(Slightly updated 2021 - I might aim to add to this any I feel I can steal)
What do gifts tell us about the person to whom their given?
(This is one Rico Tice has been known to use apparently). Prop- present bag with mouthwash, Soap, extra strong deodorant, body spray. Give bag to friend! "I saw these things and thought of you.’" - cue laughter as they open the gifts. What kind of gift does God give us? A saviour, because we need saving.
A red and white striped candy cane J shape:
J - for Jesus
red for his blood
white for forgiveness / cleaning / our sins made as white as snow
stripes - by his stripes we are healed
sweet taste - taste and see that the Lord is good?!
Jesus The Royal Baby might have been a good one this year after the birth of Prince George
Panto - Cinderella - The Gospel a riches to rags story of Jesus our Prince and a rags to riches story for beggars like us - "you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich..."
Joke / intro? - What do you want for Christmas newspaper interview with various ambassadors etc. French ambassador, world peace etc. British ambassador, a box of sugared almonds.
Empty Christmas present box - seems like nothing much but turns out to be a cross when flattened out - gift label To World, From God, With Love etc.
The Urban Pastor's list of all age / Children's talk ideas- e.g. Christmas cracker - Jesus: a surprise gift, but just what I needed, just what I wanted
Celebrations box - Christmas unwarpped - ? pass the parcel style - each layer of wrapping makes a different point about the Christmas story
(Image above stolen from a friend, idea stolen from another friend) Extra layers could be added e.g. newspaper - Jesus' birth is good news. A friend suggested greaseproof paper to suggest the sinfulness of Christ. Maybe you could do something with see-through paper or reflective paper (Jesus is a real human being like us). Or maybe colours, black for sin, red for the blood of Christ, white of forgiveness etc. Maybe one layer could be a death warrant or a wanted poster if you wanted to talk about the death of Christ.
Jesus the light of the world that could not be put out (with magic candle) - Roger Carswell children's talk
Human Christingle- dress up an unsuspecting youth worker (!) in an orange sheet, a red belt, get him to hold 4 brooms covered in fruit / sweets, with a candle on his head - The light of the world is a person, not the youth worker but Jesus. The Christingle is intended to be all about him.
Christingle Talk - tell the gospel mentioning as many different types of fruit as possible - e.g. humanity slipped up (as on a banana skin) and it all went pear-shaped. Everying turned sour like a lemon.
Tell the Christmas story / gospel mentioning as many types of chocolate as possible - e.g. the Wise Men saw in new star in the Galaxy, part of the Milky Way, just over from Mars, they gave their Bounty to Jesus.
Names have meanings - tell the congregation the meanings of some of their names - The name Jesus means "Saviour" because Jesus will save his people from their sins - could also be used with titles such as Emmanuel
Christmas journeys- discuss the journeys involved in the Christmas story - which is the longest? - The Son coming from the throne of heaven to a manger in Bethlehem - you might even say he did so so that we can "go to heaven"
A friend suggests that you could create a nativity scene using chess pieces, perhaps Mary = queen, Joseph = rook, shepherds = knights, magi = bishops, (couple of other rooks for angels...) And Jesus (1) The king... (2) The pawn who places himself into a position where he sacrifices himself...
I wonder if the Christmas Day Family Service could somehow be done in the style of A Birthday Party for Jesus complete with singing happy birthday, perhaps a meaningful party game (Celebrations Pass The Parcel as above) or perhaps a talk on the Gifts of the Magi.
Glen Scrivener sermons and admonitions - Christmas light in dark places video - Anti Santa Rant video - songs - My God is So Small children's song & visuals
A Faith to Live By- a carol service talk (includes parrot joke) - 2012 talk - includes naughty boy's Christmas gift letter to Jesus, H G Wells quite and Its a wonderful life illustration.
There's a sermon introduction and some fun to be had with Christmas Number Ones and Christmassy songs in general. The gospel can then be preached from a Christmassy canticle like the Magnificat or from the song of the angels. Christmas carols can be a great help in Christmas preaching and some time can be spent attaching daft ones. The 2013 Songs of Praise Big Sing List of the UK's Top 10 Christmas Carols might deserve a mention.
A Very Messy Christmas - book by Jago Wynne (10 of Those) - The Mess of the World - The Mess-iah - The Message of Christmas etc.
J - for Jesus
red for his blood
white for forgiveness / cleaning / our sins made as white as snow
stripes - by his stripes we are healed
sweet taste - taste and see that the Lord is good?!
Can also be used as a shepherd's crook. You know, the shepherds? Also Matthew 2:6
Could also be said to be God's favourite shape, the tick, death and resurrection, God humbles the proud and exalts the humble
Somewhat related to this is a talk I stole from The Revd Dr Andrew Cinnamond using Four Green Plants of Christmas - sprouts (evil? Christ dividing opinion, some hated him), Christmas tree, mistletoe (love), holly (the cross)
Jesus The Royal Baby might have been a good one this year after the birth of Prince George
Panto - Cinderella - The Gospel a riches to rags story of Jesus our Prince and a rags to riches story for beggars like us - "you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich..."
Joke / intro? - What do you want for Christmas newspaper interview with various ambassadors etc. French ambassador, world peace etc. British ambassador, a box of sugared almonds.
Empty Christmas present box - seems like nothing much but turns out to be a cross when flattened out - gift label To World, From God, With Love etc.
The Urban Pastor's list of all age / Children's talk ideas- e.g. Christmas cracker - Jesus: a surprise gift, but just what I needed, just what I wanted
Celebrations box - Christmas unwarpped - ? pass the parcel style - each layer of wrapping makes a different point about the Christmas story
(Image above stolen from a friend, idea stolen from another friend) Extra layers could be added e.g. newspaper - Jesus' birth is good news. A friend suggested greaseproof paper to suggest the sinfulness of Christ. Maybe you could do something with see-through paper or reflective paper (Jesus is a real human being like us). Or maybe colours, black for sin, red for the blood of Christ, white of forgiveness etc. Maybe one layer could be a death warrant or a wanted poster if you wanted to talk about the death of Christ.
Jesus the light of the world that could not be put out (with magic candle) - Roger Carswell children's talk
Human Christingle- dress up an unsuspecting youth worker (!) in an orange sheet, a red belt, get him to hold 4 brooms covered in fruit / sweets, with a candle on his head - The light of the world is a person, not the youth worker but Jesus. The Christingle is intended to be all about him.
Christingle Talk - tell the gospel mentioning as many different types of fruit as possible - e.g. humanity slipped up (as on a banana skin) and it all went pear-shaped. Everying turned sour like a lemon.
Tell the Christmas story / gospel mentioning as many types of chocolate as possible - e.g. the Wise Men saw in new star in the Galaxy, part of the Milky Way, just over from Mars, they gave their Bounty to Jesus.
Names have meanings - tell the congregation the meanings of some of their names - The name Jesus means "Saviour" because Jesus will save his people from their sins - could also be used with titles such as Emmanuel
Christmas journeys- discuss the journeys involved in the Christmas story - which is the longest? - The Son coming from the throne of heaven to a manger in Bethlehem - you might even say he did so so that we can "go to heaven"
A friend suggests that you could create a nativity scene using chess pieces, perhaps Mary = queen, Joseph = rook, shepherds = knights, magi = bishops, (couple of other rooks for angels...) And Jesus (1) The king... (2) The pawn who places himself into a position where he sacrifices himself...
I wonder if the Christmas Day Family Service could somehow be done in the style of A Birthday Party for Jesus complete with singing happy birthday, perhaps a meaningful party game (Celebrations Pass The Parcel as above) or perhaps a talk on the Gifts of the Magi.
Glen Scrivener sermons and admonitions - Christmas light in dark places video - Anti Santa Rant video - songs - My God is So Small children's song & visuals
A Faith to Live By- a carol service talk (includes parrot joke) - 2012 talk - includes naughty boy's Christmas gift letter to Jesus, H G Wells quite and Its a wonderful life illustration.
There's a sermon introduction and some fun to be had with Christmas Number Ones and Christmassy songs in general. The gospel can then be preached from a Christmassy canticle like the Magnificat or from the song of the angels. Christmas carols can be a great help in Christmas preaching and some time can be spent attaching daft ones. The 2013 Songs of Praise Big Sing List of the UK's Top 10 Christmas Carols might deserve a mention.
A Very Messy Christmas - book by Jago Wynne (10 of Those) - The Mess of the World - The Mess-iah - The Message of Christmas etc.
There's a dragon in my nativity (Genesis 3; Revelation 12; Herod etc) The Weirdest Nativity book by Andrew Sach and Jonathan Gemmell (10 of Those) - Speak Life video
A Christmas Tract or book from The Good Book Club or 10ofThose might give you useful ideas. A tract could be given out to everyone who comes to a Christmas service.
Videos
Go Chatter Christmas videos
Speak Life Christmas Videos - https://speaklife.org.uk/christmas/
WestJet Christmas Miracle - real time giving video
Christmas Time UCCF Video
Someone Is Coming video
Nativity Factor Videos - including a modern take on Christmas from Joseph's perspective
A social network Christmas
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus song Skit Guys art Video
Remix of 'O Come O Come Emmanuel' by Beat Convention. Featuring Harri Endersby - song & rap video
The Christmas Gospel - Dan Stevers - manger to cross, focuses on Christ's rejection and death
Book
J John's book of sermons and ideas from others Proclaiming Christmas
Christmas Cracker Jokes
"My" stuff, for what it's worth, showing outrageous plagiarism of some of the above
Carol Service 2013
What have I missed? Please feel to comment other good stuff.
A Christmas Tract or book from The Good Book Club or 10ofThose might give you useful ideas. A tract could be given out to everyone who comes to a Christmas service.
Videos
Go Chatter Christmas videos
Speak Life Christmas Videos - https://speaklife.org.uk/christmas/
WestJet Christmas Miracle - real time giving video
Christmas Time UCCF Video
Someone Is Coming video
Nativity Factor Videos - including a modern take on Christmas from Joseph's perspective
A social network Christmas
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus song Skit Guys art Video
Remix of 'O Come O Come Emmanuel' by Beat Convention. Featuring Harri Endersby - song & rap video
The Christmas Gospel - Dan Stevers - manger to cross, focuses on Christ's rejection and death
Book
J John's book of sermons and ideas from others Proclaiming Christmas
Christmas Cracker Jokes
"My" stuff, for what it's worth, showing outrageous plagiarism of some of the above
Carol Service 2013
What have I missed? Please feel to comment other good stuff.
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