Top 20 Ideas for a Joy-Filled Christmas

Personal:

1. Start each day of the holidays alone with God. You can take passages like Psalm 103:1-6 and Isaiah 9:6, 7 and pray through each verse. Pause and spend time with Jesus, day by day, as you connect with the One who created you (Lord’s Prayer resource attached below).
2. Take at least one day to put your phone down. Decide on a certain time you can text or check your email, but take a few hours to resign from the frantic, constant communication and spend time together with your family. During this season, it is so important for us to pause and take time to engage with the great love Jesus has for us and our love for one another.
3. After Christmas, take time to do the Roles & Goals worksheet (attached below).

Family and People I Gather With

4. Pick a family game to play every day and build on it throughout the holiday. It can be a card game or a board game. Our family finds so much joy and love in doing something fun together.
5. Join our church family for our Christmas Eve service and New Year’s Eve Day service.
6. Find someone to give to. Whether to an individual or a cause, find someone or something outside your immediate family that you can give to and show Christ’s love to this holiday season.
7. Watch “The Chosen Christmas Special.”
8. Do a Christmas cookie decorating contest or baking contest.
9. Drive around and look at Christmas lights and have everyone secretly pick their favorite house. After you get back home, talk about your favorite!
10. Make or give Christmas gifts to your mailman or mailwoman. This is quite a busy time of year for postal workers — look for small ways to bless them every day before Christmas day!
11. Visit a nursing home and sing Christmas carols as a family or Lifegroup to the residents!
12. Watch “The Nativity” together!
13. Make a fort and have a family campout in front of the Christmas tree one night. Your back will be sore, but memories will be made!
14. Pray and ask the Lord to highlight any family members who need special attention this holiday season, and get one-on-one time with them.

Christmas Day Around the Tree and at the Table

15. Before you open presents on Christmas Day, read the story of Jesus from Luke 2:1-20, and sing one Christmas carol together and pray prayers of gratitude for Jesus.
16. Read the Christmas story and have different family members act out the nativity scene.
17. Before each person opens a present, encourage them in what you see in them and how God sees them. Take a moment to let them know that they are loved.
18. What is some way that they have blessed you, been a gift to your life or done something meaningful for you in 2023?
19. Sit around the table and have each person highlight each person and have everyone call out the “gifts” that God has specifically given to them that all of you see.
20. Extra conversation starters…

• What is one thing you want to do in 2024 that is for the good of someone other than yourself?
• What quality of God are you most thankful for this Christmas?
• What is the best Christmas gift you have ever received?
• Share an encouragement with someone around your table. What is some way that they have blessed you or done something meaningful for you in 2023?
• What attribute of God have you been reminded of by a friend or family member in 2023?

You may also enjoy our Roles & Goals and The Lord’s Prayer resources.