It’s the time of year once again where children never get tired of receiving present after present, with eyes widened with excitement and joy. This year, our gift to the children once again was to remind them about what Christmas really means, and to invite them not only to embrace it but to share it with others. In our Centres, we helped the children to explore the truth about Christmas, the beauty of the season, and the goodness of God’s love.
We shared the wonder and joy of how and why Jesus’ was born through the Nativity Story, bringing alive the characters involved and challenging them to retell them in their own words and actions. Even some of the younger ones were able to identify and name the familiar characters in the story!
As the children were told of how Jesus’ birth is a beacon of hope and a reminder of God’s love that we can hold fast to everyday, they began to appreciate the true beauty of Christmas. Just like how the brightest star in the sky brought the wise men to find Jesus in the manger, the star that we place high up on a Christmas tree is a symbol of hope.
Little Olive Tree (Fajar) handmade a beautiful Christmas tree from scratch and dressed up in festive wear
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” James 1:17
The best Gift that we could ever receive is God’s Love and Hope for a better tomorrow. The best way to open our hearts to this Gift is not to keep it all to ourselves, but to share the blessing with those around us. Thus, we encouraged both parents and children alike to be part of the magic of giving, which not only includes giving physical presents to others, but could also come in the form of handmade crafts, time spent with neighbours or even the local senior centre, or donating to the less fortunate.
The best Gift that we could ever receive is God’s love and Hope for a better tomorrow. The best way to open our hearts to this Gift is not to keep it all to ourselves, but to share the blessing with those around us.
Knowing the true meaning of Christmas in our hearts, we had even more reason to celebrate the season. From parties, to performances, to feasting and gift giving, our children had the time of their lives with friends, teachers and family.
At Jurong West Centre, children of different levels had prepared wonderful musical and dance performances, impressing their classmates and teachers with their costumes, moves and enthusiasm! It was such a sight to see, and brought everyone so much joy as they sang along to Christmas carols and soaked in the holiday spirit with their loved ones.
Over at Yishun Centre, everyone was thrilled to turn up in their favourite outfits! It was adorable seeing little Santas and Santarinas running about, as well as superheroes, princes and princesses. They also had a round of party games, where teachers and children all had a blast laughing and interacting with each other.
Indeed, Christmas is a time to love and treasure the people in our lives who have brought smiles to our faces, given us a shoulder to cry on, and have impacted us in one way or another. We thank God for yet another year full of favour and abundant blessings, as well as the privilege to have walked alongside so many of our children and their families. The precious memories made, relationships forged and lessons learnt will be held close to us for a long time from now.
We wish our children, parents, friends and family a joyous Christmas and blessed New Year that is full of love throughout this season. May we continue to give and love just as God loves us!
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