Every December the world sparkles. Lights appear in windows, cinnamon and cedar aromas permeate the air, pine trees migrate indoors and carols drift through shopping centres while trolleys overflow with ‘just a few extras’.
It’s a season of wonder, yet amid the glitter and gift wrap it’s easy to lose the plot or, rather, the Person. Christmas isn’t Santa coming to town – it’s God coming to Earth!
‘The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.’ (John 1:14 NIV)
Christmas overflows with good things – family, friendship and food – but the best is Christ himself.
As parents, grandparents, teachers, children’s workers and carers, we have the joyful calling to help children see that Christmas is not about presents but about presence – the presence of Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us.
Keep Jesus at the Centre – Don’t Let Him Get Crowded Out
The nativity is not a seasonal story; it’s the opening act of salvation history. God came down – fragile, small, wrapped in cloth – to unwrap the gift of hope.
Encourage your children to remember that Christmas is Jesus’ birthday. Ask them, ‘If it’s his birthday, what can we give him?’ Then remind them that what he truly wants is our hearts.
‘Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.’ (Luke 2:11 NIV)
In 1633, German pastor and poet Johann Rist wrote one of the earliest Christmas hymns for children, ‘Ermuntre dich, mein schwacher Geist,’ which translates, ‘Take courage, my faint spirit.’ Rist believed that when children sang Scripture, truth reached their hearts before it reached their heads. His hymn was later set to music by Johann Sebastian Bach, helping generations learn the joy of Christ’s coming through song.
Don’t relegate Jesus to the nativity set. Let’s give him centre stage in our homes and hearts.
Read the Real Story – Let Scripture Shape the Season
Stories shape souls. If we don’t tell our children the real Christmas story, the world will sell them a different one.
‘Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.’ (Romans 10:17 ESV)
Read Luke 2 together, or use The Christmas Story (my book!) to help children grasp the wonder of God stepping into our world. You can also watch the animated version in English, Spanish, Welsh, Greek or Swedish because the good news is for every nation and tongue!
In 1223, Saint Francis of Assisi created the first live nativity scene in a cave near Greccio, Italy. He gathered villagers, animals and candles to help people see what it meant for God to become one of us. The result was transformative – people said it felt as though they had stepped into Bethlehem itself. That single idea has illuminated Christmas for eight centuries.
Let’s make sure our children’s favourite Christmas story is Bethlehem, not the North Pole!
Create Christ-Centred Traditions – Make Faith Familiar and Fun
Traditions turn faith into family culture. Small, sacred rhythms leave deep footprints in young hearts.
- Light a candle each night at supper time in December and read a verse from Luke’s Gospel.
- Set up a nativity scene but keep Baby Jesus hidden until Christmas morning.
- Write ‘thank-you’ cards to Jesus.
Let’s encourage our children to write a letter to Jesus, not Santa.
In 1822, New York pastor Clement Clarke Moore wanted to capture the joy of Christmas for his children. One snowy evening he penned a poem beginning ‘’Twas the night before Christmas . . .’ to delight them. Though the poem popularised Santa Claus, Moore’s aim was to teach his children about the spirit of giving and the joy of family togetherness. His simple story for children helped shape traditions across America and around the world, proving that one parent’s creativity can influence generations.
Don’t just decorate the house – decorate their hearts with wonder.
Be Generous – Because God Gave First
Nothing teaches the love of Jesus like generosity. Get your children involved in giving to a food bank, a neighbour, or someone who is lonely. Explain that just as ‘God so loved the world that he gave’ (John 3:16 NIV), we love by giving.
In 1891, Salvation Army officer Captain Joseph McFee placed a crab pot on a pier in San Francisco to collect donations for hungry families. By Christmas Eve he had raised enough to feed hundreds. That humble pot became the model for the Salvation Army’s red-kettle appeal, still ringing on street corners worldwide, reminding us that generosity began in a manger.
Generosity isn’t about how much we give, it’s about how much love we wrap it in.
Guide Them to the Manger, Not the Mall
- When you see lights, talk about the Light of the World.
- When you exchange gifts, remind them of the greatest gift.
- When you sing carols, explain who we’re singing about.
On Christmas Eve 1914, amid the horrors of World War I, British and German soldiers laid down their weapons and sang ‘Silent Night’ together. For one sacred night, peace reigned. Over a century later, that story is still told in schools and churches, reminding us that when Christ steps into the story, conflict bows before compassion.
Don’t let Christmas become a shopping spree with a sprinkle of nativity. Make it a celebration with a centre.
This Christmas, let’s help our children find what truly matters. Let’s lead them to the manger, to the Saviour.
‘Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!’ (2 Corinthians 9:15 NIV)
May your Christmas be joyful, peaceful and wonderfully Christ-filled.
J.John
