Suggestions for family service christmas 23

 Welcome and announcements

Worship - kids choir singing 2 Christmas carols. (Silent Night and Away in a Manger)

Sketch.  Hannah and Josh (see below)

Bible reading - two kids from kids church/youth reading from The Message  (John 1and Luke 2??)

'Sermon' -  Why did Jesus come.   Children come up one by one each bringing with them something which illustrates the bible verse  (Eg  A child carrying a lantern for Jesus is the light of the world, a loaf of bread for Jesus is the bread of life etc)  see below

Worship - Oh come All Ye Faithful starting with chorus

Prayers - some of the younger kids from kids church to read out prayers they have written

Activity- buckets of blessing.  Kids to decorate 'buckets' with christmas stickers and tinsel etc. Then they come up to the front to take some 'blessings' (scripture verses and words of encouragement on strips of paper) put them in their bucket then go round to all the adults and give them out

Worship - adult worship team to lead last 2 songs

Sermon.  Can be read by one or various older kids and 'acted by the younger or less confident ones'

Start with lights out.

Why did Jesus come to earth?  What did God desire 

when He sent His only Son to be the worlds Messiah

The world was dark, the people blind, they stumbled in the night 

So Jesus came as Saviour , a bright and shining light  

(One or two kids walk down aisle carrying a lantern.  Lights come up (if possible, or on if cant fade up)

Why did Jesus come to earth in secret long ago

to be born in a stable where very few would go?

The poor, the small, the lowly, one of these He came to be

So that the shedding of His blood could set all mankind free

(Down the aisle someone wearing chains followed by someone with bolt cutters.  Maybe cut the chains, or just stand next to each other and next to lantern)

Why did Jesus come to earth a baby small and weak?

To be the flesh and bone of God, to be His hands and feet

To be our hope, our healer, and by every word He said

To show the world a different way - He is our living bread

(Children come down the aisle with a basket of bread rolls and give them out to the congregation before arriving at the stage and standing alongside others)

Why did Jesus come to earth?  Cos we had gone astray

we were all wandering far from God - we'd gone so far away

He came to be our shepherd, to keep us safe from harm

and lead us to green pastures with the lost lambs in his arms 

(Child dressed as shepherd with sheep - if we could get a real sheep that would be class!!!LOL)

Why did Jesus come to earth a pauper not a king

to people who were lost and chained and blinded by their sin

He came to be a sacrifice , to pay the debt we owed

and wash us clean of death and hell by His blood which flowed

(child dressed in black holding red ribbons to represent the blood comes and stands next to the others with arms extended as if on the cross)

Why did Jesus come to earth? He came to rise again

and be the everlasting Way the bridge between God and men

to leave His Holy Spirit and His church to show the way

to all who stop to wonder why He came that Christmas day

Our light our bread our freedom, our shepherd and our King

This is why Jesus came to earth and this is why we sing......

(straight into congregational singing of O Come Let Us Adore Him whilst children all exit stage)