Tanzania Mission Trip update # 3
Monday, July 16
Written by: Zibby Shaw
Today we went and visited our first school, Lemanyata primary school. We were welcomed as we pulled in by all of the children singing and holding welcome signs with our names on them. We went straight to serving them porridge made of milk, sugar, corn, and nuts.
After the meal we went into the field and played with the all the kids. We taught them tag and some hand games. It was so exciting to see how happy they were to meet us. We watched a traditional Masai dance and were sang to by the women. During the dance they included all team members and we danced along with them as they dressed us up. The team received necklaces as thank you gifts.
We got to visit the class rooms and see how the kids learn. In a math class I visited, I saw the different strategies they use while learning. One thing I enjoyed the most is when the class gets a problem right they sing and dance in celebration. We then got to serve them rice and beans for lunch. This was a very moving part in the day. Seeing how happy the children were to receive this meal was eye opening to see how something so common for us is a gift for them. We said our goodbyes and now we’re spending our day at the market and catching up on some rest.
Monday, July 16, 2018
Tanzania Mission Trip update # 2
Sunday, July 15
By: Jeff Pruitt
After a well-earned, good night's rest, we set out early Sunday morning to Arusha National park for our first safari. The weather has been very mild so far, and today was no exception, with clouds blanking most of the sky and temperatures in the low 70's. While we welcomed the clouds keeping the temperatures down, it also obscured our view of Mt. Kilimanjaro ("Kili"), which is a key part of our trip through the park. After popping the roofs on our safari vehicles, we set out into the park - less than 10 minutes later, we came upon a herd of zebra and a tower of giraffes (yes, that is the correct term for a group of giraffes, according to our driver/tour guide, Gerald). These were Masai giraffes, the type native to Tanzania. Giraffes are very photogenic and seem to find no issue with 5 or 6 safari trucks full of gaggling tourists stop to look at them (the zebras never looked up from their breakfast). After a few minutes, we pressed on to our first (of at least 8) troops of baboons. The baboon population is thriving at Arusha and we were able to see all sizes of them - adults, adolescents, and even babies less than a month old. As we were leaving the baboons, we spotted a large bull elephant in the road - we all wanted to see an elephant, but were told we may or we may not. Gerald told us he was likely agitated, but he was gracious enough to stay close to the road to allow us some great pictures - he also trumpeted at us a time or two. We were all very excited - all of this wildlife less than 30 minutes into our day!
We proceeded to drive into more dense forest where we also saw some colobus monkeys. The tree canopy was dense and the air was cool - reminding me of the forests in the Smokey Mountains. We came to a lookout point that allowed us to look down into the valley below. Arusha NP includes two mountains, and a large volcanic crater (Ngurdoto Crater) containing both swamp and grasslands. After this stop, we loaded back into our vehicles to drive to another area of the park about an hour away, where we would have lunch. This was also a panoramic view of the crater and a clear, unobstructed view of Kili - unfortunately, though the sun had come out, there was still heavy clouds hiding the peak of the mountain from us. After such a great day, we were wondering whether we would get to see the great mountain!
Back in our vehicles, we then proceeded to a parking area before setting out on a hike with a park ranger (an armed escort to protect us from any wildlife). From a starting point about 3930 feet above sea level, we hiked an aggressive trail to about 5,300 feet for another sweeping view of the park, after our park ranger diverted us away from a herd of water buffalo. He was also able to share with us some interesting facts about the animals we were seeing as well as some of the fauna we saw on the way. We reached our destination, winded and a bit light-headed. Kili was there, but remained hidden from view! We hiked back down, then detoured to see Tululusia Falls - a 25 meter (about 80 feet) high water fall spilling into a split in the rock. It was incredibly loud, but made for a great photo shoot. We were foot sore and ready for a rest back in our vehicles, so we set out back to the parking area, briefly interrupted by our sharp-eyed park ranger spotting a juvenile puff adder just off the trail. Back in our vehicles, we set out to continue the main loop through the park. Grateful for the chance to sit and enjoy the cool breeze through the open canopy of the truck, we were not as attentive as we had been earlier in the day. We saw a few baboons and other small mammals, but really weren't expecting our trip could get any better. How wrong we were….
After reaching a small clearing for a short photo op with a single Masai giraffe and one of her young, we began to see signs of elephants - large piles of fresh dung on the road, broken tree branches, clear pathways cut by large animals - and began to wonder if we may get lucky again. We did - we stopped at a point in the road where there were 3 elephants just off the road - one on our right and two on our left. They were merrily feeding on the trees in the dense brush and seemed not to notice or care about us. Suddenly, one of the elephants on the left trumpeted and squared its enormous head at us, flapping its large ears and showing its massive tusks. It did not charge us, but gave us quite a show (and some great photos). We were very excited to have seen more elephants and were sharing our photos with each other when we came upon several other parked vehicles about 1000 feet from the park exit. They two had found some elephants - about 4-5 of them about 100 yards out in a field from us - including a baby! As we franticly took pictures of this great scene, we looked up to see the clouds had finally broken and Kili was there, in all of her snow-crowned glory! We continued to marvel at the wonder of it all, as several more elephants crossed the road behind us to join the others. It was spectacular!
I have been fortunate to see many of God's wonders in nature - Yosemite, The Grand Canyon, forests and animals of all shapes/sizes - but this surpassed everything I could have imagined. It was so peaceful to see these marvelous animals moving about in such a majestic and magical location - it was humbling to conceive of the gifts God has bestowed upon us through nature. We have all seen such beauty in books, computer posts and television shows - but nothing compares to experiencing it all in person, in the presence of friends and family.
Tomorrow, we are visiting one of the schools supported by The Lunch Project tomorrow and are looking forward to meeting the kids and continuing this great trip!
Sunday, July 15
By: Jeff Pruitt
After a well-earned, good night's rest, we set out early Sunday morning to Arusha National park for our first safari. The weather has been very mild so far, and today was no exception, with clouds blanking most of the sky and temperatures in the low 70's. While we welcomed the clouds keeping the temperatures down, it also obscured our view of Mt. Kilimanjaro ("Kili"), which is a key part of our trip through the park. After popping the roofs on our safari vehicles, we set out into the park - less than 10 minutes later, we came upon a herd of zebra and a tower of giraffes (yes, that is the correct term for a group of giraffes, according to our driver/tour guide, Gerald). These were Masai giraffes, the type native to Tanzania. Giraffes are very photogenic and seem to find no issue with 5 or 6 safari trucks full of gaggling tourists stop to look at them (the zebras never looked up from their breakfast). After a few minutes, we pressed on to our first (of at least 8) troops of baboons. The baboon population is thriving at Arusha and we were able to see all sizes of them - adults, adolescents, and even babies less than a month old. As we were leaving the baboons, we spotted a large bull elephant in the road - we all wanted to see an elephant, but were told we may or we may not. Gerald told us he was likely agitated, but he was gracious enough to stay close to the road to allow us some great pictures - he also trumpeted at us a time or two. We were all very excited - all of this wildlife less than 30 minutes into our day!
We proceeded to drive into more dense forest where we also saw some colobus monkeys. The tree canopy was dense and the air was cool - reminding me of the forests in the Smokey Mountains. We came to a lookout point that allowed us to look down into the valley below. Arusha NP includes two mountains, and a large volcanic crater (Ngurdoto Crater) containing both swamp and grasslands. After this stop, we loaded back into our vehicles to drive to another area of the park about an hour away, where we would have lunch. This was also a panoramic view of the crater and a clear, unobstructed view of Kili - unfortunately, though the sun had come out, there was still heavy clouds hiding the peak of the mountain from us. After such a great day, we were wondering whether we would get to see the great mountain!
Back in our vehicles, we then proceeded to a parking area before setting out on a hike with a park ranger (an armed escort to protect us from any wildlife). From a starting point about 3930 feet above sea level, we hiked an aggressive trail to about 5,300 feet for another sweeping view of the park, after our park ranger diverted us away from a herd of water buffalo. He was also able to share with us some interesting facts about the animals we were seeing as well as some of the fauna we saw on the way. We reached our destination, winded and a bit light-headed. Kili was there, but remained hidden from view! We hiked back down, then detoured to see Tululusia Falls - a 25 meter (about 80 feet) high water fall spilling into a split in the rock. It was incredibly loud, but made for a great photo shoot. We were foot sore and ready for a rest back in our vehicles, so we set out back to the parking area, briefly interrupted by our sharp-eyed park ranger spotting a juvenile puff adder just off the trail. Back in our vehicles, we set out to continue the main loop through the park. Grateful for the chance to sit and enjoy the cool breeze through the open canopy of the truck, we were not as attentive as we had been earlier in the day. We saw a few baboons and other small mammals, but really weren't expecting our trip could get any better. How wrong we were….
After reaching a small clearing for a short photo op with a single Masai giraffe and one of her young, we began to see signs of elephants - large piles of fresh dung on the road, broken tree branches, clear pathways cut by large animals - and began to wonder if we may get lucky again. We did - we stopped at a point in the road where there were 3 elephants just off the road - one on our right and two on our left. They were merrily feeding on the trees in the dense brush and seemed not to notice or care about us. Suddenly, one of the elephants on the left trumpeted and squared its enormous head at us, flapping its large ears and showing its massive tusks. It did not charge us, but gave us quite a show (and some great photos). We were very excited to have seen more elephants and were sharing our photos with each other when we came upon several other parked vehicles about 1000 feet from the park exit. They two had found some elephants - about 4-5 of them about 100 yards out in a field from us - including a baby! As we franticly took pictures of this great scene, we looked up to see the clouds had finally broken and Kili was there, in all of her snow-crowned glory! We continued to marvel at the wonder of it all, as several more elephants crossed the road behind us to join the others. It was spectacular!
I have been fortunate to see many of God's wonders in nature - Yosemite, The Grand Canyon, forests and animals of all shapes/sizes - but this surpassed everything I could have imagined. It was so peaceful to see these marvelous animals moving about in such a majestic and magical location - it was humbling to conceive of the gifts God has bestowed upon us through nature. We have all seen such beauty in books, computer posts and television shows - but nothing compares to experiencing it all in person, in the presence of friends and family.
Tomorrow, we are visiting one of the schools supported by The Lunch Project tomorrow and are looking forward to meeting the kids and continuing this great trip!
Saturday, July 14, 2018
Tanzania Mission Trip: update # 1
Saturday, July 14
End of day update from Sarah Brock:
Everyone is EXHAUSTED. We landed on time (early afternoon) and got through the visa process without concerns. Good news! All our luggage arrived with us! It was great to see our old friend, Ernest, and new friend, Moses, waiting as we exited the airport.
During the drive to TCDC from the airport, we caught a glimpse of the top of Mt Kilimanjaro, and the base of Mt Meru. We also saw cattle, goats, and donkeys being herded by kids and adults alike. The towns we drove through were busy - and a few people wanted to stop at the Saturday market! We didn’t, sadly. We had bungalows to get to!
The bungalows at TCDC are set up like dorm rooms. Two beds, two wardrobes, a long desk with two chairs, and a bathroom. The water pressure wasn’t great in the showers today, but it didn’t matter. It was refreshing to take one.
After settling in at TCDC and meeting the yard monkeys (they’re like squirrels in Charlotte), we ventured to Blue Heron (a favorite spot) for dinner. Pizzas, burgers, and spaghetti were eaten happily. But once our bellies were full, our team was ready for bed. 9:20 on a Saturday night and almost everyone is asleep on the way back to TCDC.
We’re leaving bright and early tomorrow for a safari day. We’re excited for what the day will bring!
End of day update from Sarah Brock:
Everyone is EXHAUSTED. We landed on time (early afternoon) and got through the visa process without concerns. Good news! All our luggage arrived with us! It was great to see our old friend, Ernest, and new friend, Moses, waiting as we exited the airport.
During the drive to TCDC from the airport, we caught a glimpse of the top of Mt Kilimanjaro, and the base of Mt Meru. We also saw cattle, goats, and donkeys being herded by kids and adults alike. The towns we drove through were busy - and a few people wanted to stop at the Saturday market! We didn’t, sadly. We had bungalows to get to!
The bungalows at TCDC are set up like dorm rooms. Two beds, two wardrobes, a long desk with two chairs, and a bathroom. The water pressure wasn’t great in the showers today, but it didn’t matter. It was refreshing to take one.
After settling in at TCDC and meeting the yard monkeys (they’re like squirrels in Charlotte), we ventured to Blue Heron (a favorite spot) for dinner. Pizzas, burgers, and spaghetti were eaten happily. But once our bellies were full, our team was ready for bed. 9:20 on a Saturday night and almost everyone is asleep on the way back to TCDC.
We’re leaving bright and early tomorrow for a safari day. We’re excited for what the day will bring!
Thursday, May 3, 2018
Grief Helps for Parents of Teens
4 Steps for Helping Youth through the Process of Grief
-Jilianne Booth
1. A Ministry of Presence: Put down your phone, plan a special meal or outing with your teen, sit and watch Netflix together, or blast some music together while driving in the car. Your goal during this time is to be fully present. Your call is to come alongside your child in purposeful, solid ways. Even of it seems strange to you that your child is so upset about someone she/he didn't necessarily know well, loss is loss. Their feelings are valid and healthy.
2. Listen: You can’t “fix” this for your youth or change how they feel. Each person experiences grief differently. There is no wrong or right way. Often for middle school students this may well be the first time someone they actually knew (even though not well) has died. You will want to remember that while grief is a totally healthy and normal reaction, grieving does not feel natural because it may be difficult to control the emotions, thoughts, or physical feelings associated with a death … especially a freak and horrific accident like Polly’s.
3. Reassure and Affirm. Again, it is not your job to "fix" anything .. but if the opportunity presents itself, affirm your student in that what they are feeling is ok:
It’s ok to be sad.
It’s ok to not understand.
It’s even ok to be mad at God (God is BIG and can totally handle that). See Lamentations 3:33.
It’s valid to hurt even if you didn’t know Polly that well. She was a part of our church and EYC family.
4. Join the Journey: Stages of Grief. Because I was one (my dad was killed by a drunk driver when I was 10 years old) ... I truly believe that the absolute best way to assist a grieving youth is to settle into a role of coming alongside them and accompanying them on their journey, called grief. That role, as mentioned above, is to be a listener and a calm presence in this emotionally chaotic time.
There are 5 universal stages of grief. In the grief process, it is normal for someone to go through these stages in a random order and even to return to previous stages. There is no right or wrong way. It may be especially helpful to remind your student that because everyone goes through the stages differently, they may need to be especially patient, loving, and understanding toward their peers who may be at a different point in the grief process than they are.
The stages of grief were developed by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross and are a part of the framework that makes up our learning to live with loss. I would encourage you to google Kubler-Ross for detailed information.
As you talk with your youth about the stages, it may be helpful to provide a visual representation to help them "see" the concept. Below is a fun meme that is built of emojis! Helping them hear about these stages equips youth to have some sense of order and is a practical tool to help control their emotional chaos. (This meme comes from www.qrius.com)
Grief in teens can look different from grief in adults. Per http://www.childandfamilymentalhealth.com: how a teen responds to the death may shift depending on: 1) their emotional level of maturity; 2) their relationship with the deceased; 3) their previous experiences with death and, 4) the nature of the death (anticipated or unexpected).
It is my prayer that this information is helpful and offers you some practical resources.
-Jilianne Booth
1. A Ministry of Presence: Put down your phone, plan a special meal or outing with your teen, sit and watch Netflix together, or blast some music together while driving in the car. Your goal during this time is to be fully present. Your call is to come alongside your child in purposeful, solid ways. Even of it seems strange to you that your child is so upset about someone she/he didn't necessarily know well, loss is loss. Their feelings are valid and healthy.
2. Listen: You can’t “fix” this for your youth or change how they feel. Each person experiences grief differently. There is no wrong or right way. Often for middle school students this may well be the first time someone they actually knew (even though not well) has died. You will want to remember that while grief is a totally healthy and normal reaction, grieving does not feel natural because it may be difficult to control the emotions, thoughts, or physical feelings associated with a death … especially a freak and horrific accident like Polly’s.
3. Reassure and Affirm. Again, it is not your job to "fix" anything .. but if the opportunity presents itself, affirm your student in that what they are feeling is ok:
It’s ok to be sad.
It’s ok to not understand.
It’s even ok to be mad at God (God is BIG and can totally handle that). See Lamentations 3:33.
It’s valid to hurt even if you didn’t know Polly that well. She was a part of our church and EYC family.
4. Join the Journey: Stages of Grief. Because I was one (my dad was killed by a drunk driver when I was 10 years old) ... I truly believe that the absolute best way to assist a grieving youth is to settle into a role of coming alongside them and accompanying them on their journey, called grief. That role, as mentioned above, is to be a listener and a calm presence in this emotionally chaotic time.
There are 5 universal stages of grief. In the grief process, it is normal for someone to go through these stages in a random order and even to return to previous stages. There is no right or wrong way. It may be especially helpful to remind your student that because everyone goes through the stages differently, they may need to be especially patient, loving, and understanding toward their peers who may be at a different point in the grief process than they are.
The stages of grief were developed by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross and are a part of the framework that makes up our learning to live with loss. I would encourage you to google Kubler-Ross for detailed information.
As you talk with your youth about the stages, it may be helpful to provide a visual representation to help them "see" the concept. Below is a fun meme that is built of emojis! Helping them hear about these stages equips youth to have some sense of order and is a practical tool to help control their emotional chaos. (This meme comes from www.qrius.com)
Grief in teens can look different from grief in adults. Per http://www.childandfamilymentalhealth.com: how a teen responds to the death may shift depending on: 1) their emotional level of maturity; 2) their relationship with the deceased; 3) their previous experiences with death and, 4) the nature of the death (anticipated or unexpected).
It is my prayer that this information is helpful and offers you some practical resources.
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Holy Week and Teens
Holy Week and Teens
-Jillianne Booth
03.28.18
Beginning to finish up the self-reflective, lamenting, solemn time that is the season of Lent, Palm Sunday offers us a more blissful occasion in the life of our worship. And there is something palpable and absolutely inspiring about the movement of the Holy Spirit in the celebration that is our Easter worship!
But what about the week in between the two? Holy week! A week that is most profound and meaningful in our Christian journey. Without Jesus, after all, would there even be much of a point to this Christian journey we have committed to? It's a week most easily skipped over because of busy-ness, Spring Break vacations, beautiful spring evenings, and because it is just not necessarily the most pleasant of a worship week ... and don't even get started on the quantity of worship services - there are just SO many (two and three a day at some points in the week)!
Talking to our teens about Holy week can be tough because it is gruesome, hard to understand, and uncomfortable. I mean, come on, who wants to touch another persons feet ... much less wash them on Maundy Thursday? And we don't like to think about or picture the beating Jesus surely endured or nails being driven through his hands and feet. And why in the heck would I get up and go to church a 3:00a.m. to participate in a prayer vigil?
Nevertheless, Christian discipleship calls us to go to the cross ... and sometimes that means propelling (read: dragging) our teens there.
I read an article this week from the Fuller Institute that imagined and highlighted several of the emotions that Jesus must have experienced during this week: disappointment, betrayal, and dread. Good news for parents trying to establish some connection to Jesus with our teens in Holy week (read: dragging our teens to the cross) ... these are emotions that adolescents understand. The fact that "Jesus can empathize with them and is present with them in these challenging emotions" truly humanizes Jesus to teens in ways that can help them move deeper in their relationship with Jesus.
Don't believe me? Just ask your teen to name some disappointments, betrayals, and dread that they experience with their peers, the world, and even you! Seriously! Create a safe place for them to talk about their feelings! You can create this safe space by practicing the following tips:
1. Do not judge! Have a "Botox brow" and not matter what - do NOT become defensive about what they tell you.
2. Just listen, listen, listen! Shut your mouth, for the most part, but be empathetic when appropriate ... "I remember when I was your age and something like that happened to me ...")
3. Do not try to fix it for them! You probably can't anyways plus from the perspective of many teens - you know nothing.
4. Do your best to relate their feelings back to Jesus! Connect them to Jesus by giving examples of what disappointment, betrayal, and dread you imagine He experienced. You may want to think this through ahead of the conversation.
Sunday night at youth group, our students participated in a modern day stations of the cross written specifically for teens. This presentation was done in PowerPoint with images on the screens! (You can check it out by clicking here). When we got to station 7 (Jesus is Nailed to the Cross), I was flabbergasted by the reaction of several of our students to the pain and treatment that Jesus received. It was as if they had never imagined what it was like for the nails to pierce Jesus' body. The grimaces on faces clearly spoke to the fact that they could not imagine that anyone would spit on Jesus. It was like they were hearing the story from a different perspective for the first time.
So, share the story. Make Easter have an even more profound connection for your adolescent! Look at the gruesome graphics and edgy modern day interpretations. Have open and frank discussions with your teen. Journal about or draw out the scenes and help your youth make an application to their life. Go to the media your teens are using and do a search for Holy Week or #holyweek. To these ends, here are a couple of resournces:
Passion Song - The Story of Hoy Week on YouTube
Holy Week Journaling Prompts for Teens
-Jillianne Booth
03.28.18
Beginning to finish up the self-reflective, lamenting, solemn time that is the season of Lent, Palm Sunday offers us a more blissful occasion in the life of our worship. And there is something palpable and absolutely inspiring about the movement of the Holy Spirit in the celebration that is our Easter worship!
But what about the week in between the two? Holy week! A week that is most profound and meaningful in our Christian journey. Without Jesus, after all, would there even be much of a point to this Christian journey we have committed to? It's a week most easily skipped over because of busy-ness, Spring Break vacations, beautiful spring evenings, and because it is just not necessarily the most pleasant of a worship week ... and don't even get started on the quantity of worship services - there are just SO many (two and three a day at some points in the week)!
Talking to our teens about Holy week can be tough because it is gruesome, hard to understand, and uncomfortable. I mean, come on, who wants to touch another persons feet ... much less wash them on Maundy Thursday? And we don't like to think about or picture the beating Jesus surely endured or nails being driven through his hands and feet. And why in the heck would I get up and go to church a 3:00a.m. to participate in a prayer vigil?
Nevertheless, Christian discipleship calls us to go to the cross ... and sometimes that means propelling (read: dragging) our teens there.
I read an article this week from the Fuller Institute that imagined and highlighted several of the emotions that Jesus must have experienced during this week: disappointment, betrayal, and dread. Good news for parents trying to establish some connection to Jesus with our teens in Holy week (read: dragging our teens to the cross) ... these are emotions that adolescents understand. The fact that "Jesus can empathize with them and is present with them in these challenging emotions" truly humanizes Jesus to teens in ways that can help them move deeper in their relationship with Jesus.
Don't believe me? Just ask your teen to name some disappointments, betrayals, and dread that they experience with their peers, the world, and even you! Seriously! Create a safe place for them to talk about their feelings! You can create this safe space by practicing the following tips:
1. Do not judge! Have a "Botox brow" and not matter what - do NOT become defensive about what they tell you.
2. Just listen, listen, listen! Shut your mouth, for the most part, but be empathetic when appropriate ... "I remember when I was your age and something like that happened to me ...")
3. Do not try to fix it for them! You probably can't anyways plus from the perspective of many teens - you know nothing.
4. Do your best to relate their feelings back to Jesus! Connect them to Jesus by giving examples of what disappointment, betrayal, and dread you imagine He experienced. You may want to think this through ahead of the conversation.
Sunday night at youth group, our students participated in a modern day stations of the cross written specifically for teens. This presentation was done in PowerPoint with images on the screens! (You can check it out by clicking here). When we got to station 7 (Jesus is Nailed to the Cross), I was flabbergasted by the reaction of several of our students to the pain and treatment that Jesus received. It was as if they had never imagined what it was like for the nails to pierce Jesus' body. The grimaces on faces clearly spoke to the fact that they could not imagine that anyone would spit on Jesus. It was like they were hearing the story from a different perspective for the first time.
So, share the story. Make Easter have an even more profound connection for your adolescent! Look at the gruesome graphics and edgy modern day interpretations. Have open and frank discussions with your teen. Journal about or draw out the scenes and help your youth make an application to their life. Go to the media your teens are using and do a search for Holy Week or #holyweek. To these ends, here are a couple of resournces:
Passion Song - The Story of Hoy Week on YouTube
Holy Week Journaling Prompts for Teens
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Advent is a time to hope. Advent is a time to prepare. Advent is a time to be expectant.
We are waiting for the baby Jesus. But how do we push past the busy-ness, the shopping, the school exams and projects? How do we get that feeling of anticipation and excitement? How the heck do we really (and practically) get our hearts ready?
YouTube.
Yep, YouTube is where I'm turning this Advent season. Here are some great resources that I hope our youth families will share around the dinner (or breakfast or whatever time works) table! And if there's not a time you are all together, consistently, start an Advent group chat with your family and friends! Share theses links ... one a day for Advent week 3 and Christmas Eve!
December 17
Advent in 2 minutes
December 18
Re-tooning the Nativity: Things in the Nativity, not actually in the Bible
December 19
Fa-la-la-la-la: Advent Conspiracy
December 20
Hallelujah
December 21
Slow Down: O Come, O Come Emmanuel
December 22
Silent Night Sand Art
December 23
A prayer for the Advent Season
December 24
We are waiting for the baby Jesus. But how do we push past the busy-ness, the shopping, the school exams and projects? How do we get that feeling of anticipation and excitement? How the heck do we really (and practically) get our hearts ready?
YouTube.
Yep, YouTube is where I'm turning this Advent season. Here are some great resources that I hope our youth families will share around the dinner (or breakfast or whatever time works) table! And if there's not a time you are all together, consistently, start an Advent group chat with your family and friends! Share theses links ... one a day for Advent week 3 and Christmas Eve!
December 17
Advent in 2 minutes
December 18
Re-tooning the Nativity: Things in the Nativity, not actually in the Bible
December 19
Fa-la-la-la-la: Advent Conspiracy
December 20
Hallelujah
December 21
Slow Down: O Come, O Come Emmanuel
December 22
Silent Night Sand Art
December 23
A prayer for the Advent Season
December 24
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Advent Resources for Families with Teens
Advent Starts Sunday! A GREAT time to slow it down ...
It truly is the most wonderful time of the year! Please are in the holiday spirit, for sure! That is evidenced by all the decorations I see up in my neighborhood, the fact that yesterday's Cyber Monday spending nearly doubled (or more) last year's spending, and Christmas carols already playing on the radio!
I think we, the people, want some happy. I think we NEED some happy. With all the drama happening in the news with politicians, famous people, and everyday people, we're just craving some happy. Christmas has become an easy reminder of happy. And we're stretching it more and more each year, it seems, even now decorating our houses BEFORE Thanksgiving!
All of these wonderful, happy "things" are awesome but "if we aren’t intentional to prioritize the Wonderful One of the season – Jesus – before we know it, our hearts and schedules will" just be full of things. We might miss out on the joy (and happy) God brings us in the greatest Gift ever!
When my preteen was younger, it was easier to do a nightly Bible story read or a devotional. But as he gets older, we get busier. Advent is a good time and reminder to slow it down! Wouldn't it be great to anticipate the baby Jesus like we anticipate the gift giving, decorating, time with extended family, and happy?
This year my family will be participating in a daily Advent devotional time (that will take us 5 minutes a day). Will you join us? We're going to try using THE WONDER OF THE GREATEST GIFT (an interactive Advent calendar with things to add to the tree and a daily devo). I highly recommend this resource but below are some other resources I found HERE that you can use during Advent in the days leading to Christmas! There are family devotionals and individual devotionals that are great for families with teens! If you have Amazon Prime, they will be here in plenty of time to start Sunday!
xxoo,
Jillianne
Unwrapping the Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp
Traces the coming of Christ through the Bible
Download & print or purchase accompanying Jesse Tree Ornaments
Prepare Him Room by Marty Machowski
Includes activities, songs, and historical fiction story
Companion music available from Sovereign Grace Music on Spotify
Jotham’s Journey by Arnold Ytreeide
Historical Fiction
Follow Jotham’s exciting adventure in and around Judea in the year of Christ’s birth.
1 of 4 Books in a series
All is Bright by Nancy Guthrie
Detailed coloring sheets for adults
Simplified coloring sheets for kids
Same devotional content as Guthrie’s “Let Every Heart”
Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room by Nancy Guthrie
Includes song lyrics & prayers
Same devotional content as Guthrie’s “All is Bright”
The Dawning of Indestructible Joy by John Piper
Daily excerpts from Piper’s sermons
Great book for personal devotions
Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus by Nancy Guthrie
Reading from 22 contemporary and classic theologians and Bible teachers.
Great book for personal devotions
It truly is the most wonderful time of the year! Please are in the holiday spirit, for sure! That is evidenced by all the decorations I see up in my neighborhood, the fact that yesterday's Cyber Monday spending nearly doubled (or more) last year's spending, and Christmas carols already playing on the radio!
I think we, the people, want some happy. I think we NEED some happy. With all the drama happening in the news with politicians, famous people, and everyday people, we're just craving some happy. Christmas has become an easy reminder of happy. And we're stretching it more and more each year, it seems, even now decorating our houses BEFORE Thanksgiving!
All of these wonderful, happy "things" are awesome but "if we aren’t intentional to prioritize the Wonderful One of the season – Jesus – before we know it, our hearts and schedules will" just be full of things. We might miss out on the joy (and happy) God brings us in the greatest Gift ever!
When my preteen was younger, it was easier to do a nightly Bible story read or a devotional. But as he gets older, we get busier. Advent is a good time and reminder to slow it down! Wouldn't it be great to anticipate the baby Jesus like we anticipate the gift giving, decorating, time with extended family, and happy?
This year my family will be participating in a daily Advent devotional time (that will take us 5 minutes a day). Will you join us? We're going to try using THE WONDER OF THE GREATEST GIFT (an interactive Advent calendar with things to add to the tree and a daily devo). I highly recommend this resource but below are some other resources I found HERE that you can use during Advent in the days leading to Christmas! There are family devotionals and individual devotionals that are great for families with teens! If you have Amazon Prime, they will be here in plenty of time to start Sunday!
xxoo,
Jillianne
Unwrapping the Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp
Traces the coming of Christ through the Bible
Download & print or purchase accompanying Jesse Tree Ornaments
Prepare Him Room by Marty Machowski
Includes activities, songs, and historical fiction story
Companion music available from Sovereign Grace Music on Spotify
Jotham’s Journey by Arnold Ytreeide
Historical Fiction
Follow Jotham’s exciting adventure in and around Judea in the year of Christ’s birth.
1 of 4 Books in a series
All is Bright by Nancy Guthrie
Detailed coloring sheets for adults
Simplified coloring sheets for kids
Same devotional content as Guthrie’s “Let Every Heart”
Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room by Nancy Guthrie
Includes song lyrics & prayers
Same devotional content as Guthrie’s “All is Bright”
The Dawning of Indestructible Joy by John Piper
Daily excerpts from Piper’s sermons
Great book for personal devotions
Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus by Nancy Guthrie
Reading from 22 contemporary and classic theologians and Bible teachers.
Great book for personal devotions
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)