VBS Kicks Off July 14

By Laurie Baiz, Director of Life Kids Children’s Ministry

Summer vacations are about to begin and there is excitement in the air over the fun activities planned for the warm weather! So as you make your plans, I hope that your kids will be available July 14-18, from 5:30-8 p.m. for Vacation Bible School (VBS). This year the kids will put on their detective hats and become secret agents. Their mission is to discover, decide, and defend the truth about who Jesus really is! These secret agents will get to search for evidence, play games, make crafts, share a meal together, and worship God through music. Don’t miss out and register today (and sign up to volunteer!) at lbfchurch.com > VBS. Can’t wait to see you at Agency D3 Headquarters!

Thank You to Our Life Kids Children’s Ministry Volunteers!

By Laurie Baiz, Director of Life Kids Children’s Ministry

The school year is quickly coming to an end and with that, our dedicated fall volunteers in Life Kids Children’s Ministry are also coming to the end of their serving session. For this last month of their service I would love for the parents to take a moment and thank their teachers for giving their love, energy, and knowledge to the kids each week. They have truly been a blessing to our kids and LBF families. So if you are a parent, take a moment this month and let them know how much you have appreciated what they have done this school year!

Summer is the Perfect Time to Check Out Life Kids Children’s Ministry

By Laurie Baiz, Director of Life Kids Children’s Ministry

Have you ever thought about getting involved in Children’s Ministry, but the commitment just seemed too long? Or maybe the thought has crossed your mind, but the responsibility of teaching the kids made you second guess yourself. Well, I am here to tell you that the summer session is the perfect time to get your feet wet and try it out. 

We have positions for all three services, for infants through 6^th grade. This ministry offers an array of different positions that can utilize many different skills. These positions include Classroom Leaders that teach the lessons, Floaters that handle the attendance and administrative side of things, Junior Helpers (7^th grade and up), Storytellers that share the Bible story with the kids in an interactive way, and Media Techs that run the slides for worship and story time. These positions also offer different types of serving schedules. Leaders, Floaters, and Junior Helpers can serve every week or 2-weeks-on/2-weeks-off. And the Storytellers and Media Techs serve once a month, but for both the 9:15 & 10:45 services. 

The session is only 16 weeks and we provide all of the training, supplies, curriculum, and encouragement. You just need to provide the energy, love for the kids, love for Jesus, and the fun. So come on by our table on the patio between Sunday services and see what great opportunities are
waiting for you! I can’t wait to see you there and share all of the exciting ways to serve in Life Kids Children’s Ministry. You can also email me.

Life Kids Need a Few More Hands

By Laurie Baiz, Director of Life Kids Children’s Ministry

This past school year has been wonderful with our new Life Kids curriculum. Our volunteers have found this change positive for the kids and the volunteers.

Over these past seven months, the children’s ministry has grown in numbers and we have had some volunteers that have needed to take a break due to life circumstances. So we currently have a few positions open that need to be filled through May. 

• An every-other-week position available at 8 a.m.
• An every-week position at the 10:45 service
• Storytellers who serve once a month during both 9:15 and 10:45 services
• And we could use some more substitutes. 

With the new curriculum, there is less prep time (only about 30 minutes) and when you arrive, everything that you need to share your lesson is prepped and ready for you. This is the perfect opportunity to experience children’s ministry for a short period of time and see how you can make a difference in our children’s spiritual lives. For more information, please contact Laurie Baiz @ (909) 841-4848 or laurie@lbfchurch.com.

Two- & 3-year-olds’ Class Aptly Named ‘Blessings’

By Laurie Baiz, Director of Life Kids Children’s Ministry

The curriculum for our 2- and 3-year-olds is called Blessings and I can’t think of a better name for that age group. Every Sunday when I am able to peek in and watch this group of children be taught God’s Word, it is simply a delight! I love to see them as they engage in the different activities, songs, games, and with Hamilton the squirrel. He is a puppet that helps the kids learn God’s stories and shows them how to be good listeners and helpers. He has become one of their classroom friends. It has been such a blessing to see the children interact and get connected to Hamilton! 

If you are a parent of a child in this age group, please keep your eye out for the Home Front Weekly pamphlet that is in each of the classrooms and available through the eUpdate. This is a parent resource tool that gives the lessons the kids will be learning that month, what Bible verse they will be focusing on, and great discussion questions that you can ask your child to help them learn the lessons even better. This is a short, quick read with great age-appropriate questions for you to ask your children and have a moment of spiritual learning that is in your home during the week.

Pre-K and Kindergarten Participate in Activities that Reinforce God’s Story

By Laurie Baiz, Director of Life Kids Children’s Ministry

The Pre-K and Kindergarten classes on Sunday are simply a delight to watch. The children are learning so much about God’s Word and enjoy all the different activities that they get to do throughout the morning. Both age groups begin in their separate classrooms and are encouraged by their teachers to take part in Explore Time. This is a where the kids get to touch, create, and play with different objects that will correlate with the Big God Story they will hear later in the morning. 

After Explore Time, the Pre-K class walks down to room 111 where they join the Kindergarteners for worship. The kids sing, do hand motions, and dance their praises to the Lord! Then they gather together and get ready for the Big God Story told by one of our volunteer storytellers. This wonderful large group time is designed to encourage the kids to be interactive with the storyteller. 

There are many sections to this part of the lesson, such as Chloe’s Rules, Mail Time, the Wardrobe of Wonder, and the Big God Story. Chloe’s Rules is a DVD where Chloe the puppet goes over all the rules for story time, including the most important rule, “to have fun.” This DVD encourages the kids to respond to it by answering questions and repeating phrases back in a way that is very similar to shows like Dora the Explorer. 

At Mail Time there is one child volunteer that gets to come up and get the mail out of our mailbox and then the storyteller and child share the “Remember Verse.” This verse is also written on cards to take home, where we encourage parents to review them. 

The Wardrobe of Wonder is a large chest that has clues about the story for that day. The kids get to guess what they think is going to be in the wardrobe and then they talk about how that object is going to be a part of the story. 

The Big God Story is told by the storyteller who helps bring the story to life by asking the kids questions and having them act out parts of the story, which keeps them engaged with the story from God’s Word. 

After the large group time is finished, the Pre-K class is walked back to their classroom and both the Kindergarten and Pre-K class meet for small group time. During the small group time, the teachers dig deeper into the lesson by doing several different activities each week. The activities include games, coloring, crafts, and talking about the story. Each part of the lesson is connected together and reinforces the Bible story through repetition, modeling, and discussing the story. 

As a parent, if you are looking for additional resources to continue the learning at home, each classroom has a 1-page paper called The Home Front Weekly that features the lesson that they will learn the following week. It includes questions that you can ask your kids over dinner or before bed and the Bible verse that they are learning in class. 

These are great tools to use during the week and will further prepare them for what they will be learning on Sunday.

Life Kids Tuck God’s Word into Their Hearts

By Laurie Baiz, Director of Life Kids Children’s Ministry

Hello January 2014! With every new year there is a feeling of starting fresh and getting life back into routine after all the wonderful festivities that come along with celebrating our Savior’s birth. Hopefully our memory verse program for the 1^st-4^th graders will be one of the activities in your family’s weekly routine. This program has two purposes: teach kids to work together for a common goal as a group and encourage them to memorize God’s Word and tuck it into their hearts. This part of our Sunday morning program begins in worship with a time called “Traditions.” During Traditions the kids are given the opportunity to recite the memory verse and/or show their teacher that they have brought their Bibles. For each tradition that they do, they receive one Lego block to build on the Traditions wall. When the Traditions wall is full of Legos, the whole class will pause as a community and celebrate, with a fun treat or activity. 

Another part of this program that is different than our previous program is the verse that the kids are learning is reviewed for a month at a time. Although the verse is longer, focusing on one verse for a longer period of time gives the kids the opportunity to truly know the verse and have it stick with them. The memory verse, or as we refer to it, “Remember Verse,” is practiced with the kids during our Traditions time and the teachers also review it with the kids in their small group when time permits. The Remember Verse cards are located at every sign-in table along the hall and our teachers have them in the classroom for the kids to take home as well. Also new this year, I will be setting up a monthly email with the Remember Verse on it that you can subscribe to. So be on the lookout for more information on how to sign up and receive the information electronically! 

The new curriculum and program is going great and although the kids have not quite filled up their Traditions wall, I know with continued support and practice from home they will reach their goal soon!

Children’s Christmas Choir Performs This Month

By Laurie Baiz, Director of Life Kids Children’s Ministry 

The Children’s Christmas Choir has been rehearsing for a month now and they are sounding great! We have a little more than 30 children this year participating and we are all excited to praise God during this wonderful holiday season. The children will be performing during all three services on Sunday, December 22. They will also be going off-site to Upland Rehabilitation and Care Center on December 22 to sing praises to God and share His glory with our community. We are all excited and looking forward to these great events!

What Are Your Kids Doing on Sunday Morning?

By Laurie Baiz, Director of Life Kids Children’s Ministry 

This fall in Life Kids Children’s Ministry, new classrooms and curriculum began on Back to Church Sunday! These new programs have been going along great, but I wanted to take a moment to pause and highlight all the wonderful things happening on Sunday mornings with these new changes.

Starting on the preschool side, our nursery has changed the age grouping from birth to 18 months to birth to 12 months. Making this change has made the nursery a calm area for our new babies to come, get rocked, and be loved on. My hope is that the parents of the new young babies will feel comfortable bringing their bundles of joy in at an early age, so they get used to the nursery and then will not struggle with stranger anxiety as they get older. Having the nursery is a wonderful opportunity for parents to go to church and take a moment to truly focus on the message and God’s Word.

56° & Life Kids Midweek Starts Tonight

By Laurie Baiz, Director of Life Kids Children’s Ministry 

The midweek program for both 1st-4th grades and 5th & 6th grades will be starting up Tuesday, November 5. Although there are two different programs, they meet at the same time, which is 6:30-8 p.m. in the Worship Center.

Life Kids (which is the program for 1st-4th graders) offers a time for games, a Bible lesson, and a fun activity that they can choose. Each activity lasts for 5-6 weeks and then they can change groups and try out another activity.

For 56° (our 5th & 6th graders), the program has a time for the kids to be social and play large group games, then a Bible lesson, and a time to meet in small groups to discuss the lessons further. 

Registration for both midweek programs are online at lbfchurch.com. So sign up, invite a friend, and see you tonight!

Children’s Christmas Choir Starts Nov. 10

By Laurie Baiz, Director of Life Kids Children’s Ministry 

Do you have children that love Christmas? Do you have children that love to sing? How about children that love both? Well we are looking for those kids! This year we will have a Children’s Christmas Choir that will join the adult Christmas Choir to help our congregation worship God through wonderful seasonal songs.

Starting Sunday, November 10, after the 10:45 a.m. service, we will begin rehearsal with the kids. For six Sundays we will be meeting for about an hour to practice the songs and get them ready to sing for LBF. The kids will perform on Sunday, December 22 with the adult Christmas choir.

There is a sign up sheet on the elementary side of the Worship Center, which requires a parent’s signature, giving your child permission to participate in the choir. I am looking forward to hearing all of the children sing and worship during this special season! Any questions? Please contact Laurie Baiz at (909) 981-4848, ext. 242.

Life Kids Kicks Off a New Curriculum

By Laurie Baiz, Director of Life Kids Children’s Ministry 

As our kids are getting back into the swing of school, Life Kids Children’s Ministry is also kicking off our new curriculum, David C Cook Tru. The kids are learning the message from a storyteller that brings the word to life and encourages the kids to be a part of it. There is a memory verse program to get involved in. They are taught about the different ways that they can worship – through prayer, acts of service, giving, and singing. During small group time there are discussions that dig a little deeper into the message. And each class closes with the small group leaders blessing the kids and sending them out knowing they can also be a blessing to others. Then they take home a paper that informs the parents about the lesson that will be taught the next week and questions that they can discuss as a family. This simple tool can be useful for meaningful family discussion.

Would you like to help as a super sub? Call me to find out how you can get involved at (909) 981-4848, ext. 242.

VBS Reaches Kids...Here and in Kenya

By Lauria Baiz, Director of Life Kids Children’s Ministry 

At the end of June we invited our kids to come to VBS and travel to Athens, where they would learn about Paul’s dangerous journey to share the truth. I am so pleased to share with you that the kids definitely said yes to the invite and brought their friends too! This year we had 180 kids join us for a powerful week. They went to Paul’s theater and learned about his story of sharing Jesus with others. They participated in arena games as though they where in the Olympics. They made crafts, enjoyed food, had small group discussions, and celebrated Jesus through worship. It truly was an amazing time, proved by the smiles on their faces.

As fun as VBS was, it was also a time where 20 children made the decision to receive Christ for the first time. We also raised money for Empowering Lives International (ELI), an organization that supports children’s homes for the orphans in Kenya. ELI said that if we could raise $2,300, they would be able to purchase shoes for all of the 103 children in the village. So we set the goal before our kids and asked them to collect change and bring it back each night. And every night was truly a blessing. I am excited to share with you that they raised $5,005.07! God provided all that through the parents and children that partnered with us that week.

Through all of the wonderful things that happened during VBS, I owe all the volunteers a great big thank you! We had more than 60 people that got involved and helped throughout the week and this event could not have happened without all of their time, energy, patience, and excitement to be with the kids and share the love of Jesus.

New Curriculum for Children’s Ministry

By Lauria Baiz, Director of Life Kids Children’s Ministry 

Starting in the fall, we will be offering a new format of curriculum for our kids that are four years old through fourth grade. Here is how it will go: As the kids arrive at church, they will be engaged in a game or activity that will give them a clue as to what the story is going to be about that Sunday. Then they will go into a room that has been set up for the worship leader and story teller. During this time, the kids will sing worship songs and hear from the story teller, whose job is not just to come in and tell the kids the story. Their job is to make the story come to life, include the kids in the story by asking questions, have them act parts out, and share what they think about what they are learning.

This is a time that the kids are being taught in an interactive way that will also help them retain the lesson. After the story teller is done, the kids will go back into small groups with their leaders and discuss the lesson deeper. Small group time is a wonderful time where the leaders are able to connect with the kids, reinforce God’s Word, and build relationships. This format is so exhilarating because it is completely different from what the kids are doing during the week when they are in school. It is laid out in a way that we can take the tables and chairs out of the equation, sit down on the floor at eye level, and engage them with God’s Word. Having one curriculum for all the age groups is going to give families the ability to discuss the lessons altogether, since they are the same, just tailored to their age group. The memory verse program will also be connected to the curriculum, which will encourage them to memorize the verses that they will be discussing and learning about on Sunday morning.

With these changes there is going to be some new volunteer positions available and the dynamics of the current positions will be changing as well. If being a part of this ministry sounds interesting to you, join us for an informational meeting on Sunday, July 28, after the third service (approximately 12:30 p.m.) in rooms 102 & 103. I am looking forward to the fall and this great new curriculum!

Transport Your Kids to Athens, Greece!

By Lauria Baiz, Director of Life Kids Children’s Ministry 

As the school year is quickly coming to a close and summer vacation is about to begin, there is a touch of excitement in the air about the fun activities that will be planned for the warm weather to come! So as you make your plans, I hope that your kids will be available June 24-28, from 5:30-8 p.m. for Vacation Bible School. This year the kids will be transported to Athens, Greece and learn all about Paul’s adventures and what it means to share the truth! During their time in Athens, they will make crafts, share a meal together, play games in “the arena,” and enjoy lots of music!

Don’t miss out and preregister today at lbfchurch.com. We can’t wait to see you in Athens!

Life Kids Children’s Ministry is Gearing Up for Summer

By Lauria Baiz, Director of Life Kids Children’s Ministry 

Have you ever thought about getting involved in Children’s Ministry but the commitment seems just too long? Or maybe the thought has crossed your mind, but the responsibility of teaching the kids made you second guess yourself. Well, I am here to tell you that the summer session is the perfect time to get your feet wet and try it out! We have positions open during all three services, for all ages (birth-6th grade), and all positions – lead teachers, assistants, jr. helpers (ages 12 and up), media techs, and also jobs behind the scenes. The great thing about the summer session is that it’s only 12 weeks. You show up with energy, love for the kids, and love for Jesus, and we provide all of the training, supplies, curriculum, and encouragement. So come on by our table on the patio this Sunday and see what great opportunities are waiting for you! I can’t wait to see you there and share all of the exciting ways you can get involved in Life Kids Children’s Ministry. You can also email me at laurie@lbfchurch.com.

Life Kids is the New Children’s Ministry

By Lauria Baiz, Director of Life Kids Children’s Ministry 

As you look around the Children’s Ministry you might have noticed that there is a new logo with a new name. We have been working hard to come up with a new name that coincides with LBF’s new mission statement and reflects the direction that our Children’s Ministry is headed. While mulling all of this over, the word “LIFE” kept sticking out to me. And since we are to passionately pursue LIFE in Jesus and our church name is LIFE Bible Fellowship, it became apparent to me that our Children’s Ministry should also use the word LIFE. And so Life Kids was put in place. This name encompasses our ministry to all of the children from birth-6th grade.

The next step was to come up with a theme and motto for Life Kids. Through many brainstorming sessions it was decided that the visual theme for the kids was going to be shapes. You may be asking why shapes? So here is the concept behind it: With using the idea of being shaped by God or being the clay and God the potter (Jeremiah 18:6 and Isaiah 64:8), I wanted our Children’s Ministry to be about shaping hearts for Jesus. Using a play on words the shape theme was born and you may have already noticed that some shapes have begun to pop up.

The most prominent place that you can see this is in the room that the 1st-4th graders meet in each Sunday morning for worship. Formerly known as “Worship Island,” it is in the process of being transformed into “The Cube.” There are new large graphics of cubes on the walls and other three-dimensional shapes that are currently being built.

With each age group there is going to be a different version of the shape theme. On the nursery side of the church the theme will reflect basic shapes. The basic, simple shape is similar to a new Christian that has a simple understanding or basic knowledge about God’s Word. As we get older and have more knowledge of God’s Word, we become more complex and so do our shapes. On the elementary side of the church you will see 3-D shapes that designate our 1st-4th grade space. Last, but definitely not least, our 5th-6th grade program will be referred to as 56°. Since this is our oldest group, they will have a building blueprint theme that is based on building their life by the blueprints God has laid out for them.

This is all in its beginning stages, but as time goes on you will see it being put into place more and more throughout the Life Kids Children’s Ministry. I have thoroughly enjoyed this project and am very excited for what’s to come!

Children’s Mid-week Programs Starting Soon

By Laurie Baiz, Director of Children’s Ministry 

Many of you may have noticed the changes happening on the elementary side of Children’s Ministry. We have given room 102 & 103 a fresh coat of paint and a new look. This new look fits our theme of shapes, and the worship area will now be called The Cube – Shaping Hearts for Jesus. There will be some other exciting things coming soon as well.

One of the new things coming is a new midweek program for our 1st-4th grade students and a different midweek program for our 5th & 6th grade students. These will be two different programs designed to fit the needs of today’s young people. For the younger kids we will start out with worship, a group message, and then break into groups with different activities that the kids can take part in. The older kids will begin with a social time, fun activity, and then settle in for a group lesson and small group discussion.

Both will take place on Tuesdays, from 6:30-8 p.m. LIFE Kids (1st-4th) will begin on Tuesday, March 12 and 56° (5th & 6th) will begin Tuesday, March 19.

 I am currently looking for some fun, energetic people to help make these programs fantastic for the kids! If you would like more information, I’d love to talk with you as soon as possible, so email laurie@lbfchurch.com. I am very excited about the new changes and programs that are coming up and can’t wait for the adventure to begin!

Kids Hiding God’s Word in Their Hearts

By Laurie Baiz, Director of Children’s Ministry 

At the end of August we had Mission & Vision Sunday and introduced our new mission statement to the church. On that same Sunday, the Children’s Ministry kicked off a memory verse program as a way for the children to focus on the Bible in their pursuit of LIFE in Jesus.

As the months have rolled on, the children have really responded well to participating in the memory verse program and we have five children that have already finished learning all of the memory verses, from A-Z. This is such a great accomplishment! I have asked each one a couple of questions on what they think of the program.

Nathaniel Casequin (1st grade) has completed the first set of A-Z verses.

1. Why do you enjoy learning your Bible verses? I enjoy them because they are fun; I like them. 
2. How did you learn your verses? By my mom and my papa helping me. 
3. What is your favorite Bible verse? X – the verse that is kind of like a poem. “Exceeding great and precious promises are given unto us.” 2 Peter 1:4 
4. What is your favorite part of the Bible verse program? My favorite part of the program is saying them out loud. 

Matthew Franklin (2nd grade) has completed the first and second set of A-Z verses.

1. Why do you enjoy learning your Bible verses? Because you get to learn more stuff about God and get prizes. 
2. How did you learn your verses? I looked at what they said and then repeated them. 
3. What is your favorite Bible verse? “Honor your father and mother.” Exodus 20:12 
4. What is your favorite part of the Bible verse program? Getting prizes like a God Has Risen rock. 

Olson Grubb (3rd grade) has completed the first set of A-Z verses.

1. Why do you enjoy learning your Bible verses? Because it is good putting God’s Word in my heart and remembering it for life. It will come in handy, and I will probably need to use it sometime in life. 
2. How did you learn your verses? I make them into songs with my mom, and I try to improve on them every night. 
3. What is your favorite Bible verse? Philippians 1:6: “Being confident in this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on unto completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” 
4. What is your favorite part of the Bible verse program? It feels good that I have accomplished something, especially that it is memorizing God’s Word. 

Jonathan Maschler (4th grade) has completed the first set of A-Z verses.

1. Why do you enjoy learning your Bible verses? They were a little challenging and fun. 
2. How did you learn your verses? I studied the verse cards. 
3. What is your favorite Bible verse? Y – “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.” Matthew 5:14-15 
4. What is your favorite part of the Bible verse program? I liked competing against the other kids and getting prizes. 

Mackenzie McNutt (5th grade) has completed the first and second set of 5th-6th grade A-Z verses. 

1. Why do you enjoy learning your Bible verses? I love being able to earn prizes, and also having the word of God in my heart. 
2.   How did you learn your verses? I would do small parts of each verse and then add it to the part before, then just repeat that concept over and over until I got the whole thing. If a verse was more difficult then I would put it to music and sing it to help me remember. 
3. What is your favorite Bible verse? ”Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” 
4. What is your favorite part of the Bible verse program? I really like to earn rewards for all the verses I have learned, but my favorite is when someone tells me that I’ve done a good job and they are so proud of my accomplishments. 

I know that as I have read through their responses it warms my heart and reminds me of the importance of having God’s Word tucked in our hearts to be able to use everyday. May you be blessed and find inspiration from these children and their wonderful achievements.

Advent is Coming. Are You Ready?

By Amanda Bixler, Worship Coordinator 

Well, whether you are ready for it or not, the holiday season is upon us! And as much as this season is about family, festive lights, gatherings, gifts, and warm drinks in Starbucks holiday cups, it is also a time to celebrate the birth and coming of a Messiah, Jesus. In fact, that’s exactly what the term Advent means – ‘coming’ in Latin. The season of Advent is literally a time to wait and celebrate Jesus coming to this world in love and setting up camp amongst us. One biblical translation even writes, “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood” (John 1:14, The Message). This is a season that is set aside in the Christian calendar as a time to expectantly wait and actively prepare for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. Often times there are specific advent readings and themes of hope, peace, joy and love that are associated with the month of December and specifically the four weeks leading up to Christmas. Traditionally, Advent is an eager and hopeful time of the year where we countdown to the 25th, trade our traditional calendars for Advent ones, and read scripture passages that lead up to the birth of our Savior.

We are so excited for this season and the ways we get to celebrate Jesus’ birth in Worship Island! November was a heavily focused month on thankfulness – being thankful to God of all that he has done for us and given to us. Continuing on that momentum, each weekend in December will be focused on a different aspect of the biblical Christmas narrative and why we are thankful for Jesus coming. These weekends leading up to Christmas will be a time to read through the Christmas story, learn more about each person involved in Jesus’ birth, and how they all interacted with one another. Our first through fourth graders will have the opportunity to really engage with the Christmas narrative and hopefully encounter Jesus in a new way.

Our desire is that this journey through the Christmas story and celebration of Jesus’ birth would not just be something that happens in Worship Island on Sunday mornings. As you sign in your children each week, we will have packets available with supplemental advent information and scripture readings that we hope you will partake in with your children. It has been our experience that when families engage in worship together through the reading of scripture and discussion, a deep richness occurs. Our prayer is that as we all enter into this exciting, busy, and joyous season of Advent, we would all be drawn closer to the heart of God and to the reality that Jesus came and lived among us.