Note to the Teacher

That’s right! Christmas is on Sunday! I know that you are thinking: You’ll leave your family gift opening early and come to the church for youth group but, who are we kidding? You aren’t having youth group, and you may not even have church. Instead of trying to find a volunteer to go sit in a room alone and ask discussion questions to the wall, try these ways to make this holy day deeply spiritual for your youth.

Remember, students will most likely be with their families and caregivers. With just the right amount of encouragement, you can facilitate spiritual engagement for the entire family on Christmas.

Bible Texts

This is the simplest of the ideas: Invite your students to read part of the Christmas story with their family or by themselves by sending them a text sometime in the morning that says, “Merry Christmas! Why not suggest that your family read the story of Jesus’ birth!” Include a link to your favorite online Bible.

Questions Throughout the Day

Use a service such as remind.com to preschedule question texts throughout the day to help your students continue thinking about the spiritual side of the holiday. Here are a few suggestions:

Early Morning: Merry Christmas! We give gifts to remind us that Jesus was a gift to us. AND, you are a gift to the world too!

Midmorning: As you get ready for lunch, remember to pray for those who are not able to have lunch today.

Afternoon: Sabbath is the spiritual act of resting. Take time to lean back and know that resting can be spiritual too!

Evening: As the sun sets on this day, take a moment to remember each good thing that happened. Thank God for each of them, one by one.

Social Sharing

Make a post or post a story on Instagram prompting students to share about their Christmas fun. Here are some ideas to get you started:

What was the most meaningful gift you received today?

What was the most meaningful gift you gave today?

When was a moment you thought about God, Jesus, or the Christmas story in the Bible?

Caption this: (Picture of weird or broken manger scene)

Share a picture of your oldest Christmas tree ornament.

And, if you can text the group, send a reminder to check out the youth Instagram page after you post.

Christmas Gift (Journal or Youth Picture) at the Door

If you have a smaller group, take advantage of the size by going over the top. Find a meaningful gift like a journal or a spiritual book for teens, wrap it, and have a couple of volunteers stop by youth homes on Christmas Eve night, after the service and leave the gifts on their doorsteps to be found the next morning.

Christmas Worship Playlist

If you’ve got a group that loves to sing worship songs, take a moment to create a special worship playlist for your group on Spotify, Apple Music, or other music services. If you want to take it to the next level, create an “order of service” that you send out in an email, giving students verses to read and prayers to offer in between the songs on the playlist.