Getting the Most Out of the Holidays

The Christmas season and holidays are a wonderful time, but they can also be challenging as all of the activity and expectations can strain our time and finances. And certainly, all of us want to do our best to help our children develop a biblical understanding of the Christmas season. Some of our Sunday School Zone Blog writers have offered a variety of helpful suggestions for making the most of the season whether it’s modeling service and gratitude, honing the messages we communicate to our families, or having real conversations in the kitchen. We’ve also included Bible background articles that might be helpful in your teaching. Check out our list of holiday articles below!

Christmas Conversations

You have the decorations. You have the gifts and the wrapping paper. You have all the ingredients for all the Christmas goodies and you have the best intentions to make sure you share the REAL meaning of Christmas with your kids this year. What you don’t have is time! Despite the fact that retailers throw up the Christmas…

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The Messages We Send About Christmas

The Holidays. We love them, but sometimes we dread them, too. Our society has placed such an emphasis on “stuff,” that most of us find ourselves, soon after Thanksgiving, stressing over money and tight schedules, and how will we ever get all the gifts and make it to all the events this season? This has…

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Growing Gratitude

Hunter ripped into his first present on Christmas morning, his parents and grandmother eagerly looking on. With a squeal, he triumphantly lifted a remote-control Batmobile out of the box. “Just what I wanted!” he beamed. Hunter’s dad said, “Grandma gave you the gift. What do you say?” The boy turned to his grandmother and heaved…

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Gearing Up to Give

Thanksgiving rarely gets the attention it deserves. In recent years it seems that Thanksgiving has become little more than opening day for Christmas shopping. What a huge opportunity we are missing to slow down and help children understand WHY we give during the Christmas season. Generosity should be birthed out of  a sense of gratitude.…

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Doing For Others

We are teaching and raising the “selfie” generation. Perhaps this problem is as old as Adam, but our children today often are not only indulged, but over indulged. This can, and often does, manifest itself in angry outbursts, manipulation, shallow relationships, and a spirit of ungratefulness. So where do we draw the line? How do…

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Packing Gratitude

During the Thanksgiving season there is, quite naturally, a big focus on gratitude. Kids are often encouraged to verbalize their thankfulness in a variety of ways. Children’s Bible teachers can reinforce this message by challenging students to show gratitude with generosity and service. Out of gratitude for God’s provision, we can teach children to share with the…

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Stocking Stuffer Ideas to Encourage Faith in Kids

It’s that time of year. Christian parents and teachers are thinking about appropriate Christmas gifts for their kids. So, why not use the gifts themselves as opportunities to encourage a child’s faith? The right gift can become a regular reminder that Jesus is more than a reason to celebrate Christmas. Now, please understand that we’re…

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Jesus, His Name

The name “Jesus” is the English transliteration of the Greek Ιήσούς /YEY-soos/. Jesus (Ιήσούς) is the Greek name for the Hebrew name “Joshua” (Yeshua), which means “Yahweh is salvation” or “Yahweh saves.” Bible names are almost always significant and that is certainly true of Jesus’ name. Naming Jesus After learning his fiancée Mary was pregnant,…

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Bethlehem

Bethlehem, a small town located about 5 miles southwest of Jerusalem, is best known as the place where Jesus was born (see Luke 2:4-7). Ephrath (or Ephrathah) is another name for Bethlehem. It can actually be visited today, although it is in Palestinian controlled territory. Bethlehem in the Bible The town is first mentioned in…

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