This worship series finds us preparing for Christmas. For most families, there are many traditions and rituals that coincide with the Advent season. The children’s messages for this series are created around one such tradition – Christmas cookies. Each week, a traditional cookie-cutter shape will be introduced, reinforcing the scripture passage for each week’s message. Provide a cookie-cutter template for children to take home each week. Encourage their families to bake cookies and reflect on each Sunday’s message during Advent.

The cookie shapes used are as follows: tree, snowflake, heart, angel, small gingerbread man, and larger gingerbread man.

DOWNLOAD Cookie-cutter Template (PDF)

Bring all the cookie-cutter shapes with you each week to use as visual aids and have the children select the shape that coincides with each week’s message.

A secondary activity could be to use the templates for coloring pages and/or Christmas tree ornaments and family discussions.

First Sunday of Advent, Year C

Jeremiah 33:14-16, New International Reader's Version (emphasis added)

¹⁴“The days are coming,” announces the Lord. “At that time, I will fulfill my good promise to my people. I made it to the people of Israel and Judah.

¹⁵“Here is what I will do in those days and at that time.
I will make a godly Branch grow from David’s royal line.
He will do what is fair and right in the land.
¹⁶In those days Judah will be saved.
Jerusalem will live in safety.
And it will be called
The Lord Who Makes Us Right with Himself.”

Visual Aids:

All cookie cutter shapes.

Cookie shape:

Tree

Message:

Today is the first Sunday in Advent. We can see people are getting ready for Christmas to arrive. It seems that everyone is making last-minute preparations. Have you seen anything that suggests Christmas is coming? (Allow the children to answer. Remind them of things such as the lighting of the Advent candle.)

Have you put up your Christmas tree yet in your home? How might today’s scripture passage remind us of our Christmas tree? Have you ever heard the phrase, family tree? That means a person comes from a certain family. I have parents, who have parents; they are my grandparents, and they had parents….it continues for many, many years. This passage is from a book in the Old Testament, years before Jesus’ birth. God’s message was the most important message ever. God wanted the people to know that Jesus was coming, so God would whisper messages about Jesus to some very special people. We call those people prophets. One of those prophets was a man named Jeremiah. Jeremiah heard God’s message and told people that Jesus was coming. I wonder why God wanted people to prepare for the coming of Jesus. (Allow children to answer. Reinforce words such as “freedom,” “love,” “save us,” and “mercy.”)

Listen to how Jeremiah told the people that Jesus was coming. (Read from the Bible.)

¹⁵“Here is what I will do in those days and at that time.
I will make a godly Branch grow from David’s royal line.
He will do what is fair and right in the land.
¹⁶In those days Judah will be saved.
Jerusalem will live in safety.
And it will be called
The Lord Who Makes Us Right with Himself.”

What words did you hear while I read this passage? Did you hear a word that reminds us of a Christmas tree? Did you hear the word “branch”? That’s right, a branch is part of a tree. We can see the branches of the Christmas tree through the words of Jeremiah.

I have in my hand several Christmas cookie-cutter shapes. Have you ever used something like these to make cookies? (Allow children to answer.) I wonder if you can select which shape cookie today’s message is about. (Allow children to select the tree shape.)

Do you recognize this shape? That’s right; it is the shape of a Christmas tree. Each week, during this season of Advent, I will give you a cookie-cutter shape to take home and make some cookies. While you are waiting for the cookies to bake, your family can discuss the Bible passage. Sometimes it is hard to wait for cookies to bake, isn’t it? (Allow children to respond.)

While you wait, discuss the following as a family:

I wonder how people felt when Jeremiah told them God was sending Jesus.
I wonder how it felt to know God was using the family tree of David to send Jesus.
I wonder how it feels to be told the place where you live will remain safe.
I wonder how we can share with others that Jesus is coming.

Advent is also a time of waiting. It is a time of waiting for Christmas—the day when Jesus came to the earth for the first time. Advent is also a time of waiting for Jesus to come again, and to come into our hearts.

Prayer:

God, waiting is sometimes hard. Waiting for something as wonderful as the return of Jesus is exciting. While we are waiting, help our families show and share your love to all people. Amen.