christmas
There are 2 wacking great sessions on Christmas here. Use the menu to drop to the appropriate session start. Check out our session on Scrooge too..
SESSION 1
Christmas Facts 2004
- Up to one billion cards will be thrown away this Christmas.
- 83 square km of wrapping paper is thrown away.
- There will be enough rubbish to fill 400,000 double-decker buses.
- Half of the Christmas waste could be recycled, but over 80% will be binned.
- Britons will use 24 million jars of mincemeat, pickle and cranberry sauce.
- If these glass jars were recycled, it would save enough energy to boil water for 60 million cups of tea.
- Around 125,000 tonnes of plastic packaging and 4,200 tonnes of foil are expected to be thrown out.
- Once Christmas is over, about 6 million Christmas trees will be binned, creating more than 9,000 tonnes of waste.
Get hold of the Christmas Top 40
Then get every single song title into the Christmas story. If you can, make it a dramatised monologue where you play the part of Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds, the Wise Men and so on. Use small costumes to change between characters eg a tea towel over the head to represent Mary.
Here's an example from the 'Now 50' CD...
There was a couple from Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph. They were in love. One day Joseph found out Mary was pregnant. 'Hey baby!' (DJ Otzi), what's all this I hear? So you're 'Not Such An Innocent Girl' (Victoria Beckham) after all.. I hope you haven't had a 'One Night Stand' (Mis-Teeq).'
'Oh no Joseph' replied Mary, 'I'm A Slave For You' (Britney Spears) and no-one else. 'What If' (Kate Winslet) what the angel said is true and we are to be the parents of the Emmanuel.'
'True. Sorry I jumped at you Mary. After all I 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head' (Kylie Minogue). You're the only woman for me. Let's get married so this birth will be a 'Family Affair' (Mary J Blige).'
And so on... try it - it really works. This idea is courtesy of Simon Tuck of the Exmouth ICE Team who performed this idea at Exmouth Community College 6th form presentation, Christmas 2000.
Part 2
The 12 days of Christmas is a classic rhyme - why not adapt it to fit some of the young people in your group. Then get some or all of the youth leaders to sing it together - we did!
I'll show you the one we came up with and you can carry it on and adapt it.. all good fun! Do the lines in the style of the young person, for example our 'Joe Bloggs' is quite loud so we shouted his line. All the names have been changed to protect the innocent:
On the first day of Christmas, Joe Bloggs texted me
'I'm gonna be late again' (he's also always late)
On the second day of Christmas, Gemma texted me
'John won't stop bouncing' (this lad's nickname is 'Tigger' from Winnie the Pooh)
'I'm gonna be late again'
On the third day of Christmas, Matt texted me
'Paul's got concussion' (he's always injuring himself!)
'John won't stop bouncing'
'I'm gonna be late again'
On the fourth day of Christmas, Laura texted me
'Girl's Cell Group are chatting' (they can't stop!)
'Paul's got concussion'
'John won't stop bouncing'
'I'm gonna be late again'
On the fifth day of Christmas, Jenna texted me
'Eat Fair Trade Chocolate' (one of this girl's favourite causes)
'Girl's Cell Group are chatting'
'Paul's got concussion'
'John won't stop bouncing'
'I'm gonna be late again'
GO ON - Be creative and have some fun!
Three -
Show a couple of video clips. We chose the end bit of 'The Muppets Christmas Carol' where Scrooge has changed and goes around doing good. It lasts around 6 minutes. Another one is courtesy of Scripture Union and their video, 'Christmas Story'. We showed a clip at the end with still images and a song over the top (5 minutes)
Also do a couple of sketches. We used 2 from sources such as Youthwork Magazine
Four -
Get hold of some post-its and get the young people to write down some 'Top 5s' such as:
1. Top 5 Christmas traditions
2. Top 5 Worst Christmas presents
3. Top 5 Christmas singles
4. Top 5 images of the Christmas story
Five -
We also do some worship but jazzed up the songs - we've done this for a few years now. Take a song and then sequence it, put it on minidisc, CD or whatever. Then bring it with you and play it - maybe sing over the top and play a guitar or two etc. We've done this to varying levels of sophistication over the years - depending on time and tiredness!
Alternatively, search the internet and get some Christmas carols people have made into MIDI files, play them back and record them from your computer etc.
For example we did a nice'n'cheesy remix of 'Look to the skies there's a celebration' by Graham Kendrick (it starts off like 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head' by Kylie Minogue..
Six -
The talk was a short one because we aimed it at non-Christians. It involved thinking of the impossibility of Santa Claus then moving onto the so-called 'impossible parts' of the Christmas story, seeing which ones the young people could come up with..
1. Mary being pregnant but not having had sex
2. Angels appearing and giving messages from God
3. Mary travelling miles on a donkey when pregnant and not giving birth until they arrived in Bethlehem
4. A mere human being giving birth to Jesus, the Son of God
From this we brought out the fact that God is way bigger than anything we can imagine and that God chooses to use humans like you and me for his Kingdom and glory. This Christmas, let's put Jesus back at the centre
Seven -
The 'Guess The Carol' Game - you give out a line from a song, they guess the song!
1. WHERE MEEK SOULS WILL RECEIVE HIM, STILL THE DEAR CHRIST ENTERS IN
2. BE NEAR ME LORD JESUS, I ASK THEE/YOU TO STAY
3. SUDDENLY THE LORD, DESCENDING, IN HIS TEMPLE SHALL APPEAR
4. VERY GOD, BEGOTTEN NOT CREATED
5. MILD HE LAYS HIS GLORY BY
6. AND THROUGH ALL HIS WONDROUS CHILDHOOD, HE WOULD HONOUR AND OBEY
7. HE IS THE SOURCE AND HE THE END, LET THE ORGAN THUNDER
8. YE WHO NOW WILL BLESS THE POOR SHALL YOURSELVES FIND BLESSING
9. SORROWING, SIGHING, BLEEDING, DYING; SEALED IN THE STONE-COLD TOMB
10. YET WHAT CAN I GIVE HIM, GIVE HIM BY HEART
And here are the answers...
1. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
2. Away In A Manger
3. Angels From The Realm Of Glory
4. O Come All Ye Faithful
5. Hark The Herald Angels Sing
6. Once In Royal David's City
7. Unto Us A Boy Is Born
8. Good King Wenceslas
9. We 3 Kings Of Orient Are
10. In The Bleak Midwinter (voted the UK's favourite Christmas Carol in 2001)
Eight -
The Christmas Crossword - this is taken from a book called 'New Testament Puzzles For All Ages' by Shirley Beegle illustrated by Bill Granstaff (Standard Publishing, Cincinnati). There appears to be no copyright or date. I have searched the internet under the name of the author, publishers and book title and can find no mention - so I have used it on this basis. Please contact me if you have further information.
Click for Crossword in Adobe PDF format
SESSION 2
1. Remix a classic Christian song or carol. I mean, re-do the music and change the words. We remixed ours using keyboards etc. but you could just use a piano, guitar or sing accapella style! Anyways.. here's our remix of the chorus of that 'delightful' (ahem..) Cliff song, 'Misteltoe and Wine' (sorry, Sir Cliff, you're a top man).
We all dressed up for this in hats, scarves and gloves and sang in a very cheesy way. Christmas jumpers are a good idea if you're going for the full-on look..
Christmas Day, let’s join hands and sway
Everything’s super, we’re OK
With shining little faces and big cheesy grins
A time to eat quiche and confess all our sins
Christmas night, everyone’s alright
Watching TV and eating mince pies
The Pastor is preaching, and I've gone to sleep
A time to be lovely and have happy dreams
Boxing Day, not feeling OK
Think I had too much to eat yesterday
I’ve been in the toilet, I’ve taken some pills
But I still feel awful, I still feel ill
New Year’s Eve, time to receive
The New Yrs Eve social with Jez, Helen, Ben & Steve (some of the youth leaders, replace)
There’s Waking Ned Part 3 & then there’s Part 4
Nah, we’re only joking, it’s Part 1 once more!
New Year’s Day, I have stuffed my face
Been up all night at Jez’n’Helen’s place
And now I’m shattered and I need to rest
Gotta revise for my GCSE test
(All together now...)
Christmas time, mistletoe and wine
Children sing in Christian rhyme
With logs on the fire and gifts on the tree
A time to rejoice in the good that we see
(Waking Ned is not exactly a young person's movie, our guys hated it so we keep joking about it. Insert similar kind of movie or situation relating to your group)
Yes, it's sick and tragically sad but it had to be done..
2. Make a Christmas movie of the Nativity scene or the Christmas story. Note this isn't about dissin the Christmas story at all but rather to make a poor quality video in the style of one of those real bad kids performances!!
If you want to shoot this sketch on video then click here for the script and technical prompts
In this, filming is all. Voices, expressions and more must all be wooden. If you don't feel comfortable doing this on vid or haven't got a camera, you could act this one out live.. filming instructions and actions etc in brackets.
Remember that when filming and using voice overs, you must shoot extra film in order for their to be something on screen while the voice over is on.. sometimes that's as simple as filming 10 seconds before and after the actor's bits you want.
CHRISTMAS NATIVITY
Narrator - Once upon a time there was a boy and a girl and there names were Mary and Joseph. They were going to be married.
(During narration, cut to Mary & Joseph sitting looking at each other. Then..)
Joseph & Mary – (together) we love each other, we’re going to be married.
Narrator - One day an angel appeared to Mary
(Mary doing her nails. Then cut to angel flying in flapping wings with ring around head)
Gabriel - I am Gabriel, an angel. You will have a baby boy and call him Jesus.
Mary – not another, I’ve already had three kids already, (this was specific to the youth leader playing Mary. You can use or edit with something similar). I mean.. OK then, as you say oh angel from heaven above
(Angel flaps off to music.)
Narrator– One day Joseph saw that Mary was getting a bit fat.
Joseph – are you getting a bit fat?
(Mary hits him)
Mary – No, I am having a baby.
Joseph – How did this happen?
Mary - well, when a man and a woman love each other very much..
N – Mary explained that God had sent an Angel.
Joseph – sounds a bit funny to me but OK then Mary my lovely wife to be.
Together – we love each other
(Mary & Joseph get on a play horse for children - going 'clip clop' like a donkey)
N - One day Mary and Joseph went to a new town. It was a horrible place, a bit like Plymouth (replace with local football rivals). Eventually they found a small farm and Mary had her baby.
Mary – (with cushion up her top, unconvincing) Ouch, oo, it hurts
Joseph - (watching the sky) Shut up, don't be so noisy..
Mary - oo, the baby is coming
(Throws cushion away and someone else hands Mary a doll)
Mary - look it's a baby
Joseph - wow, isn't she lovely..
Mary - (whispers) She!
Joseph - wow, isn't he lovely..
Mary & Joseph – we love our baby. We love each other.
N – One day some shepherds came to visit
Shepherd - (Towel over head. Makes sound effects of a sheep 'baa, baa' - just in case you didn't know what noise sheep make..) Shh, be quiet Dolly.. Dolly, stay there.. (talking to a sheep)
Shepherd – I have come to visit the baby Jesus
Joseph - it's a baby boy
Shepherd - wow! (walks off)
N – And then some wise people came along
Wise Man – (wearing wise hat - a bit of paper with the words, 'Wise man' written on. It is upside down) We are wise men. The square root of 4 is 2. Yes.
N – and that is the Christmas story of how Jesus was born.
(Actors take a bow)
3. We also used another sketch - click here for this sketch
4. Another Christmas Quiz (woohoo!). Ten of your finest questions please barman.. No..? Oh well, you'd better use our quiz instead..
Questions
1. Who was the father of Joseph in the Christma story?
2. What region of Israel was Bethlehem in?
3. Which tribe did the prophecy quoted in Matthew say that a ruler of Israel would come from?
4. Who issued a decree in the Christma story?
5. Where did Mary and Joseph escape to?
6. Who prophecied there would be 'painful crying and deep sadness in Ramah' (Youth Bible, Matthew 2.18)
7. Who replaced Herod as King?
8. How many Kings came to visit Jesus?
9. How many inns did they try to stay at, according to Luke?
10. Name 2 women in the genealogy (birth/family history) of Jesus?
Answers
1. Jacob
2. Judea
3. Judah
4. Caesar Augustus
5. Egypt
6. Jeremiah
7. Archelaus
8. The Bible doesn't specify
9. Luke 2.7 says there were no rooms left at the inn (singular) though you could argue they may have tried other places!!
10. Ruth and Rahab
5. Review of the Year
We got a load of photos, you can print onto OHP, print and then copy onto OHP, use Powerpoint or whatever. Then go through key events of the year with photos. The fun, games, events, sadness, whatever is appropriate..
Ideas? We talked about a popular family going back to Korea, our mission to Lithiuania, trip to Spring Harvest, to Christian gigs, our Revelation events, other events we took part in, practical action, Halloween evangelism, weekend away, services at church etc.
6. Game, the Price Is Right.
Get a load of cutouts of things from Argos or a catalogue and put the pictures up around the room. The young people have to guess how much each item cost! Pens and paper needed, Individually or groups.
7. The talk..
The game led into the talk. Consumerism. Christmas. The Christian Attitude..
It's so easy to get caught up in the Christmas hype.. how does it all start? Well, we feel obliged to buy people nice presents but who do you buy for it's so hard? Best be safe and buy for more rather than less. Can't afford it? Well, you can do more hours at the shop or the mail order call centre can't you? An anyway, even if you get into debt, it's not gonna be that bad is it?
There's so many nice presents out there too.. now if I get that top, I need some cool jeans to go with it as it doesn't go with my other jeans.. then I should get another funky pair of sneakers, Nike preferably and that is one wicked outfit right??
Know what, some of this is just like me. I'm the kind of person that doesn't buy many clothes but gets the cool stiff, the Nike trainers, the NBA hoody, baseball hats and so on.. we all get caught up in this trap, whether its for us or for others.
You know you can spend too much on others with the right motives (you love giving more than receiving, a Biblical principle) but the buying becomes the god, not God himself.
What about buying stuff that's a bit dodgy like CDs? I am massively into rap and God has gifted me in music. I love it. The other day though I was compiling a CD with a buddy for someone and the first track we put on was from Talib Kweli & HiTek called 'Move Something'. We loved the track but God convicted me that we shouldn't be putting this on the CD due to the language in it so we took it off. Should I even have this CD??
How does this apply to you? Gonna buy someone a CD for Christmas? Something like Eminem or the 8 Mile soundtrack is cool but hang on, what about the bad language? So it's OK because you can get the clean versions but you know that the content of the lyrics is real bad. And anyways you usually know when they're cutting the words and know what words it's replacing. So what do you do? I think it's between you and God.
(By the way, most Christian rap music is just as good as secular stuff. If you ain't discovered it yet, go to www.spiritmusic.co.uk or www.sphereohiphop.com etc. and check artists like T-Bone, KJ52, Ill Harmonics, Tunnel Rats, Raphi, DJ Maj. More commercial stuff is John Reuben, TobyMac and so on.)
So what does the Bible say?
Well, read Luke 12.29-34 first of all.. in this passage Jesus is talking to his disciples about getting their priorities right. Like many of us the followers may have worried about what they were going to eat, wear and drink. A lot of our mental and physical time and energy revolves around these questions. How often do you read catalogues, think about buying clothes or goods, or food etc. How much money do you spend, what percentage of your money, time.. think about it..
Jesus is talking about a radical re-think in the way we do things. He says to us, don't worry about these things because God knows we need them and if we put God first and seek his Kingdom, he will provide for us. Jesus turns things upside down, he says if you spend time thinking about money and food too much, your time is wasted but if you think about God and his priorties, he will actually provide it all for you.
Next Jesus goes on to say don't worry about collecting things on earth but store up your riches in heaven. What does it mean? It means invest your time and money in doing God's work and not the world's work. Your priority is not the same as the world. In the West we're dominated by consumerism.. you want the latest top, mobile (cell phone), CDs, equipment, clothes, sneakers etc. God doesn't think the same way. He says to you and me to think about helping the poor, loving people, preaching the Gospel, seeing people healed and delivered from demons, set free from sin. He wants us to spend our time looking out for the orphan, the widow, the poor, the oppressed. What that means in practice is up to you and the opportunities available to you.
Jesus makes the point that your heart will be where your treasure is. Another way of saying this is by using a story I read in the excellent UCB Bible notes, 'Word for Today' (UCB, P.O Box 255, Stoke on Trent, ST4, 8RY, England) on Nov 18 2002 (www.ucb.co.uk). It is about an Old Native Indian who after getting saved told his pastor that he felt like he had 2 big dogs fighting constantly inside him. 'Which one of them wins?' asked the pastor. After thinking for a moment, the man replied, 'I guess the one I feed the most.'
