United Church of Christ
United in Spirit and inspired by God’s grace, we welcome all, love all, and seek justice for all.
The Minnesota Conference United Church of Christ (UCC) equips a courageous Church alive with Christ’s transforming love.
Scripture Text | Luke 1:1-25
Wonderings
1
How is God asking us to trust and keep our faith strong?
2
When has an “angel” spoken to you or you have been an “angel” for someone else?
Games/Movement
Feel the Heat
Materials: candle lighter or matches; Advent Wreath with five candles; optional: print the instructions.
How to: Set up an unlit Advent Wreath in an accessible space for children. Light the first two Advent Wreath candles and observe them together as they melt down a bit.
- Ask: How do you think it feels to melt? How do you think it feels to become a completely different shape?
- Then, stepping away from the flames: Invite everyone to be like a melting candle. Relax, drape, be loose.
- Pretend to ‘take a photo’ of each person’s creation before inviting them to try a new shape with their body. Repeat 5-6 times, encouraging creative body shapes and positions. They can share their ‘photos’ when you come back together as a group.
Reflect:
- How does it feel to be all floppy and loose?
- How many different shapes can your body make when it is melted down?
- How do you decide what shape to take?
- How does it feel when we take on a new shape?
Creative Project
Make a Peace Wall
Materials: white and colored paper, markers, pencils, decorative papers, collage materials.
How to: After sharing a picture book or participating in a contemplative practice, prompt this activity by asking, “What does peace look or feel like to you?”
- Invite participants to create a “brick” (piece of paper) that will help build a peace wall.
- For small groups, invite more brick-making to create a mightier peace wall. Discuss what each person creates and why.
- Arrange the bricks on a wall at home or in a public area and reflect on them together.
Reflect:
- Who else can we make peace bricks for?
- Why might we need a brick wall?
- What are other ways to represent strength?
Caring for the Common Good
Hosting a reverse advent calendar donation drive?Check in with kids to learn how their Daily Giving Challenge is going and offer encouragement to keep going (or restart relaxed efforts).
Assemble & Share Stress Fidgets
Simple, tactile, and as fun to create as they are to share, this giving project offers kids the opportunity to think carefully about how they react to strong emotions and how they can support others. Discover more detailed instructions and resources for balloon fidgets here.
Invite youth to create three fidgets:
- one to soothe their own anxieties,
- one to share with a friend or community hero, and
- one to share with an organization supporting children in crisis.
Reach out to local professionals who may use fidgets in their work with children in crisis, like trauma therapists or social workers. Ask if they would appreciate fidgets as a small gift to share with clients, and if so, how many could they use.
Reflect:
- How can we use a fidget to help us find our inner calm?
- How can talking about feelings help us be more understanding of others?
- How do you think other kids will feel when they receive our donated fidgets?Whom do you plan to give you fidget to, personally?
Books
Picture Books
- Peace by Baptiste Paul and Miranda Paul
Peace is on purpose. Peace is a choice. Peace lets the smallest of us have a voice. - Peace is an Offering by Annette LeBox
Discover how acts of kindness bring peace to your heart.
Chapter Books
- The Science of Breakable Things by Tae Keller
This uplifting story explores the science of the heart, depression, hope, and friendship. - Shouting at the Rain by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
“Thing is, the sun is always in the sky – it just gets hidden sometimes.” This hopeful, heart-warming story is full of big-ideas to discuss.
Additional Resources
- Alternative service-minded projects may include:
- Create greeting cards with notes of encouragement and peace for community heroes and essential workers.
- Additional picture books: Charlotte and the Quiet Place by Deborah Sosin.
- Browse additional peaceful books in these collections: Picture Books to Encourage Mindfulness and Chapter Books about Mindfulness and Gratitude.