A Family Advent Tradition
The Tree Tells
a Story
A four-week devotional that transforms how your family experiences Advent — using the Christmas tree as a journey from creation through the cross, from darkness into light, and toward the gift that changes everything.
Begin Week OneThe Tradition
Why does a Christmas tree stand in a Christian home?
Most of us set up a Christmas tree the same way we always have — all at once, in an evening. But what if there could be more? What if the act of setting it up, lighting it, and decorating it could carry your family through the four weeks of Advent as a living picture of the gospel?
This devotional began as one family's attempt to answer a child's question: "Why do we put a tree inside our house?" The result of that question turned into a way to relate the account of God's work throughout history, from Genesis to Revelation; from the Tree of Life in the garden to the tree of Calvary; from the darkness before creation to the city where there is no night. It brought greater meaning to our tradition and allowed us to point to Christ through it.
Advent is the four-week season leading up to Christmas Day, beginning on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. With this little book, each Sunday your family will gather around the tree and add a layer — first, bare branches; then, light; then, the ornaments of memory and faith; and finally, the cross-topper and gifts beneath. The associated scriptures open the meaning of each layer. Then, several times a week, your family can dig deeper into God's Word. This is a tradition that can grow richer every year. Read at your own pace; adapt freely; let the scriptures do their work.
The Four Weeks
Each week, a new layer of meaning
Work through the weeks in order during Advent. Each reading takes about fifteen minutes for family worship and can be adapted for any age.
Week One
The Tree
Set up the tree and leave it bare. From the garden of Eden to the tree at Calvary — Scripture's most important object stands before you. Why does God keep returning to the tree?
Week Two
The Light
Add lights to the tree — no ornaments yet. God created light before anything else. Jesus declared himself the Light of the world. What does it mean to walk in the light?
Week Three
Prophecy & Heritage
Decorate the tree together. Pause over the ornaments that carry a story — heirlooms, symbols of faith, tokens of God's faithfulness — and speak their meaning aloud. Leave the top of the tree bare.
Week Four
The Gift & the Prize
Place a cross — or a star — at the very top. Surround the tree with gifts. On Christmas morning, open Scripture before you open presents. Worship the Author of Life.
New to Family Worship?
Family worship can begin this Advent
You don't need a formal liturgy or theological training. Fifteen minutes around the table — Scripture read aloud, a question posed, a brief prayer — is enough to build a tradition your children will carry into their own homes.
Notes on Family Worship