Family/Kid Christmas Eve SErvice

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Permalink Reply by Duke Vipperman on December 16, 2009 at 2:17pm

Here's what we are doing:

“LONG WALK PART OF GIFT” CHRISTMAS - Dec. 24 2009
Christmas Carols
Joy to the World, Away in a Manger, O Little Town Of Bethlehem
Prayers
Philippians 2:4-12, Luke 2:1-12
“He came down that we may have love”

GATHER - tell the story (below) drawing out the biblical / theological parallels

An African student in a mission school near the coast. His teacher had told the class about the first Christmas, about the journey of Mary and Joseph to Nazareth, the birth of Jesus and the visit of the shepherds and the wise men. She told them about how people give gifts to one another on Christmas to express their joy over the birth of Jesus and their friendship with one another.
When Christmas Day arrived, the boy brought his teacher a beautiful sea shell. She had never seen one like it before, nor had she ever seen one as lovely. She wondered where he had found it. He explained that there was only one place to find this kind of shell, on a beach several miles from their village. The only way he could have gone there was to walk. She hardly knew what to say. “It’s wonderful,” she said, “but you shouldn’t have gone all that way just to get a gift for me!”
The boy smiled and answered, “Long walk part of gift.”
Everybody connected with the Christmas story had to come a long way. Stations where stamps are will include
Long Walk – Mary to see Elizabeth after the annunciation
Long walk – Mary & Joeseph– son of the Holy Spirit born in obscurity, poverty & pain
Long walk - Shepherds – A Saviour Christ the Lord
Long walk - Wise men – a King to be worshiped
Long walk – Simeon & Anna – walked for years before they saw the Messiah
King Herod was the only one literally unmoved by Jesus.
Long Walk to Egypt - the rfugeee road
Long walk – back home you – a whole life lived for him

MAKE A GIFT - Walk to one of the places to make a gift.
 Pick a shell (dollar store variety) and put it in a small organza gift bag (makes wrapping easy!)
 Make a post card w “Long walk part of gift” on one side, blank on the other.
 Glue on a bible verse that describes Jesus (Names of Jesus are all over the net)
 Stamp the card with “passport” stamps (dollar store again) indicating a long walk was made.
[These will be near an angel’s, a king’ costume, & a shepherd’s costume, etc.]
 decorate the card with pencils, crayons stickers as they wish & time allows
Music – “He came down” is played then Peace Child. 9 minutes

GIVE THE GIFT I wonder as I wander http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ_fH-1xwGE Mill around in silence until they find someone to give the gift (card and bag) to.
Once the gift is made & given theirs, they sit don in their pew. Their parents can read the name of Jesus while they wait for the rest to be done. This they can keep forever -
COMMUNION - sea shell as a paton. During - Huron Carol; In the deep mid-winter
Afterward “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.”

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Permalink Reply by Linda Sines on December 16, 2009 at 3:16pm

That's beautiful, Duke. Thanks for sharing!

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Permalink Reply by Becky Ochsner on December 17, 2009 at 12:06pm

Nate, Would you please send me a copy of your wife's script as well? rochsne2@calvinseminary.edu

Our family uses that Bible as well, and we give it to other parents as baptism gifts. I'd love something that we could do for family Christmas worship.

looking forward to it!
Becky

Nate Woodward said:

My wife has adapted the Luke 2 story from the Jesus Storybook Bible (http://www.jesusstorybookbible.com) into a script for children (and some adults) that we are doing at our church.

I probably shouldn't post it for copyright reasons, but if anyone is interested in previewing it, send me a message on my profile page.

I HIGHLY recommend the Jesus Storybook Bible for anyone doing children's ministry, especially if you want to integrate children into the life and worship of the rest of the church. It is definitely written for children, but it is so deeply profound and beautiful that it makes me weep when I read it myself.

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Permalink Reply by Susan Carns on December 21, 2009 at 8:22am

Nate:
I would like to see what your wife wrote.

My email is sbcarns@comcast.net

Thank you,
Susan Carns

Nate Woodward said:

My wife has adapted the Luke 2 story from the Jesus Storybook Bible (http://www.jesusstorybookbible.com) into a script for children (and some adults) that we are doing at our church.

I probably shouldn't post it for copyright reasons, but if anyone is interested in previewing it, send me a message on my profile page.

I HIGHLY recommend the Jesus Storybook Bible for anyone doing children's ministry, especially if you want to integrate children into the life and worship of the rest of the church. It is definitely written for children, but it is so deeply profound and beautiful that it makes me weep when I read it myself.

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Permalink Reply by Carrie DeJong on December 22, 2009 at 10:38pm

I would be grateful for a copy of your wife's script/story. I am always on the hunt for something meaningful for the children in our church! Thank you!
Carrie
dejong@intergate.ca

Nate Woodward said:

My wife has adapted the Luke 2 story from the Jesus Storybook Bible (http://www.jesusstorybookbible.com) into a script for children (and some adults) that we are doing at our church.

I probably shouldn't post it for copyright reasons, but if anyone is interested in previewing it, send me a message on my profile page.

I HIGHLY recommend the Jesus Storybook Bible for anyone doing children's ministry, especially if you want to integrate children into the life and worship of the rest of the church. It is definitely written for children, but it is so deeply profound and beautiful that it makes me weep when I read it myself.

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