Before class, familiarize yourself with the diagram on how to fold a heart pocket (template here). If your class is meeting online, send a list of supplies for families to prepare for their students ahead of time.

In today’s Bible lesson, we read the story of Jesus’ birth. This is truly a birth to celebrate.

• Do you have any Christmas traditions, foods, or activities that you enjoy as part of your preparations for the Christmas celebration? (Answers will vary.)

As we prepare for Christmas and the celebration through church services and gift giving, let’s take time to prepare our hearts as well.

• Do you have any ideas for how we can prepare our hearts? (Answers will vary; prayer, singing, worship, reading the Christmas story again, etc.)

We are going to make heart Christmas ornaments to hang in your rooms to remind you to keep Jesus at the heart of Christmas and in your heart forever.  

Guide your preteens through the following activity (use the diagram provided here as a reference).

• With an 8 ½” x 11″ sheet of red paper or cardstock in the portrait position, fold the paper upward at about 4 ½” from the bottom of the page. You now have a folded paper where the back part is about 6 ½” and the top part (or flap) from the fold up is about 4 ½”.
• Fold the paper in half sideways. The pocket formed by the first fold is now inside the folded page
• With the paper folded, draw half of a heart out from the fold, filling as much of the page as possible. The bottom point of the heart should go in at the bottom corner of the fold but be sure to leave enough of a folded base at the bottom so the fold up is still attached to the main page after cutting (see diagram).
• Cut out the half heart, being careful not to cut away all of the folded base.
• Open the heart.
• There is now a full heart with a pocket flap on top of it. Tape the edges of the flap to the edges of the heart.
• Punch a hole near the top on each rounded side of the heart.
• Thread yarn or ribbon through the holes and tie it at the top to make a loop to hang the heart.
• Write the memory verse on the pocket flap of the heart: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:11).

On a separate sheet of writing paper, write a note to Jesus letting Him know what He means to you.

As your students work, you may want to share this music video [2:17].
Come thou long expected Jesus

Each day as we get closer to Christmas, add another little note into your heart pocket with that day’s thoughts about how Jesus came to earth as a child and later saved us from our sins. Express what that means to you. This will help you prepare your heart. Perhaps on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning you can read all the notes with your family as a Christmas celebration prayer.

Turn today’s memory verse into a closing prayer: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:11). Glory to God in the highest. Amen.