Advent lessons for Catholic kids sprout from Jesse Tree

Catholic educators are always looking for new and interesting ways to teach young people about the faith. One activity that has grown in popularity is the Jesse Tree.

Jeff Hines, diocesan faith formation director, said the small trees, covered in ornaments that symbolize the Holy Family, events and people in young Jesus’ birth and life are inspired by a passage from Isaiah 11:1: “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.”

“Thus begins the prophecy that a new king would arise like King David,” he said. “This new king is Jesus, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.”

Hines said that Jesse Trees serve as a reminder of the interconnectedness of time, amplifying the magnitude of Jesus’ arrival.

“The tradition of the Jesse tree helps us connect the Jesus born on Christmas morning to the prophecy of the Messiah in the Old Testament,” he said. “The characters of the Jesse Tree give meaning to Jesus being a real person, with ancestors and to the significance of his heritage.”

Parochial school teachers and directors of religious education agree.

Lori Templet, director of religious education for St. Michael Church in Cherokee Village, has been making a Jesse Tree with her students for years.

“I had done this in my former parish in Louisiana. We had the kids in art class make the ornaments,” she said. “… I think the students learn a little each year we use them. They are hearing the story over and over, so I think it sinks in more as we use it each year.

“They are excited to take a turn to put the ornaments on the tree. In each class, we also spent a little time talking about the ones we put on the tree each week. The teachers also do lessons during Advent, which reinforces the meaning of the Jesse Tree.”

Erin Morrison, director of religious education at Holy Cross Church in Sheridan, has incorporated a Jesse Tree into its faith formation program for three years.

“I have cards from Catholic Family Crate. Each Sunday during Advent, our four classes assemble around our class Advent candles (which a person from each class is chosen to light, and we read a short Scripture and prayer),” Morrison said. “Then, I pass out seven cards for that week of Advent, and the students read the Scripture as we walk through salvation history up until the birth of Christ.

“This year, we have a purple tree for our Jesse Tree. I colored clothespins purple and numbered them and attached them to the tree with pipe cleaners. As the cards are read, the student finds the pin that corresponds to the day and puts the card on the tree. They become ‘ornaments’ as we go. We start at the bottom and work our way up to the top of the tree that has the Bethlehem star on top. The last clothespin is gold for Christ’s birth.”

Nisa Lagle, chair of the religion department at Ozark Catholic Academy in Tontitown, said students are using the Jesse Tree in addition to schoolwide morning prayer.

“In the morning, when we gather as a school for our morning prayer, we have included a Scripture reflection that goes with the Jesse Tree ornament for the day,” she said. “Our students leading morning prayer read the reflection and hang the ornament. The students have responded very well to the Jesse Tree and are very engaged during our Jesse Tree Advent addition. You could actually hear a pin drop in the whole school during the Scripture passage reading.”

Jennifer Elder, principal at St. John School in Hot Springs, said as an educator and parent, she finds the Jesse Tree to be a helpful family activity.

“Mrs. Brenda Sanders’s second-grade class is using Jesse Tree. As a second-grade parent, I love doing the daily Scripture readings and having discussions together as a family,” she said. “I think many of our parents would say the same thing.”

*A student at St. Michael Church in Cherokee Village hangs an ornament on the Jesse Tree in the church Dec. 8. (Courtesy Lori Templet)*

Jennifer Roscoe, principal of Sacred Heart School in Morrilton, said her school gathers in the hallway each morning for their Jesse Tree activity.

“Each day, one of the sixth-grade students will read a story depicting an event leading to the birth of Jesus,” she said. “All the elementary students gather in the hallway at 8:10 a.m. and the story is read. Afterwards, we sing an Advent song. … Before going back to classrooms, a particular class will put their corresponding ornaments they have made on the Christmas tree we have in the hallway.”

Lynn Milton, junior high religion teacher at Our Lady of the Holy Souls School in Little Rock, has assigned a Jesse Tree project to her class for six years.

“I actually use it as my midterm project for my seventh and eighth-grade students,” she said. “… (Students) have to find a Scripture that connects to the ornament that they’re assigned, so the Scripture has to be about the biblical character or story they’re assigned.”

Milton also uses the project as an opportunity to teach her students about research — which sources are trustworthy and which ones are not. She also stresses to her students that it isn’t about their artistic skills but about making sure that they learn something while having fun.

“They have to hand make their ornaments. I do encourage them to recycle products and use stuff they have at home if they want,” she said. “They’re not allowed to buy an ornament that looks like (their assigned symbol). They have to make it. They can buy pieces and parts of it. … They take pride in it, and they’re very creative with their pieces. I get some of the most amazing stuff, and I get some stuff from the kids who are not as artistic and creative, that blows my mind.”

Once all of the ornaments are completed, Milton’s students will present their ornaments and the stories behind them in biblical chronological order.

“It gives us all more biblical timeline history because we lose it sometimes, especially over years of Catholic education. What we knew fresh in our minds when we were in second grade, we forget when we’re in the eighth grade,” Milton said. “And then there are also people (in the Bible) who we don’t always have a lot of huge focus on. … So we’re all getting a lot of amazing stories on people that may not have been untaught or unknown, but that we forget about because they’re smaller parts of this amazing story of Christ being born.”

Milton has students work on the ornament with at least one family member — a requirement that has turned out to be an evangelization opportunity.

“Now it’s become an even bigger tradition because I am now getting kids who’ve worked on it with their older siblings, and they remember doing it and helping,” she said. “Teenagers are just not as prone to talk to their parents about God. And by requiring them and telling them, you have to get your mom or dad’s signature on this form, I feel like it gives them an opportunity … maybe it will open up some conversations with these kids and their parents about their faith, about the Christmas season, about the miracle of Jesus. Like whatever it is, I feel like it just gives them opportunities.”

Creating your own Jesse Tree

What you need: A Bible, paper, colored pencils or markers, scissors, thread for hanging ornaments and a tree.

Building the tree: You can use a small artificial tree, a couple of evergreen branches attached to a base, or even a paper tree to save space. If you opt for the paper tree, simply glue the ornaments directly to it.

Making the ornaments: Draw inspiration from Bible stories. Choose symbols that represent key moments from the Old Testament, like Noah’s Ark, Adam and Eve’s apple or Moses’ burning bush. Use various materials — old Christmas cards, magazine cutouts or drawings made by children. On the back of each ornament, write a Bible verse or phrase related to the symbol.

Timing: Once the ornaments are complete, hang them on the tree using thread. Consider making one ornament for each day of Advent. Children can add one ornament daily, like an Advent calendar or decorate the tree all at once.

Space: Ideally, the Jesse Tree should have its own space in your home. Some families create individual trees for each child, allowing them to display their creations in their rooms as a way to express their faith and pride in their work.

The takeaway: The activity is a great way to teach Bible stories to children. Encourage them to read the stories aloud and help them understand any confusing parts. This is an opportunity to connect Scripture with their own lives, such as finding parallels between the story of Joseph and Mary and their personal experiences.