Advent Journey Spirals

We are now totally on the countdown to Advent. If you haven't read December's edition of Premier Youth and Children's Work magazine, then I suggest you get your hands on one!!

Here is one of the crafts I wrote for my page in the magazine as a little taster of what you can expect...

This craft explores the idea of a journey towards the birth of Jesus, echoing the journey that Mary and Joseph take to Bethlehem and our own waiting for Jesus to come again.

You will need: air drying clay, small candles (Christingle candles are ideal!) Before doing this with children, it might help to do a test run to see roughly how much clay each person will need.

Roll the clay into a long, thick sausage shape and slightly flatten out the top. 

Make a spiral with the clay. 

Take your candle and, starting at the centre of the spiral, make 25 indentations deep enough to let the candle stand up securely. 

Leave the spiral to dry. 

Every day during Advent move the candle one place along the spiral and light it, ending at the centre on Christmas day.

Pray

Every day, as you move the candle on a space, pray for a person or a place you know going through dark and hard times. Pray that they will know light in their darkness as Christmas approaches