25 December 2024

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Bible readings for today

• Isaiah 9:2-7
• Psalms 96:1-13
• Titus 2:11-14
• Luke 2:1-14 (Luke 2:15-20)

LIturgical Colour: WHITE

Collect

E te Tama ā te Atua, e te Tama ā Meri,
i whānau koe i te whare kararehe i Peterehama,
meinga kia whānau hōu anō koe ki roto i a mātou i tēnei rā,
kia mōhio ai te ao i te mīharo o tōu aroha.
Whakarongo ki tēnei īnoi i runga i tōu ingoa.
Āmine.

​Son of God, Child of Mary,
born in the stable at Bethlehem,
be born again in us this day
​that through us the world may know
the wonder of your love.
Hear this prayer for your name’s sake.
Amen.

Christmas Day

Meri Kirihimete! ​Today we celebrate the birth of the Saviour of the world! 

Leaders Input

What do your Christmas Services look like?
Christmas is one of those services where everyone in the church can feel strongly about how the service looks. This may mean you don't get much say in the shape of the service, when, where, what happens. If your Christmas services are a place where kids are welcome, feel a sense of belonging, love and connection to God then rejoice! But if not, keep advocating, and remember that sometimes small things make a big difference. Try these:

• have some families with kids as part of the welcoming team. 
• provide a welcoming pack with some paper and pens.
• think about how to incorporate visual elements and movement into your services - these help both kids and adults be more engaged.
• are their bits of the service that are hard to understand for kids or for adults who haven't been to church before. How can these be more accessible?
• ask the kids you know what they like about Christmas service and what they would change. Take them seriously. ​

Visio Lectio

This print from Rev. Sarah West at Visio Lectio is a beautiful image to contemplate, as you prepare for Christmas Day. 
PNG Download
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Gospel Conversations

Gospel Conversations 2024: As is now a Gospel Conversation tradition, we've opened up today's Conversation to any of our Conversationalists who were available at the recording time to join in. We asked them all, "What continues to surprise you with joy in the Gospel reading?" The result is a bundle of celebration and unfamiliar ways of thinking about this extremely familiar story.
[Thanks Dunedin team - these have been so great!] 

Gospel Conversations 2021: In this video, they opened up the conversation to anyone who had been a part of the Gospel Conversations over the year. The result was a slightly chaotic but joyful and varied sharing of what the challenges, good news and 'so what's' of the story of Christmas might be.

Christmas Welcome Packs

Thinking about how to welcome children at your Christmas services this year?

We put this Christmas activity booklet together to go in kids welcome packs for the Christmas weekend, along with some 'Christmas on the Move' nativity characters, a glowstick, candy cane and some other bits and pieces. You can print it out on 2 A4 pages, staple and fold to make a little booklet. 

You can also print out any of our new Advent Funsheets. There is a special Christmas Nativity page for Christmas day​

Advent Wreath - The Christ Candle

Each week we gather together and light another candle. We see the light growing brighter and brighter as we get closer to the birth of the “Light of the World.”
​
Here is one way to do it (there are lots of different ways!):
Today we remember the birth of Jesus "Light of the World." 
Light all five candles, including the white candle in the center, to symbolize Hope, Peace, Joy, Love, and Jesus, the Light of the World.

Say:
Today, we light the fifth candle, the Christ candle. Jesus has come into the world, just as God promised! This candle reminds us that Jesus is the Light of the World. His light shines in the darkness, and nothing can put it out. Today, we celebrate that Jesus is with us, bringing hope, peace, joy, and love to the world.

Read: John 1:1-5, 9-14, about Jesus as the Light of the World and the Word made flesh.

Ask:
I wonder how Jesus brings light to the world? I wonder how we can share His light with others?

Pray:
Thank you, God, for sending Jesus to be the Light of the World. Thank you that His light shines in the darkness, giving us hope, peace, joy, and love. Help us to share Jesus’ light with everyone we meet. Amen.

Here's another simple liturgy for lighting your candles in the Advent Wreath, from Build Faith written by Rev. Matthew Kozlowski.

Game: The Human Christmas Tree

What you need:

• Players for the game, including one person for the tree and 2 people to decorate. This can work well with family groups (1 kid and 2 parents, or 1 parent and 2 kids)
• Red and green crepe paper
• Aluminum foil
• String
• Scissors
• Tape
• Prizes for the different teams if desired

What you do:

• Divide players into teams.
• Each team selects someone to be the tree.
• Give each team some of each of the materials, plus scissors and tape.
• Give the teams 5-10 minutes to decorate their tree.
• Have the teams pose with their trees for photos.
• If you want to have judging and prizes: You can give each team a prize for something, ie, most decorated tree, best looking tree, etc. Or you can choose the best decorated tree.

Intergenerational Christmas

Intergenerational Australia Resource for Christmas Day
This great resource resource gives people the opportunity to reflect on, and respond to, the Christmas story. What do they see, hear, do, feel, and celebrate, when hearing about the birth of Jesus, God’s gift to humankind? Through prayers, creative reflections, story writing, and joyful celebrations, it is hoped that people can praise, ponder, treasure, celebrate, and share the good news of Jesus.

A previous resource (Christmas - something is here!) from can be found here. Thanks to Intergen australia for producing some great resources this year! ​
​
Rags to Riches - An intergenerational all age service (SUNZ)

Collected Resources
​A collection of Intergenerational Christmas Service ideas from the Uniting Church in Australia. ​

I wonder

• I wonder what you really want for Christmas?
• I wonder what God wants for Christmas?
• I wonder if there's something that you can give God that will make him very happy?

Activity: The Gift We Give To Jesus

This prayer activity allows each person to give something back to Jesus in prayer; thanks, praise, a need - anything.

What you need:

• Images of presents, cut out on paper - like this template
• Pens or felts
• scissors
• 2 rolls of wrapping paper to make a stocking
• Cello tape or staples
• Optional: glitter and stickers to decorate the presents (if you'd like, you can use plain presents, rather than the ones provided above, and allow everyone to decorate them completely)
• Some music to play during the prayer time

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What you do:

1. Make 2 large Christmas stockings using the wrapping paper - these can be up to a metre long! Cut each side out and then tape or staple the sides together leaving the top open. Hang these up near the front of the church.
2. Set out a table near the entrance of church, or in a space where people can visit on their way in. In a basket, put some printed images of the presents, along with some scissors and pens. 
3. As people first come in, invite them to cut out a present to take into the service. They can also decorate it at that time
4. During the service, at prayer time, give out the felts and pens and invite people to write down their prayer.  It can be something their sorry for, something they need help with, a thank you prayer or a praise.
5. Explain that we're going to pretend that the two Christmas stockings hanging up front are God's stockings (that's why they're soooo big!) and during this time, we're going to give our prayers to him.
6. You might like to play some background music during this time. 
7. Give people time to write or draw their prayer on a present, bring it up and put it in one of the stockings.
8. Rather than set a definite time, keep watch and be prepared to move on when most people have come up. At that point, lower the music and close the prayer by giving all the gifts that have been shared to God— and thanking him for the many gifts he gives to us.

​For lots more Christmas ideas including All Age talks & stories, activities, media, songs and activities head to our Strandz Christmas and Christmas Media pages.

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