Hi Scotts Hill Families,

As a Kids Staff, we felt the Lord really press us this year in our desire to equip you with some helpful resources for the upcoming holiday season. This time of year is a wonderful time for intentional family discipleship. This type of discipleship goes deeper than driving around and looking at Christmas lights, or baking Christmas cookies (even though those things are wonderful). It’s more than chocolate calendars and opening numbered doors on a countdown. What children need, and us too if we are being completely honest, is to be reminded WHY we are looking forward to Christmas. To truly be able to look forward, we must look back and remember what led to the birth of our Lord and Savior. We can’t truly appreciate what is coming if we don’t know why it came in the first place.

You will be able to access all the family readings at the link below. You will notice that the readings begin in Genesis, travel through the entire Old Testament, and lead to the birth of Christ in the Gospels.

Our desire would be that you sit down as a family each day and read the passage of the day together. You will also find discussion questions to help your children (and you) truly understand and reflect on the truths conveyed in the text. If you have older children, challenge them to open their Bibles and find the scripture. You can also challenge them to read straight from scripture.

Tips for Success:

• Put the calendar in a visible place. If it’s in a visible place, you will be reminded to complete it each day. Use the stickers provided so your kids can see the progress. If you need a bonus- a hershey kiss or sweet treat is a great incentive too.
• Be consistent as much as possible. Try not to miss readings and if you do, don’t skip them. Add them to the next day or paraphrase them in. These readings are chronological.
• Find a time of day that makes sense. Partnering the reading with a meal such as breakfast or right after dinner helps with consistency and will develop a family pattern.
• Make it fun! Think about your voice/pitch/inflections as you read the story. Use sound effects and dramatic noises. Add pictures if needed.

We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with you in this way and are looking forward to celebrating this season with you. The King is Coming!

Love,
The Kids Staff