Night) (Artist: David Archuleta) (Movie clip from the short film The Nativity)
of Heaven (Mary's Song)" (Artist: Amy Grant) (Movie clip from the short film, The Nativity)

Discuss with the class: Why is Advent a time for preparing?
How do we welcome God into our lives to prepare for Christmas? (Identify the plans and preparations that families and communities make together to prepare for Jesus’ coming.)

Elaborate

What is an extraordinary event? Identify events that seem ‘out of the ordinary’
Read Just Another Ordinary Day by Rod Clement (Publisher: HarperCollins; ISBN: 9780207188398)
Why do you think God would do something so extraordinary as to give us his Son, Jesus?
How can we show God we are so amazed and thankful for his gift to us?
How do we prepare to show our thanks to God during Advent?

Analyse/Reflect

How can I show God that I am preparing for Christmas with God in my heart?
Use the activity sheet “We Prepare for Jesus”. Illustrate or cut out pictures that show special ways to prepare for Christmas. (The activity sheet can be enlarged to A3 size to allow for more space as needed.)

Resources - Songs

CD: Hope by Jane Massingham

CD: Sing Your Joy (Disk 2) by Michael Mangan

CD: Under Your Star by Andrew Chinn

Song: “Happy Birthday Jesus” (CD: Let’s Celebrate by John Burland)

Traditional Carols – “Away in a Manger” – “Mary’s Boy Child” etc…