4th November 2011 - Thanks to all those who shared their Christmas ideas with us over the last five years! If you used anything which might be useful to someone else, or have found a useful link to web based resources, please email it to us!
Some 2011 ideas are below - keep them coming. Ideas from previous years are now on new links.
The site is primarily used by Church of scotland ministers - but it is great to see that it is being accessed more widely. We recently received an email from Megan Ramsay in Vancouver:
I'm organizing the Christmas service here at Regent College, Vancouver, a post-graduate seminary, and am particularly drawn by the service ideas from 2008, focused around light. We would love to be able to use them and adapt them, and will cite you if we do.
Thank you very much!
| 2011 suggestions |
| 2010 suggestions |
| 2009 suggestions |
Many years ago I wrote a song "It's Christmas all over the World" and every so often I update the lyrics to make it relevant to the present year.
In the last couple of years my friends Ian and Carole have added a new dimension by making a video of it.
In the last few days we have put together "It's Christmas all over the World (2011)".
You can view it on You Tube through this link: http://youtu.be/oKfrj-DjJPk
Some sketches that have worked and a kids's thing that tries to connect the Christmas tree to the Christmas story.
Click on any of the 4 links below - all word documents
Presents
Nativity
Donkey versus Camel
11advent
In December 2011 (so far) visits have come from nearly 70 countries, about 10,000 visits to this Christmas Services section. Funny to think a few years ago this was made as a hidden section for Church of Scotland Ministers to share ideas. As with everything - google found it after links were posted elsewhere.
A few lovely messages have come back. One where we bounced visits, to a site linked here, way way up.
Have a Good Christmas and let us know what ideas worked for you.
I've used the Boots 2008 Secret Santa ad on a few occasions, asking people to think about what messages are packed into its 60 seconds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLK_Wj0Bs2M
There's 'Shop at Boots' which is the message the film-makers were paid for. There's 'guys haven't a clue about Christmas shopping'. There's message about generous people, stingy people, manipulative people, thoughtful people.
And above all there's someone for whom it wasn't enough to give a gift. We see her wrapping up herself and right at the end, there she is hopping up to wait under the tree.
It's a risky thing to do. What if the recipient looked at her and said 'Actually I'd much rather have had the office stapler'
But that's what Christmas is all about - God giving himself to us, God making himself vulnerable.
With adults I've used this poem, particularly the third verse, though it takes a bit of thinking about!
At Stranraer St Ninians we used four advent boxes to help us through advent prepare for Christmas. The services themes were connected to readings, advent boxes and sermons.
Advent 1 – Lk 3:1-22 – Get Ready.
Inside the first advent box was an alarm clock. It tells us that it’s time to get ready.
Advent 2 – Lk 1:26-38 – Surprise!
Inside the advent box was a Kinder surprise chocolate egg, isn’t it surprising that Christmas is connected to Easter!
Advent 3 – Lk 2:8-20 – Come and See.
Inside the advent box was a kaleidoscope, when looking through it the congregation were told they really should come and see this.
Advent 4 – Mt 2:1-12 – Who is the King?
This was our family service, so the advent box this week had a wise man and a shepherd. We opened it just before our prayers for others and were reminded to pray for those from other lands and those poor and outcast.
A re-telling of the Christmas story using famous brands of Frankincense
click to open word document
A short Christmas film, The shoes Brothers - a Humorous film with a sharp jaggy point for our day & age in Scotland at Christmas time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgMqj604WJU&feature=youtu.be
To view the better original version (with Blues' Brothers' music) you can view it on Neil's facebook profile.
I used this video a couple of years ago and again this year - Amy Grant Breath of Heaven w/Footage from The Nativity Story (2007 New Line Productions, Inc.) Can't remember where I got it originally but you can now get it on youtube in 720 HD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOQRtYYERGo
I wrote Christmas words for Old McDonald Had A Farm (changed to an Inn) which goes down a storm!
The trick is to make it competitive – one side of the church versus another, or boys v. girls, when it come to the “with a NO ROOM here” etc. Because it’s so simple it can be done unaccompanied, or you can rope in kids with basic music abilities.
Link to word file
I freely admit that I nicked this idea from John Ortberg's "It All Goes Back In The Box", but I'd like to think I've added a little to the mix.
The idea is to reflect on the 'descent' of Jesus. One of the great Christian saints (can't remember which) said "Remember, Lord, that we are the cause of your Christmas journey".
Who travelled furthest to get to the stable in the Christmas story? The Shepherds? (just a few miles) Mary and Joseph (about 80 miles). The wise men? (goodness knows how far).
All wrong! Jesus had the longest journey because he travelled all the way from heaven to earth.
At this point I plan to have a step-ladder and climb all the way to the top. Each time Jesus 'descends', I take a step down. You can pick and choose which Bible refs you wish to use and embellish as you go along, but these are the ones that came to my mind.
1) "He was in very nature God" - Phil 2:6, or "In the beginning was the word.. And the word was God". He started out on a level with God, but was humble enough to take the form of a servant. What kind of a servant? Now according to the Bible, angels are servants. (step down)
2) "Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?" (Heb 1:14), but we're told that the Son was made 'a little lower than the angels'. (Heb 2:9). (step down)
3) So the Son took on flesh and bone - "the Word became flesh". But did he come into the world 'fully formed' - as an adult? No! (step down)
4) He entered the world as a helpless baby, just like all of us. And was he born into privilege? No! (step down)
5) He was born into an ordinary family, in a backwater of the Roman Empire. And when it came to his birth he didn't even get to enjoy the simple comforts of home (step down)
6) He was born in a borrowed stable and placed in a feeding trough for his first crib. And that set the pattern for his life. If possessions are the measure of a person, he was a nobody (step down)
7) because he owned virtually nothing and had nowhere to call home for the last 3 years of his life. But he was rich in other ways, and the authorities became so jealous of his popularity they had him killed (step down)
8) and killed in the worst way possible - through crucifixion (step down) - 'even death on a cross' - (Phil 2:8)
9) And indeed, he tasted death for everyone. "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honour because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone." - Hebrews 2:9
If you want to you could also bring in Phil 2:9 : "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name". The easter story ends with Jesus going back up the ladder again..
How much he must love us to have made that journey! How much he must love us to have identified with us so fully, not just in our lives, but in our deaths.
Hoping this is some use. Don't ring Claims Direct if you take a tumble mid-sentence..!
A couple of dramatic pieces for Christmas week services, in the hope of raising some congregational Christmas offerings for The Church of Scotland HIV Programme. One is a sketch about waiting.
The other is a poem about a wee girl named Annie and her special Christmas treasure.
Hopefully one, other or both of these creations might be of use to you.
If so, we can assure you that your Christmas offerings would be of great use to the Programme!
Click to open word file - Poem Annie's Treasure
Click to open word file - Christmas Bus Queue Sketch
We have used the site below a few times and they have many dramas which can be used as the basis for a service.
http://www.dramatix.org/archive/Linkpages/Childrens.html
One which was particularly successful was The Evening News Hour which our Sunday Club did a couple of years ago. The beauty of it is that as many of the characters are newsreaders or reporters they can have scripts on clipboards! We used powerpoint pictures for setting the scenes and the BBC News jingle as well.
Scripture Union have a free Nativity service online just now which we used last year and that was also straightforward. The children did the readings and prayers and helped with the Christmas card hunt etc.
http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/Light/FreeNativityService/65744.id
Finally an all age service from Damaris which uses clips from Nativity, the recent film.
http://www.damaris.org/nativity
Friends and Heroes website are offering a free download of a 3 minute Christmas animation at the moment. www.fandh.tv/nativity
If you use puppets I made up a video clip with the music to ‘ANGELS’ the Robbie Williams song but from ONEWAY PUPPETS MINISTRY folks and as the video with music played my puppet sang. You can buy and download the song from their web page
http://www.onewayuk.com/product.php?id=1000103
You don’t have to use a video just the music with a puppet is great!