Note to the Teacher

This is the beginning of the Advent season, which focuses on preparing our hearts and lives for the coming of the Christ child and paying attention to everything around us. The icebreaker helps youth have a fun, silly reminder of what it means to prepare for something and pay attention to what is happening around them. The discussion encourages students to think about what it means to prepare and not jump right into the Christmas story. The activity allows youth to see what happens if they don’t take the time to prepare for what lies ahead. Times are based on a fifty-minute lesson period but may be adjusted.

1. Icebreaker: I’m Going on a Trip (10 minutes)

This is the classic game: “I’m going on a trip, and I’m taking with me a _____.”

Option 1: High-Tech

The first person starts by saying, "I’m going on a trip, and I’m taking with me a _____.” Have the youth find an image on their phone of something that starts with the same letter as their first name and show it to the group while saying it.

Then the next person says, “I’m going on a trip, and I’m taking with me a _____.” Then that person repeats what the first person said and then finds a different image and shares it with the group.

This process repeats until everyone has had a turn. If your group is small, everyone may have multiple turns.

Option 2: Low-Tech

The first person starts and says, “I’m going on a trip, and I’m taking with me a_____.” That person chooses something that starts with the first letter of his/her name.

Then the next person says, “I’m going on a trip, and I’m taking with me a _____” and repeats what the first person said and then adds something that starts with the first letter of their name. This repeats until everyone has had a turn. If your group is small, everyone may have multiple turns.

2. Read Scripture (5 minutes)

Today's scripture reading is a reiteration of prophecies that the Israelites would have been familiar with.

Read Luke 21.25-36.

3. Discussion (15 minutes)

Does this scripture describe the way you remember the Advent season beginning?
Why do you think the author starts with ideas of fear and foreboding instead of angels singing in the heavens or songs of a young woman’s transformation?
Jesus says, “Stand up and raise your heads ” and “Pay attention!” Do you think this is a message of fear and foreboding or a message of hope? Why?
What does it mean to pay attention and look at all around you? How and when are you at your best at paying attention? When is it easy to be distracted or to miss things?
Do we tend to look around us, or do we tend to look in one direction? How would looking all around us change the way we prepare and pay attention?
Throughout Advent, we focus on preparations, passion, presence, promise, joy, and home. What do those words mean to you?

4. Activity and Discussion (20 minutes)

When we were children, our parents had many ways to help us countdown to or prepare for Christmas. What are some of the ways you prepare for Christmas?

One common way to prepare for Christmas is to make a countdown chain. Today, we will make our own countdown chains that start today and go until Christmas! Add a loop for each day to create a whole chain.

To create loops, take strips of paper and glue, a stapler, or tape. Fasten the paper strips into loops, creating a linked paper chain that can grow and be displayed during Advent.

Optional: Make each link on the chain a prompt for the photo-a-day challenges that often happen during Advent by printing words on each link. (The photo-a-day challenge asks individuals to reflect upon one word or idea each day and take a picture that encapsulates that word, feeling, or emotion. See https://www.concordiatechnology.org/blog/advent-photo-challenge.) Encourage youth to take a word from the chain for the day and take a picture representing the word. Share those pictures at the beginning of each Sunday school class during Advent.

Close in your typical manner. Consider taking the students' joys and concerns and asking for a volunteer to close in prayer.

Total time: 50 minutes