Perhaps you dread the Elf on the Shelf, the tiny, plush toy that has become an absolute holiday craze. Or, maybe you love the relatively newfound Christmas tradition. Either way, there’s a new custom that’s gaining some traction: The Shepherd on the Search.
Josh Helms, who created the Bible-themed tradition alongside his wife Lindsey, told “The Billy Hallowell Podcast” this week that the effort came out of the desire to make sure his kids are “doing all the fun stuff we want to do at Christmastime,” while also ensuring that they understand it’s really all about Jesus.”
Listen to Helms break down his family’s amazing alternative to the Elf on the Shelf here:
The Helms family celebrates Santa as well, but they found themselves looking for something more meaningful than what the Elf on the Shelf brings to the table.
“We just wanted to point that toward Jesus.” he said, noting that the The Shepherd on the Search is a plush doll on a quest to find the nativity on Christmas morning.
Much like the elf, parents move it around every day, though, unlike the elf, kids can touch it — and it’s not intended to be “magical.”
It’s a tradition that the Helms have been doing in their own home for a few years now, and it’s one that is now on the market for other parents to partake in, with more than 20,000 units selling during the 2016 holiday season, alone.
“It gives us an opportunity to talk about Jesus before the craziness of the day starts,” Helms said, noting that he and Lindsey use the shepherd on Christmas morning as a way to start the day out right.
Find out more about the tradition here.