Wow, what a fun, and surprisingly wonderful turnout of 18 ideas for our “How to Keep Christ at the Center of Christmas Inspiration Blitz” that first occurred on our Instagram and Facebook pages, and is complied here for reference. When I first started this idea on a whim on Monday, I thought maybe we would get a handful of submissions, but it was truly inspiring to collect so many special and treasured ideas from everyday moms just like you.

Agape Moms’ mission is equipping moms to make disciples in everyday, messy mom life and one way we do that is collaboratively, with our community driven blog, and with blog posts like this, that highlight as many voices and stories as possible. We’re stronger together, and we can learn so much from each other! Our prayer is that we’ve inspired each other’s families to adopt some new traditions that will be fun and that will help our kids to truly treasure Christ, not just during the holiday season, but every day of the year.

1) The Giving Manger

Agape Moms’ 1st recommendation to help keep Christ at the center of Christmas is The Giving Manger, recommended to us by Christina Booth. Read her story of searching for a hands on way to help her kids grasp the true meaning of Christmas.

For a long time I REALLY struggled to find the “perfect” Christmas tradition that would magically make my children understand the true meaning of Christmas...aka that it’s about the birth of our Savior and not Santa and all his presents. Per usual, my own human striving to “make” something happen didn’t really work out too well. I just ended up feeling stressed out, frustrated and like I didn’t measure up to other moms who seemed to have the perfect activities that made their kids see Christ at Christmas.

The Lord kept speaking to me that I just needed to seek Him first, and that He would take care of the rest. Sometime after that I came across The Giving Manger, and decided to give it a try. It has not made my children selfless little serving angels, but it has definitely helped us to get our eyes off of ourselves during this season.

The Giving Manger is a simple wooden manger with a baby Jesus to be put into the manger on Christmas morning. It comes with a small bundle of hay, and a story to explain how to use it. For each act of service completed a piece of straw is placed in the manger. The idea is to fill the manger with straw so that baby Jesus can be placed inside on Christmas morning. My boys have loved this over the past two years. They love placing a piece of straw in the manger, and I love that I can give them (or help them find) ways to serve that are appropriate for each of their ages. It’s something the whole family can participate in.

Christina Booth

Christina is a stay at home mom to four young boys with a little girl on the way. She is passionate about pursuing Christ and passing on a legacy of faith to her family.

2) A Nativity Play Set And Jesus-Centered Ornaments

Agape Moms’ 2nd idea to help keep Christ at the center of Christmas is a Nativity play set & Jesus-centered ornaments.

If you have tiny ones, then they’re definitely touching every new and sparkling Christmas thing you’ve taken out! Redirect their curiosity to a nativity play set where they can act out the Christmas story from Luke 2 as you read it, or have the chance to internalize that Christmas is all about Jesus with hands on play! We keep ours right under the tree.

We treat our Jesus-centered ornaments just like the star on the top of the tree! Each kid gets to hang one toward the top, right under the star as a focal point and small touch point to remind them that it’s all about Jesus, not just at Christmas, but 365 days of the year! Ours say:

* Happy Birthday Jesus on a cupcake shaped ornament.

*Santa kneeling down to worship at Jesus bed in the manger

*Christ is our greatest gift

3) Sharing the Love of Christ

Agape Moms’ 3rd idea to help keep Christ at the center of Christmas is sharing the love of Christ. Jessica Hundley shares her nostalgic memories and helping to instill them in her child’s heart as well.

One of my favorite Christmas traditions stems back to my childhood, and is something that I carry on with my daughter today. We love visiting a local nursing home called Twin Creeks, and enjoy building relationships with our friends there. We go once a month with a group of mothers and young children from the Lithia, FL chapter of Agape Moms.

My daughter Haley is still too young to understand the true meaning of Christmas, but she does see the joy she brings to our friends at the nursing home. I pray that she grows to desire Christ, and finds joy in loving and serving others as He calls us to do.

As Christmas draws near, I can’t wait to bring Haley to the nursing home to sing Christmas carols like I did as a child. Seeing the raw emotion in the residents’ eyes as they remember their holidays past is a heartfelt and magical experience.

It reminds me of the very first Christmas caroling experience I can recall. I was about seven or eight years old, and I remember looking around and seeing a dreamy look in everyone’s eyes as we sang. Back then I didn’t understand the nostalgic, far away look in their eyes the way I do now. After all, holiday songs take us back. I know now that they were remembering their own Christmases as children, or those when their own children were young. That is why it was especially meaningful and sweet for them to be surrounded by children during the holidays.

It is so important for our kids to see us show kindness and compassion for those who are lonely and forgotten all year round. It loses most of its meaning if it’s something we are only doing during the holiday season. It’s important that we love, give and serve as a way of life! It’s such a blessing too! It makes me so happy to see Haley form such special bonds with our friends at Twin Creeks.

As she grows, and as my son experiences his very first Christmas next year, I look forward to starting more traditions that celebrate Christ and keep His mission and message at the center. After all, HE is the reason for the season!

Jessica Hundley

Jessica Hundley is a founding member and current leader of the original Agape Moms based in Lithia, Florida. She loves spending time with her husband Scott, and their toddler Haley Margaret. Jessica moved to Florida from Massachusetts five years ago, and never looked back! She loves sharing the good news about Jesus by telling others how the truth of gospel has radically changed her life. Jessica has a contagious love for God and others that overflows into every facet of her life.

4) Advent Basket

Our 4th idea to help keep Christ at the center of Christmas is Giving an anonymous Advent basket for families experiencing grief or loss. Carolina Briggs shares her heart with us below.

It is one of our favorite family traditions to organize an Advent Basket for a family walking through grief in Christmas. This is such an easy and tangible way to encourage someone who's lost someone or is walking through a difficult time. You can also invite friends to help put together the basket by contributing some of the gifts and scriptures, and to join you in praying over the family.

The basket contains 25 small gifts for each day of Christmas. Each gift is wrapped, numbered, and has a bible verse taped to it. Each day they are reminded of God's word and it points them back to Jesus during what feels like a very dark time.

Often we don't sign our name and will leave an anonymous note making it more fun. It is also fun to drop the basket off and ring the doorbell and run off! There is a little bit of excitement for the boys as they deliver the basket.

Even though it’s been many years and our Christmas seasons these days are filled with joy I still remember walking through that first Christmas without Andrew. I remember it was a lonely and dark Christmas, one that I wish I would've been able to skip altogether.

Part of me is glad to have walked through this pain so that we can all these years later have a glimpse of what is like to walk through grief. I'm thankful for the perspective and desire to work on these baskets year after year.

Carolina Briggs

Carolina Briggs lives in Valrico, Florida with her husband Steve and is a mama to four children- Andrew (in heaven), Jack (8), Palmer(6) and Lillian (2) . She enjoys blogging, spending time with her family, and sharing the story Jesus is writing out in her life. Carolina is connected to the original Agape Moms in Lithia, FL.

5) Happy Birthday Jesus!

Agape Moms’ 5th idea to help keep Christ at the center of Christmas is making a birthday cake for Jesus with the kids and singing happy birthday!

This is one of my favorite traditions we’ve been doing since I became a believer in high school, and one I looked forward to doing with my kids someday- and now they look forward to it every year! My materialistic, Christmas childhood traditions were suddenly rocked with the gospel as a teen, and so newly adopting this tradition in my family was far from religiously-driven or even nostalgic, it was a real celebration, it was one that brought tears because we remembered what it was like to live apart from Christ. We were celebrating a real person who changed our lives.

I want nothing more than for my kids to come to know the transforming love of Christ and why Christmas changes everything. So how do we help tiny hearts understand? If there’s one love language that all kids share, it’s birthdays! Kids look forward to their birthdays, their siblings birthdays and friends’.

When we invite them to pick out birthday themed cake, frosting and candles for Jesus during Christmas, and be part of the whole baking process, it sticks out because the birthday colors don’t match Christmas, and neither does the celebration. Receiving gifts shifts to focusing on the greatest Gift. To pause and sing happy birthday reminds them that in all the holiday magic that it’s really all about Jesus, it’s HIS birthday after all!

I love this picture back from 2015 of my now 6.5 year old son, and looking back, I see him worshiping Christ to the tune of happy birthday! Let’s not underestimate what young hearts can understand, for Jesus said, let the little children come to me

6) Jesus is Our Greatest Gift to Behold

Our 6th idea to help keep Christ at the center of Christmas is beholding CHRIST as the greatest gift! Do not feel pressure to do all these traditions about Jesus, and miss Jesus Himself! Stephanie Tanner drops some gospel freedom below to help shape our pursuit this Christmas.

I’m one of those people who makes big plans. I set my sights on the most amazing book, music, and tool to help teach my children the meaning of Christmas. I envision a romanticized version of Christmas light looking, joyful laughter while cookie baking, and quiet advent readings where my children respond with great adoration for Jesus. Through the years, my expectations have gone unmet because, well, they were unrealistic.

I’d like to tell you we have a consistent advent tradition, but it’s changed every year as they get older and some years have not happened at all when I had a small baby to care for. That is okay. I don’t want us to heap rules and requirements on already tired mamas. We usually read a Christmas book a day before Christmas.
Last year, we went through Paul Tripp’s Come Let Us Adore Him devo. We missed some days here and there, and I didn’t want it to be a stressful, have to do thing. If you aren’t already doing so, advent is a great time to start a practice of a daily talking about Jesus’s life with your children.

I have ads in my email inbox currently promising a healthier, happier, and more beautiful home. I am tempted to believe this. To believe that I don’t already have all that I need for life. To believe that God is withholding something good from me. What is true is that when I’ve bought those prettier, shinier things is that those feelings don’t last. When I reach for other things to fill me they have always faded away.

God has already given us the greatest gift. It is already done. He sent His Son to be born in the most humble of places in the most humble of ways. I want to behold this during the Christmas season and every day because that’s when the real change happens. The good news of Jesus is not instruction but news. I want to gaze at this amazing grace and open the window for my children to gaze at this exceeding joy.

Stephanie Tanner

Stephanie Tanner has been married to Charles for 12 years. They have two boys and live in Summerville, SC. When she’s not chasing little people, she is passionate about studying God’s Word. She cares deeply about bible literacy and encouraging women. She’s a fan of coffee, books, cooking, a good podcast, photography, and gathering around the table with friends. You can follow along with her Instagram account, @freedominmotherhood as she encourages mothers in the freedom of the gospel.

What is Advent?

What is advent? Our next couple posts for keeping Christ at the center of Christmas inspiration blitz will be focused on multiple mamas sharing ways they celebrate advent, but we wanted to explain first.

The word “Advent” is a Latin word meaning “coming” or “arrival.” In church history, it was a time to mediate on mostly Old Testament prophecy and scripture leading up to Christ’s birth, but the concept of waiting with advent is also reminiscent of the centuries that the people of God waited for the coming Messiah, and of our current time of anticipation for Christ to return and make all things right again. Advent is for those of us who are waiting, longing, and hoping beyond what this world can offer- for what we can only find in Christ.

Advent is a time to prepare our hearts to celebrate Jesus, not just on Christmas morning, but as we long for His Kingdom to come, and will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Things are not as they should and we yearn for His coming again to redeem and restore all things. To set apart the days in December leading up to Christmas to trace the stories of the Old Testament where we see Christ fulfilling promises and being the true and better version of every prophet is the central scriptural aspect of Advent, and fixing our hearts on worshiping Him is the ultimate goal!

My family started a Jess Tree tradition when my oldest was a toddler and first heard about it from my friend, who’s family has a rich legacy of celebrating it, which she will be sharing about next! It’s been such a joy to watch all of our kids grow into it more each year. I’m happy to report that “Unwrapping the Greatest Gift” by Ann Voskamp, which we also love, but was a bit over my kids’ heads in the 2015 version, has a new and improved version (2017), including a Jesse Tree and ornaments, which my dear friend will be sharing about!

In the coming posts, you will hear more about how other families celebrate advent. We hope that their ideas will inspire your family to adopt Advent in your own unique way with the purpose of capturing your family’s heart with wonder and longing for Christ to fill your every need, during Christmastime and every time of the year.

7) Jesse Tree and Advent Wreath

Our 7th idea to help keep Christ at the center of Christmas is the Jesse Tree and Advent wreath. Listen to Sara Stainbrook share about her rich family legacy of faith.

I was blessed to grow up in a home with numerous Advent traditions that revolved around the anticipation and excitement of Jesus’ birth. As an adult, the struggle has been choosing my favorites and consistently doing them while wrangling 3 kids 4 and under! Two traditions that have been a constant for me are The Jesse Tree and The Advent Wreath.

The Jesse Tree is a daily devotional that begins with creation and moves through the Old Testament highlighting pivotal stories and ends with Christ’s birth. Each devo has a scripture and ornament to bring the story to life for littles. Everyday during the month of Dec. our family sits down, reads the devo/scripture, and then takes turns hanging the ornament each day (and yes, our kids fight over the honor of hanging the ornament). This is an excellent tradition for all ages, a gift that my family has shared with many, and also seen adults come to know Bible stories and Christ better through this.

Weekly, we also light the candles on our Advent Wreath, which is a tradition in the liturgical church. There are 4 candles for each Sunday of Advent: the prophecy candle, Bethlehem, Shepherd, and Angel candle. There can also be a fifth in the middle called the Christ candle. Growing up we also sang a song called ‘Light the Advent Candle’ as we would light it. On the first Sunday you light the first candle, on the second you light the first and second, and so on and so forth. The candles represent the light of Christ coming into the darkness of the world. The wreath sits in the middle of our table and is lit every night as we read our Jesse Tree devo.

Each serve as a focal point for conversation during our evenings and help us to slow down and center on what is truly important during this season. While my children are still quite young to fully grasp these traditions in their entirety, my prayer is that they would have fond memories and remember this legacy which was instilled in me by my own mother.

Sara Stainbrook

Sara Stainbrook is a wife and mostly stay at home mama to 3 kiddos, Oliver (4), Owen (2), & Cecilia 1 month. When she’s not busy wrangling her crew she works part time as a therapist, does calligraphy and watercolor, and enjoys being outside appreciating God’s creation.

8) The Wonder of the Greatest Gift

Agape Mom’s 8th idea to help keep Christ at the center of Christmas is “The Wonder of The Greatest Gift” by Ann Voskamp, an awesome Jesse Tree and Advent resource. Listen to Caroline Nelson story of introducing this new tradition in her family last year and how much they loved it!

Christmas has always been my favorite holiday to celebrate, and now that I have my own family and I’m married to Buddy the Elf, we knew we had to stop over doing it! The Wonder of the Greatest Gift book and our advent calendar with the nativity scene was an easy way to help us bring it all back to Jesus!

The Wonder of the Greatest Gift book is such a easy way to keep Jesus the main focus. The book comes with everything you need, the tree pops up and the ornaments are ready to be hung. We read the daily devotional every night at dinner so everyone can be a part of it, along with hanging the ornament.

This book is beautifully written and illustrated. It recaptures the sacredness of the Advent season and it helps the entire family understand and celebrate the epic pageantry of humankind from Adam to the Messiah. It continues to point you to the birth of Jesus and that his birth is just as important as his death and resurrection.

Adding the candy advent calendar with the nativity scene was just a another way to keep the fun going! Who doesn’t love some candy?! It helps the kids to visually countdown to the special day while keeping the main focus right on top with the nativity scene. The nativity candy advent is just another intentional way of showing them that it’s always about Jesus, and that his gift of life is why we continue to celebrate and give each other gifts because Jesus gave us the ultimate gift of his life.

Caroline Nelson

Hi, I’m Caroline Nelson and I’m a mama of three wonderful, crazy kids, ages 6, 4, and 2. I’m a stay-at- home, homeschooling mama who makes it through the day with Jesus first, and Dr. Pepper most!

9) Tracing Glory: The Christmas Story Through the Bible

Agape Mom’s 9th idea to help keep Christ at the center of Christmas is this family friendly Advent study that is brand new this season, and that the author Sarah Rice, is giving away for free!

The cliche’ “Jesus is the reason for the season,” is almost as overused as it is true. I know well that Jesus is the reason for the season. Of course, he is our hope in December and every month of the year! But just because I know it’s true doesn’t mean I function as if it’s true. In the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it’s all too easy to make very little room for Christ. If Jesus truly is the reason (and hope) for the season, then he must be central in my heart and home the whole month through. How do I make this my reality in the busiest month of the year when so many other things vie for my time and affections?

I have found that if Christ is not central during the first eleven months of the year, He won’t be central in the last month either. If I am not rooted in the Bible’s big story January through November, then I will miss the sheer magnitude of what I read in Luke chapter two during December. The centrality of Christ at Christmas is tied to my love for him and commitment to His Word every day of the year. It is also tied to my intentionality to think and plan ahead for a Christ-focused Christmas season.

Tracing Glory: The Christmas Story Through the Bible is twenty-four day Advent reading that I wrote for our family to use this December and for many Decembers to come. It begins looking back at creation and ends looking forward to the new creation, tracing Jesus Christ from start to finish. I wrote this devotional primarily for my boys because I want them to understand that the birth of Christ is the climactic event of a much larger story--a story about God’s mission to redeem sinful people for his glory.

This Advent resource can be printed and spiral bound or put into a three ring binder for organization and easy access. At the back of the document, I have included individual pictures of an ornament suggestion for each day. These are simple ornaments I have made or bought to use with our family. Each day of the Advent season, my children will unwrap the ornament that corresponds to the key scripture we will be focusing on and hang it on our Advent tree (see pictures). These ornaments can be easily replicated with simple craft supplies, or you can cut out the pictures given and use those as visuals with your children each day. Having a visual helps children grasp the meaning of the text and makes the advent reading fun for them.

Sarah was our guest blogger this week, and to read more about this study and the heart behind it, click here.

Sarah's head shot.jpg — Sarah Rice

Sarah Rice is a mother of three and pastor’s wife living in North Alabama. She holds a Masters of Arts in Biblical Counseling from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and writes regularly at gospelshapedwomanhood.com. She counsels, teaches and disciples women.

10) Wooden Jesse Tree Ornaments with The Jesus Storybook Bible

Agape Mom’s 10th idea to help keep Christ at the center of Christmas is Gospel-Centred Parenting handcrafted Jesse Tree ornaments that pull their Advent reading from the Jesus Story Book Bible by Sally Lloyd Jones.

I can’t think of a greater gift to give my kids under the tree this year then this gorgeous set of advent ornaments to treasure for years to come, helping us to see the grand story of God with Jesus as the hero, discovering Jesus on every page, in every story and application in the Bible.

If you already own the Jesus Storybook Bible and need some durable, handcrafted, wooden Jesse Tree ornaments, order from our friends, and be sure to use our partner link.

11) DIY Felt Jesse Tree with The Jesus Storybook Bible

Agape Mom’s 11th idea to help keep Christ at the center of Christmas is making your own DIY Felt Jesse Tree and using the Jesus Storybook Bible leading up to Christ’s Birth! Thank you Tyler Carris for sharing this idea with us. I love her story of wanting to make the Jesse Tree hands on and accessible to be what inspired the idea. Read on below!

The Christmas that my oldest daughter was two and my youngest daughter was brand new, I wanted to start an Advent tradition for our family as a way to keep our focus on Jesus during the holiday season. A friend of mine mentioned the tradition of a Jesse Tree, which tells the story of the Bible through ornaments from creation to the birth of Christ, and I loved the idea.

I wanted to make it as accessible as possible for little ones. It just so happened that I had already made a little felt tree with felt ornaments for my daughter to play with (in a failed attempt to distract her from destroying the actual Christmas tree), so I merged the two ideas.

As I was making the Jesse Tree ornaments and thinking about the stories they represented, I realized that our favorite children’s Bible, The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones lined up with this concept almost perfectly. There are 24 chapters from the beginning of the book through the story of the wise men visiting the Christ child, which is perfect for reading one story a night from December 1st to Christmas Eve.

The ornaments are nothing fancy – just felt and hot glue in simple shapes. I tried to choose an object that would best represent each story, but also wouldn’t be too complicated to make. It’s amazing how, even as young as two years old, children can learn to associate each ornament with its specific story. And of course they love being able to put a new ornament on the tree each night, all by themselves.

I love walking through the Bible with my family in this way. It’s a sweet tradition that I know will only grow sweeter each year as I watch my children grow in their understanding of the true meaning of Christmas.

Here’s a breakdown of the ornaments that I made for our tree.

1) A tree. It represents the Jesse Tree itself (Isaiah 11:1). (I actually think this one is a little too abstract. I might swap this ornament out for a Bible ornament.)

2) The earth, for the creation story.

3) The apple, for the fall.

4) A rainbow, for Noah’s ark.

5) The tower of Babel.

6) A starry sky, for God’s promise to Abraham.

7) A ram, for Abraham and Isaac.

8.) A girl, for the story of Jacob, Rachel, and Leah.

9) A rainbow robe, for Joseph and his brothers

10) A burning bush.

11) Waves, for Moses and the Red Sea.

12) Stone tablets, for the Ten Commandments.

13) A horn, for the battle of Jericho.

14) A crown, for Samuel anointing David.

15) A spear, for David and Goliath. (I went the easy route here. Making a felt sling shot seemed too complicated.
16) A lamb, for David the Shepherd King.

17) A first aid kit, for the little slave girl and Naaman.

18) A letter, for Isaiah’s prophecies.

19) A lion, for Daniel.

20) A big fish, for Jonah.

21) A party hat, for the Israelites returning from being slaves.

22) Baby Jesus in the manger, for the Nativity.

23) A star, for the story of the shepherds.

24) A present, for the story of the Wise Men.

Tyler Carris

Stay-at-home mom to two sweet girls and wife of Nick. Tyler is part of the original Agape Moms, based in Lithia, FL. You can relate with the ramblings of her often sleep deprived mind by visiting her blog, https://www.thecarriswheel.com/

12) Giving Advent

Agape Moms’ 12th idea to help keep Christ at the center of Christmas is “Giving Advent.” Listen to Lisa Schaefer share her heart on this new tradition this year.

Ever since my first child was born I realized how much stuff children received from everyone and everywhere. Some of their stuff is necessity but a lot of it is not. As my children get older they get even more stuff. At school they will come home with prizes for every reason known to man. You were good in school this week? Here’s a prize. You got good grades? Here’s a prize. We go out to eat and their meal comes with a prize. The list could go on. Prizes make great incentives to teach children when they are younger, but as my children get older I find that they have become entitled in their thinking.

As we come to the season of Advent, we’ve had the tradition of a countdown to Christmas with a little goodie hidden behind each door. It’s a fun way to get the kids excited that Christmas is coming. But I’ve been thinking lately that I’d really like to find another way to impress on my kids that receiving gifts really isn’t the reason for the season. My kids know that Jesus’ birth is the real reason for the season, but I also want to give them a tangible lesson that gives them a better understanding of what Christ’s life looked like.

For the last 5 years we’ve had each of our children fill a box for children in need through Operation Christmas Child. We will continue with this tradition, but I’ve been feeling like I’d like to take it a step further. My kids get to pick out the gifts they put into the boxes, but we as parents are buying the gifts. It’s a great first step in teaching my kids how to give, but I wanted to take it to the next level by making it come directly from them.

This year I’ve decided to start a new “Giving Advent” tradition. I gathered my kids and we talked about how blessed we are. Each day in December they will choose a toy or item from their room that is still in really good condition and they will be giving it to another child who may not have much. We’ll also be studying a Bible verse each day that talks about giving.

Here are the Bible verses we will using for our daily study:

Day 1: Luke 3:10-11

Day 2: Proverbs 22:9

Day 3: Proverbs 19:17

Day 4: Proverbs 29:7

Day 5: 1 Timothy 6:17-18

Day 6: Psalm 41:1-3

Day 7: Acts 20:35

Day 8: Psalm 112:5-7

Day 9: Proverbs 21:26

Day 10: Proverbs 28:27

Day 11: 2 Corinthians 9:7

Day 12: Deuteronomy 15:10

Day 13: Romans 12:20-21

Day 14: Luke 6:35

Day 15: Matthew 19:21

Day 16: Acts 2:24-26

Day 17: Galatians 2:10

Day 18: Romans 12:13

Day 19: Hebrews 13:16

Day 20: Ephesians 4:27-28

Day 21: Matthew 5:42

Day 22: Luke 6:38

Day 23: Psalm 112:9

Day 24: Psalm 21:26

Day 25: James 2:26

Lisa Schaefer

Lisa Schaefer is a stay-at-home mom of 3 school-aged children. She loves to make things and be creative. She has a Bachelor's degree in Art Education. She's originally from Pennsylvania and has lived in Valrico, Florida for the last 3 years. Christmas is her favorite time of year!

13) Gifting Practical Needs through Compassion International

Agape Mom’s 13th idea to help keep Christ at the center of Christmas is gifting a practical need through Compassion International.

Our family has enjoyed this tradition for multiple reasons. Just like many of you, we are trying to push back against the entitlement and materialism of America, and we are trying to instill compassion in the hearts of our children, opening their eyes to see that there are children who have very different needs and Christmas lists than we do.

Allowing our kids to help pick out a gift from the very extensive catalog on the Compassion Int. website, from goats, cows and chickens to education, Bibles and bikes, it is a very tangible way to involve them in the joy of giving. Compassion Int. is also a trusted, gospel-centered organization that is safe and worthwhile to give to and partner with.

After my kids choose their gift, I wrap a visual reminder and put it under the tree for the kids to open on Christmas morning so that they can remember their gift and have the chance to stop and pray for the recipient. (I’m holding a goat stuffed animal in this pic.) I love the contrast this moment is to the Christmas wrapping mess you see behind us, inviting my kids to think beyond themselves, and to give out of the abundance that Christ gives to us, both spiritually and materially.

We don’t give to make ourselves feel good, we give out of compassion, and out of the overflow of the love that Christ has so freely lavished on us. I pray my kids will look forward to this act of love more and more each year! This year they’ve chosen to give chickens.

There are others ways to do this besides through Compassion, and I’d love to hear of more that specifically link these gifts back to the gospel.
Click here for the link to the Compassion Charitable gift catalog.

14) Operation Christmas Child

Agape Mom’s 14th idea to help keep Christ at the center of Christmas is filling shoeboxes with Operation Christmas Child! Linda Miller shares her passion for this ministry with us below.

For years I struggled with: "what was my purpose here, in life??” How did God want to use me, to show others who He is?

CHILDREN!! I love being with children and 10 years ago I was given the opportunity to teach in Children's Church & tell them who Jesus is and how much He loves them!

Three years ago, I was given another opportunity to work with children! Our church became a Drop Off Depot for Operation Christmas Child. OCC is a ministry of Samaritan's Purse, that serves children all over the world, who don't know Jesus!

Shoeboxes are filled with hygiene items, school supplies & toys & given to children who have never before been the recipient of a gift! They are then given the opportunity to learn about Jesus... but I believe the greatest gift they received in learning the "love of Jesus,” was through a gift, from a stranger, in another country!

This is a great way to keep Christ in Christmas! To learn more, click here to visit their website.

Linda Miller

Linda Miller is a wife, mother of 5 grown children( 4 sons & 1 daughter) & "grandma" to 12 grandchildren.

15) Write a Christmas, After-Action Report to Yourself

Agape Mom’s 15th idea to help keep Christ at the center of Christmas is to write a Christmas after-action report to yourself! I’ve borrowed this idea from Leigh-Ann Reid and it has helped me so much! Read her thoughts below.

At the beginning of every new year, before closing up the last bin of Christmas decorations, I sit down and write myself a letter I have appropriately titled the “Christmas After-Action Report.” The intent it so meditate on how things went for us during the Christmas season. It’s a spiritual, emotional and logistical recounting of how I’m feeling after all the presents have been opened, the nativities put away, and the lights taken down.

What were the big takeaways? What is weighing on my heart as I look back? Do I feel like we adequately meditated as a family on the birth of our Savior? Did we spend too much money? Did we try new things that didn’t work? Did we skip something that I really wish we had done?

Common themes of past letters have been:

Gratitude in having my family together after having a deployed husband the year prior. (How easy it is to take basic togetherness for granted!)
Kids outgrowing activities or devotionals that we used to really enjoy but that they have moved on from...time to start looking for something new for next year.
Areas where I felt completely stressed out in the moment, but which inevitably, when it was all said and done, were unimportant. (Having a spotless house for pop-in guests comes to mind. Over-buying Christmas gifts. Spending money that ultimately could have been saved without making much difference. Cramming in Christmas outings that inevitably made my family feel worn-out, rather than just enjoying quiet evenings at home over advent discussions).
What did we do Christmas Eve that everyone raved about or didn’t like? Christmas morning? Did a friend share a great Christmas casserole recipe that I don’t want to forget about next year?

I put the letter on top of a box of ornaments or decor that I know will be one of the first I’ll pull out the following Thanksgiving eve. Sitting down to read last year’s letter recalibrates me before any chaos even begins. It helps me to plan, helps me to get spiritually prepared, helps me to pare down on things that will unnecessarily cause anxiety or stress as we enter into the new Christmas season, and blesses me as I read all the letters of past Christmases and reminisce about how God has blessed us year after year.

Leigh-Ann Reid

Leigh-Ann Reid is a passionate follower of Jesus, a Marine Corps spouse and a homeschooling mom of three. As a nomad military wife, she has been blessed to live, serve and glean wisdom from 10 unique communities in 16 wonderful years. Her passions are reading, writing, traveling and decorating cookies. And Target.

16) Big Prayer, Small Acts of Love

Agape Mom’s 16th idea to help keep Christ at the center of Christmas is big prayers and small acts of love. Ann Dunagan gives us some very simple and practical ways to spread the love of Jesus during the holidays.

Christmas is one of the easiest times of the year to be a strong witness for Jesus. When anyone says, “Happy Holidays,” encourage your children to be bold and friendly as you respond with a cheerful “Merry Christmas!” or “Jesus Loves You!” Don’t be afraid to invite people to your church or a special Christ-centered event, or to join you for a cup of coffee!

Pray specifically for your neighbors, and perhaps deliver Christmas cookies with hand-written cards or loving notes about God’s salvation. Visit elderly people in a nursing home and sing God-glorifying Christmas carols and talk to these precious people about the Lord. Specifically pray for relatives who need Jesus and maybe plan a little Christmas Eve “skit” performed by your sweet non-threatening kids, to clearly share the real salvation reason for Christ’s coming to earth!

Ann Dunagan

Ann Dunagan is a mom of 7, author, speaker and mission mobilizer (her family has shared the love of Jesus in over 100 nations and cares for over 1000 orphan children). Her books include The Mission-Minded Family (for parents), and The Whole World Needs Jesus (for kids).

17) Have Your Kids Throw a Bday Party for Jesus!

Agape Mom’s 17th idea to help keep Christ at the center of Christmas is helping your kids throw a birthday party for Jesus! I love how Kirstin Berger takes making a Birthday cake for Jesus to the next level with the fun family tradition!

Our Family celebrates Jesus’s birth with a birthday party! Now, I totally understand that the last thing a busy mom needs is to add one more thing to Christmas Day, especially if you are hosting. After all, if mom’s stressed out, no one is going to feel like celebrating! The most important thing is to have fun as a family with familiar birthday activities so that the kids associate this day with His birthday.

For example, Christmas dinner becomes Jesus’s birthday dinner. Sometimes this means having kid favorites like Mac N Cheese or freezer pizza along with the Grandparents’ favorite fixings. Other times it means breakfast for dinner complete with PJ’s and fuzzy slippers! Seriously, Jesus came for each of us and so everyone can help out whether it’s taping up a picture she colored as a decoration, blowing up balloons, or decorating the cake, let everyone have a part in getting ready for the party. This helps them anticipate the celebration of Christmas and not just the presents that come with it. (Don’t worry if they get more excited about the presents, they’re kids and the goal is to make happy memories of celebrating Jesus)

One of my favorite memories is the Christmas the grown-ups were poking each other with the blowout noise makers and the littles were trying to figure out how theirs worked. Don’t over think fun! It can be noise makers, playing catch with balloons, playing charades, or caroling, depending on the ages and stages of your family. Although, my kids like to pick out the cake and ice cream no matter how old they get. Singing Happy Birthday and celebrating Jesus’s birth as a birthday party reminds us that Jesus is the greatest gift of all.

Kirstin Berger

Kirstin Berger has been married to her husband, Steve for 18 years. They have 3 beautiful and spunky daughters ages 12, 10, and 4. As an Army Family they have had the opportunity to live in many different states and countries. Kirstin is grateful for the chance to learn from each of the many different women that God has placed in her life. She is currently a Mom Mentor in Mom Mastery University.

18) Reading The Christmas Story Around the Tree

Agape Mom’s 18th idea to help keep Christ at the center of Christmas is reading the Christmas story from Luke 2 under the tree.

Pair the reading each year with hot coco, candy, Christmas jammies, or something to look forward to. Whether you only read it one special time, multiple times in December, before you open gifts on Christmas morning, or before bed on Christmas Eve, this is an easy tradition to adopt that will help kiddos grasp the reason for the season!

In conclusion, a little more about who I am and Agape Mom’s mission. A few of our family’s traditions have been shared throughout this post. Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

Laura-xmasmini(67of77).jpg — Laura DiLeonardi

Laura is the founder of Agape Moms and is married to her Bible-college sweetheart of almost 10 years, has three kiddos, and is a self-professed "hotmess rescued by Jesus." Her passion is seeing lives continually transformed by the gospel. Jesus radically transformed her life in high school, and sent her on a wild ride of loving God and others ever since. This fall, she took the vision that God gave her for her local Agape Moms and put it into website form. Her mission here is equipping moms to make disciples in everyday, messy mom-life through a community driven blog and training to start your own local Agape Moms missional community.

Keeping Christ at the Center of Christmas Inspiration Blitz!