Teaching Christmas

This is my eighth year teaching but my first at a Christian school.  It's the first time I've been able to teach about the truth of Christmas.  There were several things that I wanted to do and teach my students about Christmas.  Here are some of the things that we did and my God's grace where useful in drawing my students closer to knowing him as their personal savior.

First,  I wanted to teach them is that Christmas is more than just the story from Matthew 1 and Luke 2.  It begins in Genesis or really before creation.  Two resources I used were a Jesse Tree and The Jesus Storybook Bible.
The Jesse Tree is an advent devotional where we read a portion of the Bible each day and added a pictorial symbol to a tree to help us remember.  I forgot to take a picture of it before we took it down on our last day.  But each day it told another prophecy or story pointing to the need of a Savior.  My students looked forward to it each day and adding another piece to our tree.  Sometimes I chose to read the portion of scripture or story for the day out of The Jesus Storybook Bible because it does a wonderful job of pointing each story to our need for a rescuer and savior.  The need and anticipation for a rescuer builds as you read through the OT and when you get to the birth of Jesus you have an understanding as to why he came to earth.

Second, I wanted to hear from my students about the true meaning of Christmas.  One afternoon, we watched the animated cartoon version of the Grinch Who Stole Christmas.  The next day, I had each student write a letter the Grinch telling him what Christmas was really about.  I didn't give them any more direction than that.  Here are two of their precious letters to the Grinch.

Chrismas is not about presents or food or the christmas tree.  Chrismas is about Jesus becaus he dide on the crose for us and it's his birthday! 

chrismas is about jesus being born.  Not about geting presins and thangs and we sing because wen we sing it remins us of Jesus.  And his birthday.  we give toys because the wise men gave jesus gifts.  And God gave the greatist presint, His son jesus who came to save us.  so know you know. have a good time and may too Merry merry chrismas.

Third,  I wanted to learn about my students traditions and Hungarian traditions for celebrating Christmas.  I sent home a project for them to do to share with me and the class their traditions.  They made a scene inside of a snow globe.

Christmas at Matyas Church in Budapest

Decorating the Christmas tree

Giving gifts

Celebrating Jesus's birth

Fourth, I wanted my students to memorize a passage of scripture for Christmas.  They learned Luke 2:8-14.

There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby.  It was night and they were looking after their sheep.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them.  They were terrified.  

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy.  It is for all the people.  Today in the town of David a savior has been born to you.  He is Christ the Lord. Here is how you will know I am telling you the truth.  You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger."

Suddenly, a large group of angels from heaven also appeared.  They were praising God say, 

"May glory be given to God in the highest heaven.  

And may peace be given to those he is pleased with on earth."

NIrV (New International Reader Version)

I was SO proud of all of them for memorizing it.  My prayer is that those words will sink deep into their hearts and that God will shine his light into their hearts that they may know him.

Last, ICSB has a tradition of sharing some Christmas joy with the community by going caroling to different businesses in the town.  I had the privilege of learning two Hungarian Christmas carols.
(If you want to hear one in Hungarian you can watch it hear on YouTube.  This is not my students. http://youtu.be/poNMTQ-DGNE)