Fort Smith First Baptist loves families, and we want to invest in your family!
This page is regularly updated with new resources to help parents raise children ready to hear & embrace the Gospel of Jesus.
Christmas resources
THE JESUS TREE is a fun, creative way to steer Christmas conversations to Jesus Christ.
“Our family celebrates Christmas with a traditional tree, but near our front door we have another tree, a special ‘Jesus Tree,’ decorated with items inspired by Bible verses,” says FBC Pastor Greg Addison. Questions about the Jesus Tree lead to meaningful conversations around the true meaning of Christmas — the birth and salvation mission of Jesus Christ.
Creating a Jesus Tree means your family works together to find creative ways to express Bible truth. Jesus as “the light of the world” (John 8:12) can be expressed by a flashlight, a candle, a lighthouse — you get the idea. Encourage your children’s ideas and they’ll see their contributions come to life on your Jesus Tree, building memories about Scripture that can last a lifetime. Click here or on the image to download a helpful PDF, and watch the original sermon message about the Wise Men and creating a *Jesus Tree* to help build a family of faith this Christmas.
THE SCRIPTURE ADVENT CALENDAR is a creative way to get children involved with daily passages of Scripture related to Jesus Christ. Using cups or boxes or other containers, arrange them in a creative way (see the picture of a tree for an example). Fill each one an item or written idea of what the family will do that day.
“Each day of the month, the children open a container. For example, a container has a small, fun gift like a restaurant gift card for a snack, or a instructions like “listen to Christmas music for an hour,” along with a piece of paper with a Scripture verse, such as Luke 1:30, “Then the angel said to her, ‘do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God,'” First the family reads the Scripture verse and discusses it for a short time, then the fun gift is opened,” says FBC Pastor Greg Addison. A chosen family member reads the Scripture verses aloud to the rest of the family each day, rotating so each family member has opportunities to read and listen. Be sure to choose fun gifts the children will enjoy, so they will be looking forward to the activity every day!
NAMES OF JESUS ADVENT ORNAMENTS connect children with names and titles for Jesus Christ. Simply download this PDF, print pages with two sides (one for the picture, the other for the text), let the children loose with imaginative coloring, cut out each ornament, punch a hole where indicated, and use a hook or string to make a hanger and place the ornament on your Christmas Tree (or “Jesus Tree” — see above). Feel free to place multiple colored versions of each ornament on your tree, so every child has an opportunity to engage with each of these different names of Jesus.
The children enjoy the pride of having ornaments on the tree they have created, and at the same time, they’ve made a connection with a name or title for Jesus at Christmastime they can remember throughout the years. This picture shows a wreath decorated with the ornaments, located in the second floor Children’s Ministry area at First Baptist — be sure to check it out when dropping the children off on Sunday!
A Key Family Resource: Our FBC Library
Our church library hosts a Homeschooling section with curriculum, resource books, parent helps, and other materials to strengthen your ability to impact education. Many of these books and materials are donated to serve the needs of local homeschoolers. Learn more here.