Latter-day Saint Life

A Christ-Centered Countdown: 7 Simple but Meaningful Ways to Celebrate the Savior This Week

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It’s the week before Christmas. I bet you are checking over your lists, pulling out the wrapping supplies, and trying to figure out the menu for Christmas Eve. This is the week when it seems the anticipation will go right through the roof and expectations flutter in and through the last-minute decisions and details.

It is these last couple of days before the 25th that I always feel like something is missing. I stop to count gifts, check calendar dates, and run through the holidays plans thinking that maybe I have forgotten something. It doesn’t take long before I remember what it is.  Jesus.

Where does He fit into this last week? In these last days that lead up to the celebration of His birth?  For our family, celebrating a Christ-centered Christmas requires intentionally making room from Him.

Maybe you are looking for a way to help Christ become the focus of your celebrations. It’s not too late. Here are seven simple ways to make room for Jesus within this last week before Christmas. Set aside a few minutes at the end of each day this week to read a scripture verse, set out a nativity figure, and answer a simple question. 

On the First Night: Monday, December 18

Display an empty stable in a prominent place within your home ––a place where all of your family will pass by daily until Christmas. Read Luke 2:1,3.  On the night Jesus was born, the innkeeper made room for Him. Could you?

How could you make room for the baby Jesus this week leading up to Christmas?

► You'll also like: FHE: A Christ-Centered Christmas

On the Second Night: Tuesday, December 19

Read Luke 2:4-7. Place the figure of Joseph into the waiting stable.

On the night Jesus was born, Joseph acted with kindness. Could you?

If you had been there on the night Jesus was born, what would you have done to help get the stable ready?

On the Third Night: Wednesday, December 20

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Read Luke 2:6-7, 19. Place the figure of Mary into the waiting stable.

On the night Jesus was born, Mary pondered all these things in her heart. Could you?

What do you think Mary pondered in her heart the night Jesus was born?

On the Fourth Night: Thursday, December 21

Read Luke 2:8-10, 13-14. Place the angel into the waiting stable.

On the night Jesus was born, angels rejoiced. Could you?

Why do you think the birth of Jesus brought great joy?

On the Fifth Night: Friday, December 22

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Read Luke 2:15-18.  Place the shepherd into the waiting stable.

On the night Jesus was born, the shepherds shared His goodness. Could you?

If you had been a shepherd, what good news would you have shared about Jesus Christ?

On the Sixth Night: Saturday, December 23

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Read Matthew 2:1-2, 11-12. Place the wise men into the waiting stable. On the night Jesus was born, the wise men began to seek Him. Could you?

What is one way you could seek Jesus?

On the Seventh Night: Sunday, December 24

Read Luke 2:11-12.  Place the baby Jesus into the waiting stable. On the night Jesus was born, those who loved Him offered gifts from their heart. Could you?

What will be your gift to Jesus Christ this Christmas season?


Discover how each figure of the Nativity can lead your family closer to Christ this Christmas season. This children's edition of Celebrating a Christ-Centered Christmas will guide you through seven meaningful traditions inspired by the Nativity setting. These simple experiences are not meant to add more to an already crowded holiday season but to offer something different. They will give your family an opportunity to escape from the frantic bustle of the Christmas season and spend time reflecting on the baby Jesus and the miracle of His birth.

This interactive book invites children to watch each figure approach the waiting manger and encourages them to ask what they might have done if they had been there on the night Jesus was born. Seven beautiful ornaments have been created to accompany the lesson each figure teaches. Displaying the ornaments throughout the Christmas holiday will remind your children of the lessons they are learning about the baby Jesus.

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