15+ Christ Centered Christmas Ideas!
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Want do you do to keep Christ in Christmas?
Being a mom has reminded me just how important it is for our children to understand the true meaning of Christmas and cultivate a love for Christ centered celebration.
While we’re chasing the demands and responsibilities of the season its easy to lose sight of what a Christ-centered Christmas should be like and why we are even celebrating in the first place. So, how do Christians celebrate Christmas?
What are the best Christmas traditions?
What are some ways to keep Christ in Christmas?
In this post, I’m sharing a list of some of our FAVORITE Christ-Centered Christmas ideas, traditions, and activities that will help you and your family keep your focus on the true reason for the season; Jesus.
What Does Keep Christ in Christmas Mean?
There are a lot of traditions and activities associated with Christmas celebrations. If we aren’t careful those traditions and activities become the focus of our celebration. Instead of celebrating Jesus, we make the holiday about us.
I know Jesus’ actual birthday wasn’t December 25th, but because this is the day the church has chosen to remember Him, it only makes sense that our celebrations honor Him.
Why is it important to keep Christ in Christmas? Because we don’t ever want to forget the gift that Jesus is and what His life means for us. It’s easy to get distracted. I know that struggle well. I’m learning to remind myself that traditions are lovely, but they should never become some important that they are the object of our celebration.
Gifts can be exciting, parties are fun, and Christmas trees are pretty; but Jesus is far more concerned with the condition of our hearts. The best way to keep ourselves focused on Jesus is to stick to His mission (our commission) during the holiday season.
Celebrate Him by sharing His story.
Honor Him by making His name known. Serve well. Be gracious. Give. Worship. Be in the world, but not about it. That is the core of the keep Christ in Christmas meaning.
Christ Centered Christmas Activities?
How do you have a Christ Centered Christmas? When it comes to celebrations there is always room for creativity. Our celebrations and activities don’t have to be stale. I know you came here for some keep Christ in Christmas ideas. Here are some of our best ideas for celebrating a Christ centered Christmas!
- Make a birthday gift for Jesus
- Start an advent calendar!
- Read the gospels!
- Bake a Birthday Cake for Jesus!
- DIY some gospel-centered Christmas cards!
- Decorate your wrapping paper with your own illustrations of the Christmas story.
- Share Jesus with people.
- Try Shepherd on the Search!
- Decorate your home with Christ centered Christmas decorations!
- Enjoy some Christmas stories together!
- Start a Blessings Jar (or Stocking).
- Watch Christ centered Christmas movies!
- Read A Christmas Devotional!
- Attend a Christmas worship service.
- Light Advent Candles!
- Find Ways to Serve!
Make a birthday gift for Jesus!
My parents started this tradition when we were young. They encouraged us to find or make something special and give it to Jesus on his birthday. Our gifts would range from skits to poems, dances, art, Bible reading, short sermons, food. It was the first and best part of our Christmas morning. We’d all gather in the living room and give our gifts to Jesus. They weren’t always perfect, but they were always sincere.
Start An Advent Calendar or Countdown
This is probably one of the most common Christ centered Christmas traditions out there. It’s a really fun way to keep Christ in Christmas and countdown to the celebration itself. Last year we used these Christmas Advent cards from Not Consumed. They’re simple, beautiful, and built entirely around the true reason we celebrate Christmas. Use them as ornaments, string them on a fireplace, or read them at the kitchen table. 10/10 recommend this for a fun family Christmas tradition!
I also really love the idea of memorizing and writing a Scripture a day for the advent season! Bonus points for sharing those verses with friends or family!
Study the Gospels
Behold is a Bible study on Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It covers the life of Jesus, major themes in the gospels, and the context we need to truly understand the good news of the Messiah coming to Earth.
Come and See is a Bible Study based on the gospel of John.
What better way to celebrate Jesus’ life than be revisiting it in Scripture? You don’t have to buy a Bible study for this by the way. You can simply open your Bible and read the gospels. Fun fact. There are exactly 25 chapters in the gospel of Luke which makes it perfect as an Advent countdown!
Check out this post for more Christmas Bible studies and devotionals.
Bake A Birthday Cake for Jesus
You can even sing happy birthday if you’d like.
Or enjoy singing some classic Christ Centered Christmas music like Silent Night, Away In A Manger before you slice the cake.
Side Note: Adoration at the Manger is a family Bible Study that takes classic Christmas hymns and explores the Scriptures and stories that inspired them. If Christmas music is your jam, this devotional is for you.
Make and Send Christmas Cards
This Christ centered Christmas activity is about as simple as it gets. All you need is paper and crayons. If you’d rather use finished cards, you’ll find beautiful Christ centered Christmas cards here.
Decorate Your Wrapping Paper With the Christmas Story
Use these Christmas stickers and Bible stamps (we love these Christmas stamps -simple and sweet) to give it an extra fun touch! This is one of those Christ-centered Christmas crafts that create prime opportunities for fun stories and to share the gospel with our kids. At the same time get to teach them how to share the truth of the Gospel with the people that they love!
Share Jesus With People
Whether it be through personal testimony, inviting them to your home church, or having a 30-second conversation as you leave the Walmart checkout line – Be Jesus to someone. Share His love.
Find ways to serve in your neighborhood, church, and community. Keep reading for a list of practical (and even kid-friendly) service ideas!
Shepherd On the Search
Shepherd on the search is a Gospel-based alternative to Elf on the Shelf. In place of the elf, you have a shepherd boy searching for baby Jesus. Through this hands-on adventure (which doubles as a Christmas Countdown), your kids will learn the REAL Christmas story as it happened in the Bible. You can get the full Shepherd on the Search breakdown in this blog post.
Christ Centered Christmas Decorations
Set up a Nativity scene! Make it a family occasion and take turns telling the Christmas story.
I personally am eyeing these names of Jesus Christmas Tree ornaments.
My second choice would be these Adoration at the Manger Christmas Tree Ornaments. Each one features a name or attribute of Jesus and Scripture verse to match it.
I love the idea of hanging this in my kitchen or even on my front door, “Jesus is the reason for the season.”
Christ Centered Christmas Stories!
We have a list of our favorite Christ centered Christmas books for families here! You’d be amazed how many awesome ways the Christmas story can be told. You can use short stories, daily devotionals, a Jesse Tree book (my favorites are listed here), or even tell your own renditions.
Find our list of Christmas devotionals for women here.
Start A Blessings Jar (Or Stocking)!
Most people do this around Thanksgiving but to me, it feels even more appropriate for Christmas. Each day take a couple scraps of paper, write down the ways you’ve been blessed and the things you’re thankful for, and put them in a jar or stocking. At the end of each week in December, pull out the Blessings Stocking, read through them, and thank God for all the blessings He’s been so good to give.
Family Christmas Movies
Let’s face it, when it comes to Christmas entertainment Hallmark movies have definitely stolen the show. It’s not all bad though, and there’s no harm in enjoying wholesome family shows. That being said, keeping the birth of Jesus front and center is still important so we make finding Christ centered Christmas movies a priority.
Movies like:
- The Star
- The Christmas Candle
- A Charlie Brown Christmas
- Angela’s Christmas and Angela’s Christmas 2
These are staples in our home.
Read A Family Christmas Devotional
Last year we used the devotional Uncovering Mercies at the Manger It’s a family study that shows how the different pieces of Jesus’ life fit together to bring the greatest expression of love the world could ever know.
This year we’re reading More Than A Manger: How Every Detail of the Christmas Story Points to the Messiah
For littles (pre-school/elementary age), I absolutely recommend The Jesus Storybook Bible Advent Edition! This was actually put together for the purpose of bringing the “Advent experience” to kids! The Jesus Storybook Bible Christmas Collection includes stories, songs, and fun ways for parents to help younger kids reflect on the Advent seasons (the season where we prepare for the coming of the Lord).
Attend A Christmas Worship Service
Most communities have worship services, candle lightings, Christmas plays, or caroling nights that you can attend as a family. If your local church isn’t hosting an event, consider connecting with other churches in the community to celebrate Christmas together.
Light Advent Candles
Learn all about Advent wreaths and candles and how to use them in this free Advent Candle Lighting guide! I love Christ Centered Christmas traditions like these because they link scripture, worship, and church tradition together. For a lot of Christians, Advent wreaths are still new. Don’t let that intimidate you. This tradition may just become a family favorite. Snag our free Advent candle lighting reading plan in the link above.
Keep Christ In Christmas by finding meaningful ways to serve.
Service is one of the Christ centered Christmas traditions we should hold tighter to. Jesus is King, but He is a King who came to serve. So in the spirit of celebrating a Christ centered Christmas invite your family members to help you brainstorm fun ways you can serve together and show God’s love to people you love and people in need.
- Bake cookies for your local police department or fire station.
- Send “Blessing Bags” (full of daily essentials and a couple small gifts) to a local homeless shelter.
- Donate Christmas stockings for kids and women in shelters.
- Donate toys to families in need.
- Provide dinner for families in need.
Christ Centered Christmas Gifts
When it comes to Christ centered Christmas gifts there are a lot of approaches you can take. For some, that means simplifying the gift-giving so that it doesn’t overshadow the actual point of the holiday.
Some do the 3 gift method: Something you want, something you need, and a spiritual gift.
My friend Timberley introduced us to the Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh approach: Something of value, something for your body, and something for spiritual growth.
A tradition from my childhood that has followed me into adult and parenthood is giving at least one gift that encourages Bible Study and a relationship with God. That’s how I view Christ-centered Christmas gifts. Find general ideas for Christ-Centered Christmas gifts here.
For a collection of Christ-centered Christmas gifts for Kids, check out our Bible Activities Bucket List! Tons of Gift Ideas waiting for you in there.
I always hear people use the word magic to describe Christmas. Christmas isn’t about magic; it’s about life. Christmas is about Jesus. It’s about a God who loves us so much that He sent His son to this imperfect place to give life to all of us imperfect people. That’s why we do not remove Christ from Christmas. Everything amazing about Christmas comes from Christ. And like every other day of our lives, the goal of this season remains; to know Him and make Him known.
What are some of the traditions you have for keeping Christ in Christmas? Share your ideas and traditions in the comments!
My kids love doing a Jesse Tree, a small Christmas tree that has ornaments representing the different aspects of the life of Jesus. It helps us to stay focused on Christ the entire month of December.
Ooo, I love that idea!! That’s such a sweet way to keep your Christmas celebration focused on Christ.
Love this! I don’t have kids yet, but I still want to do my best to keep Christmas centered on Christ. Thanks for the suggestions!
Growing up Anglican, we always celebrate the 12 days of Christmas. Christmas Day is Day 1, day 12 is Epiphany which represents the day the wise men came. I like stretching it out and focusing on the fact that Jesus is celebrated not just one day. It’s amazing how celebrating after the commercials are over and into the New Year sets up January to be less blue. I also like to acknowledge Chanukah in some way. Mary and Joseph would have honored those 8 days, and so would Jesus. It’s a great reminder that Our God is the God of Miracles before we celebrate the birth of Jesus!
My kids are growing and as young as they are, I wanted to let them know God and have Him as the center of their lives.