Every year we make special memories around the beautiful green tree in our living room. Each ornament on our tree represents an important moment or reminds us of a person who made an impact in our lives. The kids love to pull out the ornament box and decorate the tree, and we laugh together as each ornament prompts another memory. God loves it when we remember what He has done in our lives (Psalm 105:5).
In the traditional Christmas carol “O Christmas Tree,” we sing, “Thy leaves are so unchanging.” During Advent season, the Christmas tree’s “unchanging” leaves can represent God’s unchanging presence in our lives (Hebrews 13:8). This month, create special ornaments with your faith community to remind you of God’s unchanging promises and the important people He has placed around you.
What You’ll Need:
• small sticks (1 per family, about 5” or 6” long, from your yard or the park)
• ribbon (10 pieces per family, each piece about 7” long; you can get about 5 pieces per yard)
• scissors (several pairs)
• hot glue gun
• twine (about 6” per family)
• yellow buttons (1 per family)
• optional: lighter
What You’ll Do:
Invite each family in your faith community to bring 10 pieces of ribbon (or rickrack), each about seven inches long, to your Advent gathering. As the host, you will supply the sticks, twine, and buttons. Each family should pick ribbon to represent each member of their family or something specific that happened in their lives during the year. A person who loves gardening might choose ribbon with flowers, or a family that took a vacation to the beach might choose shades of blue. At your gathering, each family will share the reason they chose their ribbon(s) with the group. After each family creates the Christmas tree part of the ornament (see below), give each family a yellow button. The yellow button represents your group—and all of God’s promises yet to be fulfilled in your lives together as a community of believers.
1. Tie the seven-inch pieces of ribbon down the stick.
2. Trim the ribbon into the shape of a Christmas tree.
3. Optional: Use the lighter to lightly burn the cut edges of the ribbon to prevent fraying.
4. Loop the twine to create a hanger and hot glue it to the top of the tree.
5. Hot glue the yellow button over the end pieces of the twine hanger to create the star.