About This Lesson Plan on Advent
This Be Watchful! Be Alert! lesson plan will help youth understand what it means to be ready for Jesus. How are we preparing?
Be Watchful! Be Alert! – A Lesson Plan on Advent
Opening Activity for Be Watchful! Be Alert!
Give everyone a pencil and paper. Ask them to write down their answer to this question:
- You are throwing a party. You are inviting all of your best friends. What are some of the things you will do to prepare?
Give them a few minutes to write down their answers. Then spend a little time sharing them.
Now follow up with these discussion questions:
- It is 15 minutes before the party is to start. You are ready. What are you doing?
- The doorbell rings. Your guests are starting to arrive. How do you feel? Are you excited, nervous, something else? Why?
When we have somebody we care about coming to visit, we take some time to get ready. Well, guess what? We are starting Advent, which is a season of hopeful waiting. We are preparing to welcome Jesus into our world.
Scripture Reading for Lesson Plan on Advent
Jesus said to his disciples: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.
It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch.
Watch, therefore; you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.
What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”
Mark 13:33-37
Discussion for the Be Watchful! Be Alert! Lesson Plan
When we throw a party, we get everything ready for our guests. Then we wait for them to arrive. In the same way, we should be preparing our hearts for Jesus.
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There are many ways we can get ready. We can spend some time in prayer. If our current prayer routine seems dry, this is a good time to try a new way to pray,
Service projects are another way to make ourselves ready for Jesus. Helping others makes us focus less on ourselves, which in turn helps us focus more on the Lord.
Acts of charity are also appropriate. These don’t need to be huge events. Bake some cookies for a neighbor or donate something to a thrift store.
Be creative! Part of the purpose of this season is to shake us out of our routine so we can be alert to what the Lord is calling us to do next.
Reflection Questions for this Advent Lesson Plan
- How can prayer help us prepare?
- What are some specific things we can do to improve our prayer lives in the next few weeks?
- How can acts of service and charity help us prepare?
- Can you name some things you can do to help others before Christmas?
Challenge for the Be Watchful! Be Alert! Lesson Plan
One thing we can do is take part in the sacrament of reconciliation. We have this wonderful gift of grace. When we are about to have guests come to visit, we clean our houses. In a similar way, confessing our sins and receiving absolution cleans our hearts and makes us ready to welcome Jesus into our world.
If possible, have a reconciliation service. If not, encourage the youth to go to confession some time before Christmas.
Prayer for the Lesson Plan on Advent
Conclude with a prayer circle or an Advent Prayer Service.
Printable Copy of Superpowers Lesson Plan
Advent Prayer Service
This simple prayer service is written for families, but you can also use it in your classroom or with your youth ministry group.