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Christmas Vacation: a 5-Week Teaching Series for Children's Ministry TOPIC: Christmas SCRIPTURE: the Gospels DECORATING THEME: Tropical Christmas AGE GROUP: Elementary (Get the Preschool version here !) (Get the Students version here !) Grab your sandals, sunblock, and swim gear because it's time for a Christmas Vacation! We'll be making sand angels and roasting chestnuts around an open bonfire on our tropical getaway. You've never experienced Christmas like this! In this five-week series, we'll focus on the birth of Jesus and the way God had been planning things from the very beginning. We'll see how God sent Jesus for a reason , learn to trust God's timing , understand why God gives us what's best , see how Jesus is why we celebrate because Jesus is God's gift to the world. BIG IDEAS & BIBLE STORIES God sent Jesus for a reason. (The Word Became Flesh: John 1:1-17; Psalm 80:1-7) We can trust God's timing. (The Birth of John Foretold: Luke 1:5-25; 2 Peter 3:8-15) God gives us what's best. (The Birth of Jesus Foretold: Luke 1:26-55; Isaiah 61:1-4) Jesus is why we celebrate! (Jesus is Born!: Luke 2:1-20; Psalm 89:1-4) Jesus is God's gift to the world. (Simeon and Anna meet Jesus: Luke 2:22-40; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15) WEEKLY CURRICULUM SUMMARIES: This week, kids hear how the Word became flesh through Jesus. A Christmas vacation might sound like fun in the sun, but the real reason we celebrate goes way beyond beach balls and bonfires. This week, we learn that Jesus-God's own Son-came to live among us and show us what God is really like. From the very beginning, God had a plan, and God sent Jesus for a reason. This week, kids hear how the birth of John was foretold to Zechariah. Waiting isn't easy-especially when you're counting down to something exciting, like opening gifts or jumping into a pool on vacation! This week, Zechariah and Elizabeth learn they'll have a baby, even though they've been waiting a long time. God's timing doesn't always match ours, but it's always right, and we can trust God's timing. This week, kids hear how the birth of Jesus was foretold to Mary. God doesn't always give us what we expect-God gives us what we truly need. This week, the angel tells Mary she'll give birth to Jesus, the Savior of the world. It wasn't the easiest path, but it was the best one, and it reminds us that God gives us what's best. This week, kids hear how Jesus was born in Bethlehem. We celebrate a lot of things during Christmas-lights, music, gifts-but none of those matter as much as who we're celebrating. This week, we see Jesus born in a small town in a quiet place, changing everything. His birth is the brightest light, the most beautiful song and the greatest gift. Jesus is why we celebrate! This week, kids hear how Simeon and Anna met Jesus in the temple. Some gifts come wrapped in bows, but the best gift of all came wrapped in a blanket in a temple. This week, two people named Simeon and Anna meet baby Jesus and instantly know he's the Savior. They waited a long time to see him-and now we can celebrate too, because Jesus is God's gift to the world. MEMORY VERSE: "The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world." - John 1:9 (NIV)

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