"S" For Service

Christ Reasoning with Peter, by Giotto di Bondone (Italian Painter from the late Middle Ages)

Song: I'm Trying to Be like Jesus (CS pg. 78-79)

Activity: Have some footprints making a path around the house to the picture of Christ washing His disciples feet. Have the picture covered so it will be a surprise. To get to the picture, a family member will have to say something related to service, whether it be a scripture, a way to serve or song they can think of on each footprint.

Scripture: John 13:4-15 (Story of Christ washing His disciples feet)
Emphasize verse 15 "For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you."

Activity: Further explore the concept of service by having a special desert. Everyone will work together to help out. Have strips of paper with things like "Please put on table cloth.", "Please put plates on the table.", "Please light the candle." etc. in a can and let each family member draw one strip to see what they can do. This is what our family is going to indulge in! I wonder who will pull the "Please put on whip cream."... Hopefully it's my 2 year old!!

Bear Testimony

Christmas is a time to bring forth good fruit.

Read Matthew 7: 16-20
" Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good bruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."

Display GAK 213 (Jesus Healing the Blind Man) 234 (Jesus shows His wounds) and any other favorite pictures of Christ.

Free Clip Art image found on google.com

Make a picture of a tree and say This is Jesus’ tree. Come up with as many ideas as you can to label the fruit- that is things that Jesus did in His life that were “good fruit”.

Add a couple apples of things you have noticed about each other in your family. E.g. Mom wants to put up an apple of Christina giving her sister a hug when she was hurt. We can bring forth good fruit just like our Savior.

Christmas is a time of Kindness.

Jesus taught His disciples that when you are kind to others, you are being kind to Him. He said, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” Matthew 25:40

Ann Jamison, “Sharing Time: Christmas All Year,” Friend, Dec 2000, 11

"A mosaic is a picture made of small pieces of colored materials such as stone, glass, or tile. You can make one using pieces of colored paper or cloth. Cut the scraps of paper or cloth into many small pieces...arrange your pieces on the drawing. Use different colors of paper or cloth to make the picture, just as you might use crayons or paints (see illustration).

When you have the pieces positioned the way you want them, glue each one in place. You can make many more Christmas mosaics by drawing your own pictures and gluing the colored scraps in place. Just as a mosaic is made of many little pieces, you can show that you remember Jesus’ birthday all year by doing many little acts of kindness and love."

Image by Thomas S. Child

As an added suggestion, as you glue little pieces to the paper talk about all the different things you can think of that Jesus did for others. See if you can come up with as many acts of kindness He showed as scraps of paper. Also, we are going to be making one mosaic as an entire family.