The holidays provide teachers with many opportunities to present Jesus and what He has done for us.
The holiday seasons also present some challenges due to secular traditions surrounding these celebrations.
Even adults can get caught up in the trappings that go with these traditions to the point they forget or neglect important things like their relationship with the Lord. We so easily forget the greatest reason to party, what really needs to be adorned, and the truly indescribable gift. That is why I wrote the Christmas Reminders Curriculum for adults.
While children can also need reminders, they more so need help making the distinction between truth and fiction. Think about Cupid, the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus — What do teachers do about these fictional characters and other symbols surrounding the different holidays?
The story of Christmas and Easter of the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus that happened because of the love of God is not only the greatest valentine but it is true, not a mere fable. The power of God to raise Jesus from the dead and perform all the other miracles written in the Bible is real, not make-believe power.
As we approach the holidays, give teachers resources, or at least refer them to resources, that will help them explain the holidays more clearly and present Jesus accurately, authentically, and as absolute truth. Perhaps some of the holiday ministry resource pages on the MinTools.com site will help:
Halloween
Thanksgiving
Christmas
New Year’s
Valentine’s Day
Easter