12 Ways to Bring the Spirit of Christ into Christmas

by Lara Goold


1.  Plan your own 12 days of Christmas service for a neighbor or someone who could use a little TLC  (click here for some ideas)

2.  Make this Christmas Scripture Advent Calendar.  Even if it's past December 1st, you can make it today and pick up wherever you're at. 

3.  Christmas in Bethlehem dinner (we usually do it right after Christmas when life has calmed down a bit)

4.  Service chain--Instead of a countdown to Christmas chain, make a service chain out of strips of paper and a stapler.  Family members add a link every time they perform an act of service for someone.  We like to make a goal to have the chain reach a certain length and then we will go on a fun family outing together.

5.  Print off these Christmas Eve devotional books (that include songs, scriptures, and pictures) and spend about half-hour on Christmas Eve singing and reading the scriptures together

6.  Instead of gingerbread houses, make a graham cracker and candy creche scene with graham crackers, candy, royal icing, and toothpicks.

7.  Year by year drawings--Each year have your children draw a Nativity scene, then have them date and sign them and keep them in a binder as a scrapbook.  It will be fun each Christmas  to look back at the progression of their scenes.

8.  Watch inspiring videos and musical performances--if not in person, then on the internet.
Here's one of our favorites this year.  We also like this one and  this one.  


9.  Using supplies and toys you can find around your house, have everyone create their own nativity.  Here's the one my daughter made from Lincoln Logs and her dolls.  Next we are going to try this gorgeous nativity art project. 

10.  Go to the library and check out a variety of meaningful Christmas books and read one each day in December.   (this one, this one , and this one are a couple of our favorites and here is a link to my Christmas picture book review)

11.  If you live near one, visit your temple visitors' center's Christmas displays and performances.

12.  Invite the missionaries to your home to share a Christmas message.  Even better...invite a friend too!

Christmas Advent Calendar for Kids

This Advent Calendar is from an old Friend magazine (Dec. 1998) and is designed to help bring the spirit of Christ into your home on a daily basis as you do the listed activities each day.  The activities (reading scriptures, singing songs, etc) are somewhat short and could be done as a morning devotional each day in December.

Please note that there is also a booklet in the document below that is meant as a daily  guide for using the Advent Calendar.  It contains all the mentioned stories, lyrics to songs, craft instructions, etc. and provides an accompanying picture for each day.  It should enhance the enjoyment of the calendar immensely!

It took me about 40 minutes to complete the calendar--from printing to completion, so you have plenty of time to get it done before tomorrow! ;)  Directions to make it are included in the printable portion of the lesson.

Enjoy!


Google Drive Link to Christmas Advent Calendar for Kids

Developing Christlike Attributes Lesson

This lesson is based on this lesson from the Come Follow Me youth curriculum and the activity is based on pages 115-126  in the Preach My Gospel manual.  I used it in a YW lesson I recently taught and felt like the girls really connected with the concept of it and the visual nature of the lesson.  There is a fair amount of writing required for this lesson, but it could also be easily  used for a FHE lesson for school age children, teens, or adults.  I believe that the success of this lesson depends on them following through with the goals they set and as such  I encouraged everyone to tape their page into their journals and refer back to it often.

Scroll to the bottom of the post to get to the printable version of the lesson, including pictures.  If you prefer only the lesson without pictures, click here.

Overcoming Weaknesses and Developing Christlike Attributes

Materials Needed:  picture of Christ (see below), one copy of activity per person(see below), colored pens or pencils for everyone, pictures of branch and hole on roof (optional)

SONGS:  

"I'm Trying to be Like Jesus," page 78 of Children's Songbook

"Be Thou Humble," page 130 of the Hymn book

HOLE IN ROOF STORY:    (use our real life story or tell your own) 

Tell a story (with included pictures if desired) of a house that has a branch fall on their roof during a storm.  It's not a particularly large branch and it doesn't appeared to have caused any damage.  

But the next time it rains, water starts pouring through their roof, soaking the insulation in the attic, and pouring water into their dining room.  Although the branch didn't seem likely to have done much damage at first glance, unbeknownst  to the owners it had weakened the defenses of their roof enough allow the elements in and cause much greater damage than just a small hole in the roof.   

RELATE:   That like that little branch on the roof,  our little sins can become holes of weakness in our defenses against the “rains and storms of life”.    Talk about how once the roof was repaired, it became a strong point in our roof.   We can do the same with our "little" sins and weaknesses....we can fortify ourselves and diligently work to overcome them and they, like the repaired roof, can actually become our strengths.  

READ ETHER 12:27:  briefly discuss why we have been given weaknesses and how God will strengthen us as we strive to overcome them.

SHOW picture of Christ (see below) and talk about how God is always there to lift us up and to help us in our day-to-day struggles.  

DEVELOPING CHRISTLIKE ATTRIBUTE ACTIVITY

1.  Pass out the activity sheets and multicolored pens and pencils.  

2.  Start off by pointing to  THE GIRL ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PAPER.  Explain that she is to represent each of them personally during this lesson.  Encourage everyone to think of potential little “branches” of weaknesses in their lives  and to write at least 5-6 things surrounding the girl on the paper (encourage them to make it colorful) .  Some examples of things they could write:  Not studying the scriptures as diligently as they should, an ongoing irritation at a sibling, or how they're treating their parents, forgetting to say their prayers, etc.   

 

3.  Refer briefly back to Ether 12:27 and talk about how we are now going to talk about a way that we can start making those weaknesses into strengths.

4.  Point out the scriptures that are listed around the edge of the paper.  Have them look up a few of the  scriptures  and each think of a couple attributes of Christ.  

 

5.  Go around the room and have each person share a couple of attributes of Christ that they have found (or thought of on their own.)

6.  HAVE THEM WRITE DOWN THE ATTRIBUTES all around the drawing of Christ on the right side of the paper.  

7.  Have them circle/highlight ONE weakness they'd like to overcome and/or one attribute of Christ that they would like to start working on developing.

8.  HURDLES – along the vertical line that goes down the center of the page, have them write down a couple of the challenges they will  face in developing that attribute.  Have them be very specific....  These hurdles could include  fatigue, lack of time, not feeling motivated, etc.

 

9.  In the LARGE ARROWS in the middle of the page, read the scriptures and then write 3 specific ways that they can work on overcoming those hurdles and  start developing that attribute in to make it a strength instead of a weakness.

These should be very SPECIFIC ideas.  Not just I will read the scriptures more often.  But 3 specific and measurable ways that they can improve themselves:  (see example)

1.  I will read at least one page every night before supper.  

2.  If I am not home at supper, I will read it before bed.  

3.  I will place my scriptures on my pillow each morning to help me not to forget.   

10.  At this point their paper should be very colorful and filled with personal and meaningful instructions for developing a Christlike attribute.    Refer once more back to the story of the repaired roof and remind them this activity was their own personal instruction for fortifying the weaknesses in the roofs in their lives.   Encourage them to tape the sheets into their journals and to refer back to them often for encouragement in their quest.  Also encourage them to reread the scriptures and repeat the activity frequently.  

11.  PAPER AIRPLANE—drop an unfolded sheet of paper and point out how it flutters without direction or purpose.  Then, as you fold a piece of paper into an airplane, remind them that changing can sometimes be painful, but when we make the effort and allow ourselves to be pliable enough to be folded and changed, we can make weak things become strong and have enough wind beneath our wings to fly.  Throw the plane and point out the difference now that it has direction and purpose.

CLOSING PRAYER:  

REFRESHMENTS:  Homemade Twix Bars

Developing Christlike Attributes FHE Lesson

Why is it Important to Listen to and Follow the Living Prophets?

I typed this up as an outline of a Sunday YW lesson, but it was also easily adapted to our family's FHE lesson the next night.  For both the young women and my children, I found that the process of highlighting and subsequently writing the prophet's words on the wall surrounding a picture of President Monson was a very powerful and memorable illustration. Click here for printable version of all images.
 Why is it Important to Listen to and Follow the Living Prophets? 
Lesson by Lara Goold

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE VERSION OF THE PICTURES

Suggested Songs:
"We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet,"  Hymns, page 19
"Latter-day Prophets," Children's Songbook, page 134
 "Follow the Prophet," Hymns, page 110

Lesson Purpose:  To help the young women to understand what a great blessing it is to have a living prophet on the earth to give us guidance and direction for these latter-days.

Scripture:  "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."  Amos 3:7

PREPARATION: 
1.  print enough copies of the talk,  Believe, Obey, and Endure for every YW (or member of your family)
2.  gather pens or pencils for every YW, also chalk and tape 
3.  Print off large picture of President Monson
4. (optional) print off wallet size pictures of President Monson for each of the YW to tape into their notebooks while they take notes

OPENING PRAYER:

ANALOGY OF THE GARDEN MAZE (see this link for printable version of pictures):     Imagine you are in a maze that is made up of tall hedges.  The bushes are too thick to see through, too tall to see over, and you can't tell whether you are heading towards a dead-end until you are right there. (SHOW PICTURE OF PEOPLE INSIDE THE MAZE) You start off knowing the approximate direction of where the exit is, but quickly lose your bearings and can't do anything more than wander aimlessly until you find the correct path out.  Then you notice a little look-out tower.  (SHOW PICTURE OF MAZE FROM THE LOOKOUT) You climb the tower and you can regain your bearings again and  plot a path to the exit.

Relate being lost in the maze to being lost in the maze of our lives.  Talk about how easy it is to get caught up in the "maze of life" and focus only on what is right in front of us.

ASK:  What are some of the concerns that are in your maze of life?  (you're looking for answers like a hard physics test, getting into college, boys, friends,  etc)

WRITE:  Have one of the YW come write on the picture of the people inside of the maze, some of the answers received.

TEACH:  There is someone we can look to who has been given the keys to be on the look-out  for our day and time.  They have the perspective of being able to see all the twists and turns in the maze and give us guidance and direction that will help us to the finish line (eternal life).

SHOW PICTURE OF PRESIDENT MONSON and tape to the top of the chalkboard.

DRAW a simple watchtower underneath the picture and explain that God has given him the authority to see.

BELIEVE, OBEY, and ENDURE: 
Hand out a pen and copy of the article to each student:  Divide the YW into groups and assign each  group a page of the article to read and to circle important messages that President Monson has given to the YW for this day and this time.

HAVE EACH PERSON SHARE SOMETHING THEY'VE CIRCLED IN THE ARTICLE:   and ask for a volunteer to come make speech bubbles around the prophet and write in the words of the prophet that the YW shared from the article.   If the girls have class journals, have them glue in a  wallet size picture of President Monson and reproduce this in their notebooks while you go around the room.

 Here are some of the things that our girls came up with:  Decisions determine destiny, seminary changes lives, they are a daughter of Heavenly Father, pray for guidance, fan the flame of your testimony, choose to obey, there is a way back!  

VIDEO:   watch this video  and discuss. 

SHARE A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF FOLLOWING THE PROPHET:  and the blessings you received.  Bear your testimony about what a remarkable blessing it is to live in a day and a time that there is a living prophet.

CLOSING PRAYER:


HANDOUT (printable version below):

Additional Reading Material: 
YW Lesson:  Why is it Important to Listen to and Follow the Living Prophet?


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Why We Need a Prophet Printable Pictures by Lara Goold

Teaching the Gospel Using Questions

Today's youth are used to information being presented in short little bursts.  Twitter and Facebook have shortened their attention spans to the point that it's difficult for them to concentrate on the same thing for 5 minutes, yet alone the length of the average church lesson. We all know that we learn better when we are engaged in the lesson being taught, but as a teacher sometimes the task of engaging the students is difficult in practice, because engaging the students means that as teachers we need to be better prepared and more engaged ourselves.

 In my article 14 Ways to Engage Students in the New Youth Curriculum, I presented some ideas of helping students to use both sides of their brain as they learn.  In this article I will present some more ideas from the same teacher training and talk about using questions to help students learn the gospel.

When Jesus Christ taught the people, he taught them with patience and understanding.  He sought to know his students enough, that he could teach in a way that connected with them. We've all read the accounts of Christ using parables and real life examples that illustrated what he was teaching far better than an hour long dissertation on the philosophy of it ever could.

Think of  when Christ answered the Pharisee's accusations in Luke 5 with the simple question, "Whether [it] is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?"  The act of curing the palsied man would have been remarkable enough, but with the question to provoke some deeper thinking, it was all the more a powerful teaching moment.  We can harness that same power when we teach.  Think of questions that invite thought and allow them to reach their own conclusions about what you are teaching.  Those kind of lessons will stick with them much longer than when all the information is spoon fed to them.

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The following are presented as a series of questions, in order from least to most thought provoking.  Our teacher encouraged using them in order as a way to build understanding during a lesson.


Different Types of Questions to use during lessons (with examples of how to use them)

1.  Search for information
Example:  What are the steps of prayer?

2.  Analyze for understanding
Example:  What things are appropriate to pray for?

3.  Invite feelings / testimony
Example:  What are your personal experiences with prayer?

4.  Encourage application
Example:  What will you work on this week to improve your prayers?