Beyond the Christmas Stocking: Why our Kids Need Year-Round Faith

The Christmas That Changed Everything

Our business was inspired by a life event of epic proportions. It all started the year I ruined my son’s Christmas and his early faith. Obviously, that wasn't my intention. In my experience, none of my older daughters had struggled with discovering Santa wasn't real, so I thought we were fine.

What I didn’t know at the time, the authenticity of Jesus himself was on the line. However, this was made very clear to me several years later, when I was sharing a Biblical truth about Jesus with my son, his response stopped me cold: 'Mom, you told me that other dude was real too.”

When Two Worlds Collided

I recognized my Sunday faith had not crossed over into my Monday life. Celebrating Santa over my faith hadn’t sacrificed the religious aspect, it had compromised his forming a relationship with Jesus. Worse, it had him question whether Jesus was even real.

None of our Christmas décor included any evidence of Santa, except our children’s stockings. We continued to hang them each year because we couldn’t find a Christian alternative. That’s when the idea of creating Christian Christmas stockings was formed.

It would take several years before we accomplished manufacturing our own designs. But rather than feeling like we’d done something significant, it felt incomplete.

The Missing Piece

Well, remember I said my son’s statement about Jesus being real haunted me? That was it – the missing piece. Faith should be year-round because Jesus isn’t just a seasonal decoration; His influence should be woven into the fabric of our everyday life if He is going to rise to the status of someone familiar, someone real.

Making Faith as Real as Santa

So, the first question I asked myself was – how did I make Santa so real to him in the first place? Culture certainly supported his existence. He was in the stories we told. We invoked him during the year very effectively to reset their behavior, lest they get on His Naughty List. We had ALL the Santa stuff as constant visual reminders.

If those were the elements that made Santa real, we knew we had to be equally intentional about our faith. Kids need consistency to reinforce what they know. When we only talk about Jesus during holidays, we're accidentally teaching them He's seasonal - like Santa, the Easter Bunny, or Halloween decorations. But our kids need to know Jesus as someone who's with them during school stress, friendship drama, bedtime fears, and everyday joys. Year-round faith gives them a steady foundation instead of holiday excitement that fades by January.

Building Year-Round Faith

Our mission grew into creating meaningful items that serve as constant reminders of Jesus's transformative power in a family’s everyday life. From prayer pillows that create moments for families to lay a foundation of faith, to the apparel we wear as an expression of faith and a witness to inspire others. As their knowledge of God increases, invoking His name and character can transform their behavior for lasting value.

We continue to strategize other products and encourage you to let us know what products would help your family live out faith daily. Email us your ideas at partners@aftertheking.com or share them in the comments.

For now, we’d love to know what faith traditions you have created with your family. Share your story to inspire others in the comments below.

As always, we pray you Experience His Love and Live the Better AFTER.