Most kids know what it feels like to wait for Christmas morning. Because they are so excited, it feels like they have to wait forever!
I remind them of that feeling when I explain the relief and joy of Jesus’ coming at Christmas. After waiting for what seemed like forever, Jesus arrived!
The Son of God took on the form of a man and came to rescue his people. Finally, God is with us. Jesus arrived to rescue us and to walk alongside us. And that is what we celebrate every Christmas.
There are ways to make Jesus—and the meaning of Christmas—understandable and relatable to kids at every age. Part of why I take such joy in my work at WinShape Camps is because we spend so much time crafting biblical and developmentally appropriate curricula for the kids who come to our camps. We live and breathe talking to kids about God.
Part of the reason developing curricula takes so much work is that each age and stage of our lives presents a unique opportunity to learn about and receive God. As we grow and develop, our ability to understand expands. Our experiences with the Lord expand. We can experience him in deeper and deeper levels our whole lives.
One of my favorite things about teaching children is that we never need to water down the gospel or who Christ is. We simplify to meet them at their developmental level. For example, a kindergartner can understand a simple explanation of who God is, and what it meant that people were waiting and waiting for “the rescuer” (God). They can grasp what it means that one day the rescuer came! And then we present the nativity story.
That means communicating about God—and celebrating Christ!—looks different for different kids.
Our camp curricula ranges from kindergarten to high school. We teach the same theme, but it’s targeted: What do kids need at their specific age and developmental stage, and how does the Lord speak to this area of their lives? We start out every year with two specific attributes of God that we communicate to the children, teaching them more about who God is.
This knowledge of who God is changes everything! It transforms their understanding of God, themselves, others, and the world around them. It impacts the way they think (head), believe (heart) and act (hands).
And we can do the same thing when celebrating Christmas! Start with who God is and what He has done. Jesus, the Messiah, arrived! After a long, long time of waiting, God came to live with and rescue his people.
Then, show how this good news—the best news!—impacts your kids exactly where they are! How does it change their head, heart, and hands?
