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    Faithful Families for Advent and Christmas: 100 Ways to Make the Season Sacred
    Faithful Families for Advent and Christmas: 100 Ways to Make the Season Sacred
    Faithful Families for Advent and Christmas: 100 Ways to Make the Season Sacred
    Ebook133 pages1 hour

    Faithful Families for Advent and Christmas: 100 Ways to Make the Season Sacred

    By Traci Smith

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    About this ebook

    In the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it’s easy for families to forget the true meaning of the season. In this new book of faith practices for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany, parents, grandparents, Sunday School teachers, pastors, and anyone who cares about kids will find 100 easy, fun, and meaningful ideas for bringing the sacred back into the season. Divided into three sections of prayers, practices, and lessons, with pages decorated with whimsical Christmas doodles from the cover, Faithful Families for Advent and Christmas will delight kids and adults alike and offers families an abundance of ideas for making the Christmas season sparkle with faith and spirit.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherChalice Press
    Release dateAug 18, 2020
    ISBN9780827211377
    Faithful Families for Advent and Christmas: 100 Ways to Make the Season Sacred
    Author

    Traci Smith

    I currently live in southwestern Pennsylvania with my husband, Richard; my dog, Ceasar; and my cat, Luna. I am a horror fanatic. I enjoy writing, reading, watching movies, playing guitar, and listening to music.

    Read more from Traci Smith

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      Book preview

      Faithful Families for Advent and Christmas - Traci Smith

      Praise for Faithful Families for Advent & Christmas

      Smith shows us how to grow hope, peace, love, and joy in our homes. Full of fresh, engaging, and helpful prompts and ideas, this book is a gift! – Jennifer Grant, author of A Little Blue Bottle and Maybe God Is Like That Too

      "The gift of Traci Smith’s new book is that you can open it anywhere and find one simple, lovely thing to do, pray, tell, or make with your family that day (or let’s be honest, as Traci is, maybe the next day) to add joy and meaning to the holiday season. Advent is a time to draw near to God as God draws near to us in the birth of Jesus, and Faithful Families for Advent & Christmas is brimming over with wonderful, easy suggestions to help you do just that." —Wendy Claire Barrie, author of Faith at Home: A Handbook for Cautiously Christian Parents

      The beautiful thing about this book is that even though a plethora of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany practices are presented, author Traci Smith does not overwhelm families, but instead manages to encourage them to celebrate sacred moments and find together the true meaning of this holy season. This book truly is a treasure. —Glenys Nellist, author of ’Twas The Evening of Christmas and ’Twas The Season of Advent

      Traci creatively turns all kinds of simple acts into opportunities for both sweet and profound connection. —Arianne Braithwaite Lehn, author of Ash and Starlight: Prayers for the Chaos and Grace of Life

      Can you have too much of a good thing? Not if you’re talking about Traci Smith’s creative ideas for infusing faith into daily life. This book is a gift to all who want to enrich the spiritual lives of families as they celebrate Advent and Christmas with one another. Within these pages are rich insights, honest prayers, and compelling practices. Unwrap them with your family and enliven the spirit and the spiritual of the holidays. —David M. Csinos, Atlantic School of Theology and Founder of Faith Forward

      As promised, far from taxing families with MORE to do during hectic Advent and Christmas seasons, Rev. Traci Smith offers families what we really need: LESS to do. In each of these simple, hands-on practices, Smith gives families the tools to slow down, wait, and focus on all that Jesus coming into the world means. This is a must-have for any family or children’s ministry leader’s library. —Caryn Rivadeneira, author of Grit and Grace: Heroic Women of the Bible

      "Christmas can be overwhelming, and the faith we affirm can get lost in the shuffle. Faithful Families for Advent & Christmas will help families claim their home as a sanctuary from the overwhelming rush of Christmas. Families will also find everything they need to prepare for and celebrate Christmas. Families of all sizes and ages will find ideas to deepen their faith and grow closer to each other." —Lee Yates, Project Manager for InsideOut Outdoor Ministries Resources

      Copyright

      Copyright ©2020 by Traci M. Smith.

      All rights reserved. For permission to reuse content, please contact Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-­8400, www.copyright.com.

      Bible quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the New

      Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of

      Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of

      Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All

      rights reserved.

      Cover design and art: Paul Soupiset

      Interior design: Connie H.C. Wang

      ChalicePress.com

      PRINT: 9780827211360

      EPUB: 9780827211377

      EPDF: 9780827211384

      Dedication

      For Samuel, Marina Lynn, and Clayton

      With love, Mom

      Contents

      Praise for Faithful Families for Advent & Christmas

      Copyright

      Dedication

      OPENING WORDS

      The Faithful Families Perspective on Advent and Christmas

      Notes for Parents and Guardians

      A Note on Ages

      Notes for Ministry Leaders

      Chapter 1: Beginnings

      Spiritual Practices for Beginning the Season

      Prayers for Beginning the Season

      Chapter 2: Decorating

      Spiritual Practices for Decorating

      Prayers and Blessings for Decorating

      Chapter 3: Family Time

      Spiritual Practices for Family Time

      Prayers and Blessings for Family Time

      Chapter 4: Giving

      Spiritual Practices for Giving

      Prayers for Giving

      Chapter 5: Telling the Story

      Chapter 6: Advent Values

      Reflecting on the Advent Values

      Prayers for the Advent Values

      Chapter 7: Difficult Moments

      Spiritual Practices for Difficult Moments

      Prayers for Difficult Moments

      Chapter 8: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

      Spiritual Practices for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

      Prayers for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

      Chapter 9: The 12 Days of Christmas and Epiphany

      Spiritual Practices for the 12 Days of Christmas and Epiphany

      Prayers for the 12 Days of Christmas and Epiphany

      Chapter 10: Endings

      Spiritual Practices for Ending the Season

      Prayers for Ending the Season

      Acknowledgments

      About the Author

      OPENING WORDS

      I don’t know who first said that parenting comprises long days and short years, but I have found this to be a powerful truth in my experience as a parent. Sometimes there is a daily grind of grubby fingers, skinned knees, peanut butter sandwiches, and piles of dishes. And then, out of nowhere… poof! My child is nine years old. How did that happen when, just yesterday, he was learning to walk on his own two feet? All those mothers who told me it goes by so fast were telling me the truth, even though I didn’t believe it. 

      As a writer who focuses on connecting faith to practice, particularly for families, I am mindful that one of the remedies for making the long days count is a deliberate focus on ritual to mark the moments. It doesn’t take long,  just a few minutes in the midst of ordinary life to slow down, and say this day will not pass by unnoticed. 

      There are way more ideas in this book than you need. Just pick out a few of them and your work is done. Don’t worry about everything being perfect or tidy; the effort you make is everything. As you try to make

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