And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. – Luke2:10
During the holidays, St. Luke’s Children’s Centers have many activities planned for both staff, parents, and children. Specialevents start in November with our All-Family Thanksgiving dinner. We invite all the parents and children from our Children’sCenters to join us for a wonderful dinner prepared by our amazing kitchen staff. Our teachers serve our parents and children andthen have the opportunity to sit together and share fellowship that they are not able to have on a daily basis.
As we move into December, we start the month with our Christmas Sing. This is where our classes pick songs for the children toperform and we have a special afternoon that includes parents, grandparents, and any other family or friends who can come andwatch the children perform. They start learning these songs in September or October, so they are more than ready for this event. Wehave lots of parents recording and cheering for their children. This is such a special day and something that will be remembered forthe rest of their lives.
December also brings a time for us to celebrate our teachers. Each year, we set aside an evening for our staff to come to thechurch, bring their significant other, and be celebrated with dinner and a Christmas Bonus as a token of our appreciation for all thehard work they have done to care for the children at the centers.
We want our staff to be able to spend time with their families and celebrate the true meaning of the Christmas season. Wealso want to teach our children the true meaning and story of Christmas, how Jesus was born in Bethlehem in a manger in astable. This is done with the help of our Children’s Ministry team during Chapel each week. They share with the children and ourteachers the miracle of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through stories and songs. The children enjoy this time ofpraise and learning and look forward to it on Wednesday mornings.
These special events and lessons are what lay the foundation for our children and encourage our staff to prepare for God’s gift onChristmas.
Is there something you can do for someone in your life to lay the foundation for them to learn the true meaning of theChristmas season? I hope you, too, will take each and every opportunity to share this special season with the children around you in the same way St. Luke’s shares this with our families.
Gabrielle Moon, Executive Director St. Luke’s Children’s Centers
