Carols Of Christmas

FAMILY TIME

This affordable little family book uses well-known Christmas hymns to help busy families focus on the important seasons of Advent & Christmas. Includes short readings and prayers for each Sunday of Advent through Epiphany and optional suggestions for simple family activities during the week. This is a perfect gift item for grandparents and godparents to give or for churches to offer to their families and Christmas visitors. Volume discounts make this an easy item to give or buy and sell as a fundraiser.

Also available: the companion Carols for Christmas book for Sunday School teachers, clergy and liturgy planners. This book includes lesson plans, sermon ideas, banner designs and ideas you can incorporate into your worship and education programs.

Carols for Christmas is a congregational resource for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. This book offers a thematic approach for communicating the story of Jesus' birth. To make the theme visible and to reinforce the message, each candle of an Advent wreath is assigned a phrase that also serves as the focus for a first-person narrative. A Christmas carol that reinforces each week's theme of Hope, Peace, Faith, Love, Joy, or Life forms the basis of a children's story tying together Scripture, music, narrative, and lesson.

Themes and Scripture passages for the four weeks of Advent, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, and Epiphany Sunday include:

• First Sunday of Advent:    Sing Hope
• Second Sunday of Advent:    Sing Peace
• Third Sunday of Advent:    Sing Faith
• Fourth Sunday of Advent:    Sing Love
• Christmas Eve or Christmas Day:     Sing Joy
• Epiphany Sunday:    Sing Life

Through their participation in this seasonal series, people of all ages will find their hearts singing the message of Christmas with new understanding. Includes education, worship and craft ideas for home, Sunday School classes and worship.