We used to do a lot as a church leading up to Christmas. From minister Christmas parties to Breakfast with Santa, it was a whirlwind of a time. The idea was to just survive. This year we’ve take a very simple approach by scaling back what we do and just help the teens focus on Christ.
Now, I know that sounds cliche; however, I wonder how many of us really spend the season of Advent guiding teens to prepare the way and make straight his paths? It’s a difficult season because we are fighting the culture, we’re fighting traditions and we’re fighting schedules. So how do you make Christmas simple?
- Simplify Your Message – Just pick one point you want your students to take away from your series. Our goal is to have the teens focus on Christ by finding moments of peace in their week.
- Set Them Up For Success – Don’t go over board, just make it simple, tangible and achievable. To help them find peace we are committing one of our nights of program to a simple prayer service.
- Repeat – Repetition helps you drive home the point. Repetition helps you drive home the point. Repeat your message and the steps you want them to take.
Christmas is a time that seems to fly by and when you are in ministry it’s at record breaking speed. Some of you might be struggling with brainstorming themes and ideas. When in a pinch you have two options:
- Basic Prayer Service: Even if it’s playing a little music or just sitting in silence, do something that’s going to help them forget about the madness happening around them. Your goal should be to help them simply spend time with God.
- Outsource: You don’t have to be original, all you need is a good idea, and that can come from another source. I don’t often plug other resources; however, I want to recommend a resource from my friends at youthministry360. Their stuff is easy to use and they want to share with you a free Christmas Lesson. The lesson is designed to help students understand that Christmas is more about a spirit of giving than receiving, AND that this concept goes way beyond gifts. You can download the lesson here: http://youthministry360.com/free_stuff/free-christmas-lesson-from-ym360/.
As you plan this Advent season, don’t stress out, just slow down, simplify your approach and enjoy His presence.
How do you make Christmas simple?
