What’s Advent Anyway?
I have to be honest, I never really paid much attention to the whole “advent” thing this time of year. Unless, of course, we’re talking about arguing with my brother about whose turn it was to put that week’s felt sticker on the advent calendar growing up. But it’s actually a really important time of year and I want to share a super fun way to celebrate it!
You may or may not know what I do; I work for OneHope, an organization whose entire mission is making sure that every child on the planet has the opportunity to hear the gospel. Literally. And they equip churches all over the world with resources for children’s ministry to accomplish that goal. OneHope has partnered with the YouVersion Bible App to create a feature that has biblical content specifically for elementary kids and preteens, and that’s what I get to do! It’s called the Kids Bible Experience, and there is a new 2-minute video teaching every day to help kids engage with Scripture and build the habit of a daily devotion time. Leading children’s pastors from all over the world create this content so you know it’s valuable and on-point!
So what does this have to do with Advent? Every Monday between now and Christmas, starting TODAY, there will be a new video teaching on Advent with a focus for that week such as hope, peace, joy, and love. Along with the video is a scripture memory verse, a guided prayer, and reflection questions based on the topic. I’ve heard stories of parents doing the Kids Bible Experience in the car or right before bed with their kids and allowing it to spark some great conversations! It’s an awesome way to help kids focus on the reason for the season; preparing not only for Jesus’s birth but also looking forward to His coming return!
I would love to hear stories from you if you check it out with your kids. But here’s the catch…you have to watch it TODAY! The video only lasts 24 hours and then it’s replaced with a new one, like an Instagram story. This is to encourage kids to come back every day and develop that habit of daily devotions! So grab your kiddos, check it out, and learn about Advent and prepare your hearts as a family for the Christmas season!
Here’s how to turn on the feature in the YouVersion Bible App so you can check it out, let me know what you think!
1. Click “search” at the bottom of the app and type “Kids”.
2. Select “Kids Bible Experience” and toggle it to on.
3. Return to the home screen and it will show up in a colored bar right below the daily stories!
4. If you have any trouble with this, make sure your app is updated because this is BRAND NEW!
