Engaging the children of your congregation with the four churchwide Special Offerings has never been easier or more important, whether you are engaging them in-person or virtually. There are numerous ways children can connect with the upcoming Christmas Joy Offering, sharing in the joy of the perfect gift, Jesus Christ.
This year’s curriculum was written by Charlotte Nance-Allbright, a Certified Christian Educator who serves as the Director of Christian Formation and Education at First Presbyterian Church of Burlington, North Carolina. The curriculum includes:
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“A Gift Opens Doors” collage activity to use in conjunction with the children’s curriculum.
An At-Home Resource for families and small groups to use each week during Advent, beginning Sunday, November 28.
- A Multi-Age Children’s Lesson designed for ages 5-10 with activities Pre-K might enjoy. Together, children and their families will explore the purpose of the Christmas Joy Offering through the methods of storytelling, visual learning and imagining. Utilizing the method of art, participants will interact with Proverbs 18:16: “A gift opens doors.” Participants will offer others the opportunity to learn more about the Offering through sharing their art with their congregation, families and friends.
- A Children’s Message which connects young people with the impact of their gifts to the Christmas Joy Offering.
This image titled “Shining Hope” is available as a coloring sheet.
We are honored to have partnered with A Sanctified Art LLC in 2021. A Sanctified Art has created covers for the second bulletin insert for each of the four Special Offerings as well as coloring sheets. We invite you to use this “Shining Hope” coloring page, designed by the Rev. Lauren Wright Pittman, in the lead up to Christmas Joy Offering, maybe even posting a virtual art gallery of everyone’s masterpieces on your website or social media page! Or you can take the coloring page as inspiration for window art or sidewalk chalk art at home.
If you use any of our materials in promoting the 2021 Christmas Joy Offering, we invite you to share feedback on how it was received. We are also available to answer any questions you might have about these or any other Special Offerings resource. Feel free to reach out to us at 800-728-7228 ext. 5047 or specialofferings@pcusa.org.
If we all do a little, it adds up to a lot!
Please join us in prayer.
May the Christmas Joy Offering bring light and hope to your beloved children. Thank you for the most perfect gift that opens doors, Jesus Christ. Amen.
PS – If you don’t have many youth under 18 in your congregation, you can get creative and engage your more seasoned members in any of the activities above! Fun and learning are for Christians of every age!