WHAT IS IT?

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The Jesse Tree is an advent devotional activity that has been used in many churches over the years to help connect the coming of Jesus with the many Bible stories of the Old Testament. The tradition is rooted in Isaiah 11:1: “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.” Jesse was the father of David, and Jesus is descended from the line of David. He is the “Branch” God promised would grow from Jesse’s family tree. The Jesse Tree invites you to read a Bible story each day and to hang an ornament on a “tree” that represents that Bible story or character. It is a wonderful teaching tool for children but can be utilized by everyone.

 

HOW DO I DO IT?

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There are many resources you can find online, but we encourage you to go to this website: https://www.rca.org/jessetree. There, you can download and print out devotions (both for families and also for adults/teens). You can also download and print out the ornaments for your tree. Once you have done that, just set aside some time each day to read the devotionals together. Then, hang an ornament each day on your tree. Your “tree” can be anything from a mini Christmas tree to some branches in a vase to a string hanging on a wall – the point is to hang the ornaments somewhere!

Jesse Tree Devotional

Jesse Tree Printable Ornaments

Christmas Eve

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Our journey as a Forcey family will culminate on Christmas Eve with a special evening worship service called “The Living Jesse Tree.” Together we will encounter some of the characters on the Jesse Tree and be moved to come and worship Jesus!