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PREPARE A PLACE: ADVENT PROGRAMME

Nativity Sketch:

Suggestion: If you are short on time to prepare, have the children do the trigger actions, sounds and

choruses to the story but have an adult leader narrate. If there is more time, split the narration between 2 or

3 older children.

Songs: See Music Suggestions and where to get the songs from the Sunday Club Programme below.

Scene: 8 children sit in 4 rows of 2, with a 9th

person on their own up the front with driver’s hat on. Other

children are standing or sitting in rows to the side of the stage singing ‘Silent Night’ or a shortened version

of ‘Driving Home for Christmas’.

{A bus in Dublin breaks down as people are heading home for Christmas. People start to get cross until

they are reminded of what Christmas is all about.}

Person at the front pretends to drive. Each way they move their body, the rest must move as well (to the left

to the right, sharp brake – lean forward; driving fast – lean back) then everyone together makes the sounds

of the brakes and the sound of a small explosion. Together they say ‘Oh No!’

Narrator ‘The bus has broken down, and we’re far away from home,

How will I carry all my presents, in the dark and cold, alone?

I’m starting to get hungry and I sure would like a meal,

Like some pitta and hummus – that would really seal the deal.

I might not make the dinner and swop presents with my mates,

Aren’t they the things that make Christmas such a special yearly date?

I wish we lived somewhere warmer, I wish it was still bright,

I wish we had a special star guiding us home tonight.

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A child walks across the stage holding a lightning bolt. When he/she gets to the middle of the stage all the

children clap their hands like thunder, zap like lightning and everyone puts tea towels or pillowcases on their

heads. If you want play the song ‘Everybody do the Christmas Dance from GoFish and each section takes a

few seconds to get their head gear on while the others dance. (They can get the pillowcases on their heads on

their own if the bands holding them on their heads are thick and elasticated.) They are back in Bethlehem in

Year 0!

N.B. The rest reads as an action story with songs in between.

Action Words:

Star: Look Up all in same spot and all saw wooow.

Angels: Glo-ooooo-ooooo-oooooria (sung)

Mary: Lean back holding lower back and blow out.

Stable: Hold nose and say phwu-eee.

Let’s go take a look – pretend walking.

Peace: hold hands with people beside you and raise up arms.

Shepherds: nodding heads as pointing and counting ‘1 sheep, 2 sheep, 3 sheep, 4’

Wise Men: Egyptian hand dance

Jesus/Baby: Hold baby and shhhh

Narrator: Look at the size of that star. It seems to be hanging over that stable! (Child at the back

jumping saying ‘let me see, let me see’) Narrator: And there’s light in the sky over there – (pointing in

another direction) it’s over a field. Let’s go take a look.

Song: Hark Now Hear – use streamers from craft for chorus

Narrator: I don’t believe it! It’s a host of Angels! And they have a message for a load of Shepherds?!

They’re saying a King has been born and to follow the star! Let’s go take a look!

Song: Let’s Go, Let’s Go – Shepherd’s Song

Note: Children come to the front of the chairs so they can be arranged in a semi-circle behind them with a

manger etc. You will need some children to step in as Mary, Joseph, Shepherds, Angels. They don’t have

talking parts.

Narrator: Shhhhh, you won’t believe it – see that stable? There’s a baby in there! Lying in straw in the

manger for the animal’s food! The Shepherds (pause) have arrived and are greeting the baby as the new

King, just as the angels told them they would. Mary, the mother of the baby who is called Jesus, tells them

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the story of how they travelled to be here, how there was No Room anywhere, the places were All Full and

they were finally sent here for the night. (use the Inn Keeper signs from week 2)

Song: Little Donkey / O Come let us Adore Him / Hush there’s a baby. Consider doing 2 songs in a

row here.

Narrator: It’s getting really crowded in here! More people have arrived, very fancy people (have 3 children

put throws on their backs and carry trinket boxes) They say they are the Magi and they’ve travelled from far

far away following the star to find the King.

Chant: John Hardwick Wise Men Chant shortened version. Narrator can call the 1st line if needed.

Narrator: But what’s the fuss about Jesus? Why are all these people here to worship him? What? He is

what Christmas is all about? Nonsense! It’s about dinner and presents and Christmas movies!

Memory Verse: Children can recite it using one of the methods used to learn it over the past weeks.

Narrator: So Jesus is God’s Son. He shows us the perfect Love of God. See how the lowly Shepherds

and the mighty Magi are welcome! And I should follow Jesus example? How do I welcome others this

Christmas?

Same Child as before walks across the stage in slow motion holding a lightning bolt.. While people

are taking off their pillowcases, they make thunder noises. No need to recreate the bus.

Have 3 different children step forward to say how they can welcome others this Christmas

Narrator: Wow, we thought we were getting a bus journey home but instead we got a journey through time

to remind us what Christmas is all about! (Person in bus driver hat pretends to turn a key, makes sound of

engine coming to life – everyone cheers!

Songs: ‘Shine, from the Inside Out’ and 1 Carol.

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All Age Christmas Service Talk:

You will need: Pictures of matching food items hidden around the church.

For example:

Spaghetti / Bolognese

Ice-cream / Jelly

Burger / Chips

Pitta / Hummus

Curry / Rice

Turkey / Ham

Ask people to check and see if half a meal is lurking under their seat. If they have one of the pictures they

must find the other person in the congregation who holds the other half of their meal. Ask the teams of 2 to

join you at the front and showcase their meals.

1. Food from around the world: I wonder which one of these is your favourite? Are any of your

favourite food matches missing? Do you know Spaghetti and Bolognese is originally from Italy and

Curry and Rice is originally from India and other countries close by? Or that a simple meal of

baguette and cheese is very French? But the world of food can be enjoyed when we share our ideas

and recipes. Did you know that Guiness Stew and Irish soda bread are very popular in America?

And that Irish Potatoes and Kerrygold butter have made it to lots of countries in Africa? Do you

know which meal I’m most looking forward to? Christmas Dinner! I can’t wait to eat my turkey

and ham (and tuck in to some Cadbury’s roses with a cup of tea – another perfect pairing!) One of

the pairings some of you may know, but others you might not recognise. Which one is that? Yes,

it’s the pitta and hummus. Pitta is flat bread and hummus is a dip made from chickpeas. It’s a

regular meal/snack in the Middle East and when you get freshly baked pitta with freshly made

hummus, it is so delicious! The Dioceses of Jerusalem covers a lot of countries in the Middle East

and this is a food that would be made, bought and eaten by lots of its congregations. (Invite the pairs

to sit back in their seats)

2. We have heard a little bit about the Diocese of Jerusalem before because we have fundraised for the

Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza. Sadly in places like Gaza and in countries like Syria, which is also in the

Diocese of Jerusalem, there are a lot of people who don’t have enough to eat. And would you

believe that there are people living in our own Diocese who also don’t have enough to eat and they

have to go to a food bank or a feeding centre to get food that they need. In the diocese of Jerusalem

it is causing lots of problems for young children who need healthy, nutritious food to grow big and

strong but who only have bread and tea and in Ireland it’s a big problem for elderly people and

young families because they are spending so much money on renting their house or heating their

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home, so there is simply not enough money left for food. Christmas is a time for celebration, but we

are celebrating that Jesus came to a poor and smelly stable to show God’s love not just to me and my

family, but to everyone! And when we celebrate Him, we are saying that we follow Him. And if we

follow Him, we follow his example of reaching out to others who are in need and who would love to

know that they are important and loved and not forgotten, even as they go through struggles. How

can we do that?

3. We do that by remembering that Christmas is about family and presents and yummy dinner but it is

also a reminder for every day of the year that we are 1 of a perfect pairing. We were not made just to

live in our little groups and never look out beyond them. We were made for God and for each other.

And when we don’t look beyond ourselves we’re like a piece of spaghetti without the bolognese or

potato without stew, or baguette without cheese. We’re small and dry and half of a pairing! We need

each other to be fully alive. And we need Jesus to love each other well. When we forget about

others, and become selfish and self-serving, we’ve missed the real meaning of Christmas.

Practically, we can explore as individuals and as a parish how to look beyond ourselves to see people who

need us.

This might mean making sure no one in the parish is completely alone around Christmas or

Checking to see what the community is doing to support people without houses or food or family this

Christmas and getting involved either through donations or through volunteering or through lobbying

for change.

We can pray as a Church for our brothers and sisters in the Diocese of Jerusalem where millions of

people are displaced or have become refugees and afraid and hungry.

And we can listen to hear how we can better support them as they welcome strangers as if they were

welcoming Jesus.

Let’s remember the perfect pairing of ALL of us and God and let us think about how Jesus came so we

could be together, and be made whole. Let us pray.

God, thank you for your Son Jesus, the real meaning of Christmas. We pray that we keep him at the centre

of all we do. We pray that we will follow him, even when it’s hard, so that everyone knows they are loved

and never alone. We pray for people rich and poor, full and hungry: may we all have enough this Christmas,

Amen.

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SUNDAY CLUB PROGRAMME OVERVIEW: 4 SESSIONS

Purpose of the Prepare a Place Advent Programme:

1. To have fun learning about the Nativity Story from a fresh point of view.

2. To explore 4 themes around the Nativity – e.g. listening to God, welcoming God,

Jesus is the Prince of Peace, Jesus is the Light of the World.

3. To see how these themes are true for us and for our friends in the Diocese of

Jerusalem today.

Session 1:

Theme: Mary listens and obeys the voice of God

Bible Story: Angel Gabriel Appears to Mary

Today’s Application: How we can listen to God in daily life? How is the Diocese of

Jerusalem listening to God responding to his voice through the Holy Land Institute for the

Deaf, Salt & the Princess Basma Inclusive School.

Session 2:

Theme: Welcoming Strangers/Welcoming God

Bible Story: Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem (with mention of their fleeing after Jesus

was born)

Today’s Application: The number of people who have had to leave their homes and have

found welcome throughout the Diocese of Jerusalem.

Session 3:

Theme: The Birth of the Servant King Jesus

Bible Story: Jesus born in a Stable, not in a Palace. The Son of Man who came not to be

served but to serve.

Today’s Application: Baby born then/Baby born now. Support for babies and their parents

in diocese of Jerusalem – medical support, hospitals, education.

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Session 4:

Theme: Jesus Light of the World.

Bible Story: Shepherds and Wise Men.

Today’s Application: How is the Diocese of Jerusalem being light to those around it today

through its peace and reconciliation work? How can we be light to those around us

today?

Memory Verse for 4 Weeks:

Week 1: Explain the Name: ‘Wonderful, Counsellor’. Wonderful means WOW, he is so great, we can’t

even get our minds around it! Counsellor means wise and gives good advice and guides people in the best

way to go/live.

Put memory verse on card and blue tac to wall in widening descent like a Christmas Tree. (see above as an

example) After explaining the 1st name for Jesus, get them to say the memory verse 3 times (once normal,

once whispered, once shouted) and then start removing cards and see who can still say it.

Week 2: Explain the name ‘Mighty God’. Mighty means powerful and strong. But Jesus is born a baby!

The most powerful thing is to show love and to serve others. Jesus did this by becoming human, and

becoming the son of Mary and Joseph, even though he is the Son of God.

Say it to the 4 corners of the world! After reminding everyone of the memory verse, get them to say it,

turning to a new corner after each word!

Week 3: Explain the Name: ‘Everlasting Father’. Everlasting means that Jesus lives forever and calling

him Father shows that he is not distant or cold or so mighty that he is not interested in us, He loves us and

wants to look after us.

wants the best for us like a good Dad wants good things for his kids!

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Suggested Songs for 4 weeks:

This is a selection of potential songs. Usually you would focus on 1 new song every 2

weeks but as you may be incorporating the songs into a Nativity play or Sketch, they

may take up more time than usual. It might work to teach some of the non-Christmas

songs in the weeks before as they are still appropriate for using alongside some carols.

Quiet Songs: In my life Lord be Glorified / Light of the World (here I am to

worship) / Peace in my Fingers

Energetic Songs: Shine from the Inside Out (Quiet and Energetic Songs

available on www.youtube.com)

Christmas Carols: Mary’s Boy Child / Drummer Boy, Joy to the World

Children’s Christmas Songs: Hush, there’s a Baby / Let’s Go, Let’s Go

(Shepherd’s song) / I’m an Angel – OOH / www.maynardsgroovytunes.co.uk

Everybody do the Christmas Dance / Joyful Joyful (Christmas Version)

www.gofishguys.com

Pass the Parcel: There’s a piece of the Memory Verse hidden inside each layer of wrapping. Play some

music and let them pass the parcel (good idea to have some layers hiding pencils or jellies). When the

music stops the person who has it opens a layer. Once all have been unwrapped they must put the Memory

Verse in the right order.

Week 4: Explain the Name: Prince of Peace: Lots of people were troubled or worried and Jesus brought

them peace. He can do the same for us today, in all sorts of situations.

Make up actions to the Memory Verse and do them together with speech and without speech.

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Session One

Week 1: Mary listens and obeys the Voice of God

Story/Talk: Bible Reading: Luke 1:26 - 38

The following tasks are considered (near) impossible for humans to complete. Try out these ‘simple’ tests to

see if anyone can succeed.

Twitch your nose (without moving the rest of your face)

Lick your elbow

Rotate your right leg in a clockwise motion, while drawing a ‘6’ in the air with you right hand

Wiggle your ears

Place your palm on a flat surface with your middle finger curled underneath, then raise (only) your

ring finger

There are lots of things that we can’t do. But God is BIGGER and can do things that we can’t do. In this

story God sends an Angel to a young girl to tell her that God wants her to have a special baby. (Show Map

to explain where the story takes place today) Mary couldn’t have a baby on her own, but she could listen to

God, trust Him and do as he asks because he makes impossible things possible.

Listen in Numbers: Angel = 1; God = 3; Baby = 5; Mary = 7; Yes = 10.

Children hold up the correct number of fingers each time you say one of those words.

Suggested Games for Week 1:

Younger Children: Angel Gabriel says ‘Do this’ (instead of Simon Says)

Trust, Trust, Obey (Instead of Duck Duck Goose)

Older Children: Speedy Whispers. Split children into teams. Each team gets a bowl with pieces of

paper in them. The team forms a line. On ‘Go’ the first person takes out a piece of paper, reads it

and whispers it to the next person in the line. They must pass the message on until the last person

gets the message and follows the command to retrieve an object in the room. Once it has been

brought back to the group, the last person goes to the top and they start again. When all commands

have been read and all items retrieved, they sit down. First team to sit, wins!

Examples of instructions: (be sure to have the items around the room! Hide some if it makes it

more fun. Find a yellow crayon; get a blue balloon and bring it back for the team to blow up; bring

back a colourful sock; collect 10 paper clips etc)

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Mary was a young girl who lived a place called Galilee. She was soon to be married to a man called Joseph.

It was normal for girls as young as 12 and 13 to get engaged and for her parents to choose her future

husband for her. One day, God sent an Angel, Gabriel, to speak with Mary. Can you imagine the fright

she got?! Maybe Mary thought it was impossible for an Angel to appear. It certainly wasn’t something that

happened on a normal day! ‘Greetings’, the Angel said, ‘I have Good News for you. You are blessed by

God.’ Although Mary was really scared she didn’t run away, she stayed and listened to what her special

visitor had to say. ‘You are to become pregnant and have a baby. You are to call him Jesus. He will be

very important because he will be the Son of God’. Mary could hardly believe her ears. ‘But how can I

have a baby?’, she asked. The Angel continued explaining: ‘The power of God will come upon you and will

cause this to happen.’ Mary answered, ‘I am God’s servant. I will do as He asks.’ Then the Angel went

away.

The number actions have now finished. Ask the Children to stop doing the numbers and to listen.

They can sit on their hands if they feel tempted.

Well done! You had to listen really carefully to hear the words and show the right numbers. When you held

up your fingers with the right numbers it showed you were really listening. You didn’t just listen, you

responded. Mary didn’t just listen to the Angel, she responded (answered)

In our lives, we are told we should listen to God. We know from the Bible that God says we should love

one another, we should love our neighbours, we should take extra special care of people who are left out,

who are sick, who are weak or who feel alone or unloved. But it’s not enough to listen. We have to answer!

We answer by doing the things that God asks us to do.

Today, where Mary was from is in the Diocese of Jerusalem. The Diocese of Jerusalem is HUGE and takes

up several countries! (see map) The churches in the diocese work really hard not just to listen to God’s

voice but to answer Him. One way that they have done this is by setting up Special Schools, one for

children with lots of different special needs and special abilities to be able to go to school with everyone else

called the Princess Basma Inclusive School and one for children who are deaf called the Holy Land

Institution for the Deaf. Sometimes, those children can feel left out because they don’t have the same

support or education as other children. But God says that they are so important and so loved and the schools

are there to show them this. (see pictures of the children from the School)

How can you listen to God in your own life? How can you show your response?

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Diocese of Jerusalem

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Session Two:

Theme: Welcoming Strangers/welcoming God

Activity: Cluster Numbers:

Call out a number and people have to get themselves into groups of that number. If there are too many

people, some people have to be out. Explain afterwards that it’s not nice to be left out, and as Mary &

Joseph looked for somewhere to stay in Bethlehem, they kept being left out in the cold, dark night

Activity: Playdough Races:

Divide the group into 2 teams. Each team gets given a lump of playdough. 1 person from each team goes to

the leader and gets a word. They have to go back to their team and make that word with playdough. 1st

group to guess what is being made, wins. Use words such as tent, rice, blanket, water, school. Give ideas

for making the things if the children are younger.

Bible Blast: Mary & Joseph travel to Bethlehem

Use foam to create the figures as shown in the template attached and hold them up when telling the story.

Have children be the innkeepers with signs that say ‘No Room’ or ‘Sorry, Full’. Have other children with

signs that say, ‘Too Busy’ and ‘Do I know you?!’ and ‘Make Room’ on them for the stories application.

Mary and Joseph had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem. If they had a car, they could have travelled in

about 2 hours, but they had a donkey, so it was a much much slower journey.

Why on earth were Mary and Joseph going such a long distance just before their baby was born? Well, the

Roman King, Herod, had announced that everyone must go to the town where they were born and register

their name and their families name so that he would know how many people he had living in his kingdom

and he could tax them and make more money.

When Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem they couldn’t find anywhere to stay. They didn’t have phones

or internet to call ahead and book somewhere and lots of people arrived at the same time as they did to

register their name. They looked and looked, but everywhere they turned they were told ‘No room’ and

‘Sorry, Full’. Finally, one innkeeper took pity on Mary and Joseph and let them use the stable where he

kept his animals for shelter.

Application: In Ireland

Today in Ireland there are lots of people who don’t have homes or are always living in fear of losing their

homes. In the diocese of Dublin & Glendalough, Christchurch in Dun Laoghaire works with other churches

to provide homeless people, elderly people and people struggling to feed their families because they don’t

have enough food, with a hot lunch. In the Winter they give out blankets. They are showing God’s love for

others in action. They are not like the innkeepers who say ‘No Room!’, and ‘Sorry, Full’. They didn’t

decide that they were Too Busy with other things are that they didn’t know these people so the people

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didn’t matter. They are making room and time and space for people who are in need and showing that they

are welcome and loved and that they matter.

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In Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin City Centre there is now a sculpture of a homeless Jesus to remind us

that our Saviour was homeless for much of his life. When he was born he was homeless. Shortly after,

things got dangerous where he lived so his family moved to Egypt and they got a welcome there. Jesus

reminds us to make room for others in our lives, not just the people we know and like, but people from

other countries, people who are finding things hard at the moment. He even told his followers that when

you do things for people who are hungry or who don’t have enough clothes or somewhere to stay, you are

doing it for Jesus! So when we welcome others, we welcome Jesus. Make Room!

In Diocese of Jerusalem:

In some countries in the diocese of Jerusalem there is fighting and it has been going on for a very long time.

Lots of people aren’t involved in the fighting but because it takes place in their towns and in their streets

beside their homes it is very scary and very dangerous and so they have to leave all their stuff and try and

find somewhere safe to live. Often they travel long distances without much food or clothes to get to other

parts of the Diocese. When you have to leave your home because of fighting you are called a refugee.

Thank goodness, the Diocese of Jerusalem understands that Jesus was once a refugee and that they are called

to take care of people who are in need. It’s hard because many of their own parishes are full of refugees but

they help to find shelter, to pay for rent and to get food for people. It is hard because as more and more

people come looking for help towns become overcrowded and money becomes tight because there are so

many people in need. But still they make room. They open their hospitals to people who need a doctor and

if the people have to go to large camps for refugees because there are no houses, they make sure to visit

people there, help them with blankets and food and medicine and they even set up schools for the children

there.

Gaza Pictures Courtesy of Diocese of Jerusalem:

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Zaatari Refugee Camp, Jordan:

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Session 3:

Theme: Jesus the King is Born

Suggested Activity:

Mind over Mat: Don’t wake the Baby! As many people as possible stand on a blanket/sheet. This is the

Manger! The baby is sleeping but the ground is dirty. We need to turn the blanket around without waking

the baby and without anyone moving off the blanket! Anyone who steps off the blanket is out. Anyone who

makes too much noise is out.

Build a house for a king. Split the children into groups of 5. Give each group the same recyclables –

newspapers, cups, page binders, cardboard, pipe cleaners, crepe paper, tin foil, scissors, cellotape. You can

do this with lego or duplo as well. They have 5 or 7 or 10 minutes to make a house that is beautiful enough

for a King to stay in. It must be able to stand on its own, have at least a door and a window and be able to be

moved from where it was made to the centre of the room. When this is finished, put it beside a simple

wooden manger, which was fit for King Jesus to be born in.

Bible Blast: The Servant King

Prep: Have 2 chairs at the front. 1 a very comfy armchair dressed in nice throws and cushions and one a

plain low stool. Invite the children to come one by one and to decide if they were king for the day, which

chair would they sit in? If they could make 1 decision as ruler, what would it be?

Explain that Jesus is King but he wasn’t born in a Palace. He was born in a manger full of straw for the

animals feed, not somewhere beautiful and comfortable! He wanted to be able to really understand people,

their struggles and worries and needs. Later on in his life, when he was seen as a great leader, he washed his

follower’s feet, to show them his love and his care.

Baby then and Baby Now:

Actions:

1. Al Ahli Hospital: Clasp hands and shake them over left shoulder and then right shoulder.

2. Baby: Cradle arms and whisper ‘Aaaaw’

Do you know where you were born? Which hospital? At the time of Jesus, having a baby was a more

dangerous thing. For one thing, there were no hospitals to keep everything clean and safe and monitor the

baby’s and the Mammy’s heart to make sure everyone is doing ok. Although things are a lot safer for

Mum’s and Babies in Ireland there are still places in the world today where people don’t have hospitals and

clinics to get the medicine and the care they need to make sure they have a safe birth.

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Some parts of the Diocese of Jerusalem are very poor and people don’t have much support for having babies

and keeping them healthy. So the Diocese has built very good hospitals in those places to help people who

are pregnant and who are new parents. One hospital, the Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza, you have already helped

to support coming up to Christmas last year! At Al Ahli Hospital, people can come to get check-ups, and

when it’s time to have the baby they can go there where there are doctors and nurses and midwives to make

sure everything goes ok.

Omar is six months old and he lives in Gaza, a city on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Things are

difficult in Gaza these days, and food for babies is hard to find. In Ireland we have whole aisles in our

supermarkets with special food for babies, in jars and packets and pouches. Sometimes people here make

their own special food for their babies. These foods have all the vitamins and minerals that young babies

need to help them grow up healthy and strong. In Gaza there is not much food for anyone, and no special

baby-food. Omar’s mother doesn’t get enough to eat, and Omar is not as big or heavy as he should be for his

age. His mum brought him to the hospital, where the doctor weighed him. The doctor explained to Omar’s

mum all about the vitamins and minerals he needs to grow up big and strong. But Omar’s mum has only

bread to eat and tea to drink, and so that is all that Omar gets. Thanks to the Al Ahli Hospital and the

Diocese of Jerusalem, Omar’s mum gets better food sometimes, and she is able to make nourishing meals

for Omar. The Church and the hospital help all they can - but they really want to do more.

The Al-Ahli Hospital is an important leader in medicine but it is serving the poorest people who need them

most. It serves people no matter who they are, and no matter if they can’t pay. Many of the people it helps

live in houses even worse than the stable that Jesus was born into! They too have no proper home. The

hospital is following Jesus’ example in not using power to leave other’s out but to serve everyone and show

everyone they are welcome and they are worthy of love and support. This is something we all should be

doing.

How can we show people they are loved and wanted this Christmas? How can we follow the example of the

Servant King?

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Creative Prayer/Craft: Streamers

You will need: Large lollipop sticks, different coloured crepe paper in strips 12 inches long, cellotape

The different colours can mean different things and can be part of a prayer station. For example, Red: pray

for all new born babies and their families; Yellow; pray for Omar that he gets the food he needs to be

healthy; Green: pray for Al Ahli hospital and all the work it does to help keep Mum’s and babies healthy;

Orange: Say sorry for all the times that I didn’t notice all the help and support I get and was ungrateful;

Blue: Pray that Jesus will help me this week to find ways to help others; Purple: Thank Jesus for all the

people in my life who do things for me and look after me.

Children can pick their colours and cellotape them to the top of their lollipop sticks.

It is a good idea to think up actions you can do with the streamers to the chorus of a Christmas song. For

example: Chorus of Hark now Hear could have 3 or 4 simple actions with the streamers repeated several

times. It looks very effective!

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Session 4: Jesus, Light of the World

Suggested Activity:

Belly Laughs: Have the group lie on the floor arranged so that the 2nd

person has their head resting on the

1st person and the 3

rd person has their head resting on the 2

nd person etc. The 1

st person starts. They shout

‘HA’; the 2nd

person says ‘HA-HA’, the 3rd

person says ‘HA-HA-HA’ and so on. The trick is that no-one is

actually allowed to laugh or smile! See if you can get the HAs to the end of the line without laughter.

Laughter is contagious! We can’t hold it back sometimes. Do you know something else that we can’t hide

very easily? Light! In a very dark large room, a teeny tiny match can light up a lot of space. Jesus is

described as Light. Not only that he is described as the light; the light of the World

Bible Blast: Jesus the Light of the World:

Background: Jesus shows us how to live. Jesus shows us God. When we feel alone or scared, we know that

Jesus is with us. When we are happy and full of thanks, we know that Jesus is there. No matter how sad

things become, he is our friend, he is our light. Even in dangerous situations, he brings peace, because he is

the Prince of Peace. He came to the world to show people God, and to be the way back to God. By his life

he showed us that there is a better way to live. Even if we are powerful we must show love to the weak.

Even if we are leaders, we must reach out in service to those we led.

1. Use a Buzz Game and invite a child to move the apparatus along the wire for each new ‘shock’ part

of the story.

2. Recreate the Buzz game with a wire clothes hanger bent into a wavy line and a bubbles stick. You

can stick one end of the wire in blu tac to hold it steady and ask them to make it as far as there.

When someone touches the wire, everyone buzzes in pretend electric shock! (if a child makes it to

the end without shocking, take the bubbles stick off them and pretend to buzz yourself by mistake.}

In the story of the birth of Jesus there are a lot of surprises. You might even say there are a lot of shocks!

1. Mary

2. Joseph

3. The animals in the stable

4. The shepherds keeping watch over their flock

5. The Magi from faraway lands.

The first one is when the Angel appears to Mary and tells her she is going to give birth to the Son of God

(invite first volunteer to play buzz)

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The second shock was when her fiancé is told in a dream to marry Mary and to take care of the special Baby

(invite 2nd

volunteer)

The 3rd

surprise is where Jesus is born. It’s not in a palace, with important people and comfy beds but in a

manger with the animals. All of God’s Creation is important, even lowly donkeys and sheep! We are called

to care for all of God’s creation and not hurt it with pollution and littering and thoughtlessness. (invite 3rd

volunteer to play buzz)

The 4th

surprise is that in fields near Bethlehem there were Shepherds looking after their sheep. They didn’t

have an easy life. They had to make sure that nobody stole the sheep and that wolves didn’t come and get

them during the night so they had to sleep outside with the sheep! They were probably cold and smelly and,

if we’re honest, not very important. But shock of all shocks and heavenly host of Angels appeared to them

and told them about the birth of Jesus. They got to see the most beautiful sight of the whole sky lit up with

angels singing and shouting about Jesus being born. And then they got to go and meet Jesus. You see, Jesus

the Light of the World doesn’t think people are unimportant, even if they think they are unimportant

themselves! (invite 4th

volunteer)

The last surprise is that 3 Magi, who are wise men from another country, who have a different religion,

followed a star and came to find Jesus. He didn’t exclude people from other countries with different beliefs.

He didn’t say, I’ll just be a light to the Jewish people, because they are my race. No! Jesus came as a Light

to the whole world. A lot of different races or tribes or religions fight each other or make each other feel

really unwelcome. From the very start Jesus showed that these things should not divide us; we should be

united in love and peace. We should make extra effort to understand people who are different to us and who

have a different point of view, opinion, or view of the world. (invite the last volunteer)

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He welcomed people who normally who not be welcomed. Today in the

Diocese of Jerusalem there are many different religions and groups of people and sadly, there is a lot of

fighting. We heard about all the people being made homeless in one of our last sessions. The Diocese

wants to shine a light of love and peace, as Jesus did. The Bishop and the ministers work hard to talk and to

listen with people who have different beliefs to them. Where they can do things together, like work in the

hospitals or bring food to needy families, they work together. In any service, they do not restrict their help

to Christians. Anyone of any religion can get help. In this way, they are playing their part in bringing the

Prince of Peace into difficult situations.

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Creative Prayer: Light in Darkness. Praying for children in conflict areas. Praying for the Prince of Peace to Reign.

Ask the Children to come up with actions for the rhyming prayer before. If possible use the flames.

Jesus is Light for Everyone, Jesus is the Prince of Peace

Not just his friends and relations, When I’m worried and alone

He welcomes strangers, shepherds, me Not just to me, He brings His peace

He welcomes all of creation to hearts in war torn zones.

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Craft: From Creative Flame Ministries: Jesus the Light of the World

Cut out Advent/Christmas appropriate shapes – Stable, Star, Angel, Dove for Peace etc and have the

children write things in oil. They are invisible until the light shines on them! Jesus is Light. We are called

to be Light too. Make up a full Nativity display for a window. Note: the oil spreads so show the children

how to take a tiny bit of oil to make their shapes and letter. Less is more.