As you listen and wathc, ask yourself and your children:

  • What do you know about Jesus as a baby? What questions do you have about Mary’s pregnancy or Jesus’s birth and early days?
  • What stories do our depictions of the nativity in art and in Christmas decorations tell? How are they accurate and inaccurate?

Who was Joseph?

As you watch this short video, ask yourself and your children:

  • What do you know about Joseph? What questions do you have?
  • Where do you see depictions of Joseph today? How are they similar to and different from each other?
  • Why do you think God chose Joseph for the important work of raising Jesus?
  • There are many ways to be a good father. How was Joseph a good father to Jesus?

Who was Mary?

As you watch this short video, ask yourself and your children:

  • What do you know about Mary? What questions do you have?
  • Where do you see depictions of Mary today? How are they similar to and different from each other?
  • Why do you think God chose Mary for the important work of raising Jesus?
  • There are many ways to be a good mother. What qualities did Mary have that made her a good mother to Jesus?

Children’s Time: Loving America by Learning about It

This week’s children’s time gives us some ideas about how we can love our country:

  1. We can pray for our country because we want our country to be a good country and for everyone here to be taken care of.
  2. We can take care of our country, including the land, the water, and the animals.
  3. We can learn about country. When we give our attention to something and give it attention, we show it love.

Learn some new facts about America by looking at some postcards shared by friends! Do you know:

  • Which city’s name means “City of Brotherly Love”?
  • What is the name of the highest point in Kansas?
  • Why shouldn’t you touch an armadillo?
  • Is Kansas as flat as a pancake?
  • Which state has the most national parks?
  • Which state is a desert in the summer but not in the winter?
  • Which state is the flattest?
  • Which oceans touch the US?
  • Which state’s state flower is the sunflower?
  • Where is the Statue of Liberty located?

Start at 3:40 to learn about our cities, oceans, animals, plants, mountains, prairies, and some famous people!

Children’s Time: Questions about Figs

Today’s children’s time walks through the parable of the fig tree as practice for reading parables. Parables invite us to ask questions and have discussions, not rush to quick conclusions. Reading them slowly and carefully helps us understand them literally, which is the first step in understanding why Jesus told them.

What questions does this parable raise for you?