N: Hello. Merry Christmas! I hope you all have had a wonderful day.

Tonight we will learn about the meaning of Christmas and the story of the very first Christmas. Lets take a look at some of our church childrens responses to Christmas. (Video) Now, we will invite our children up to sing Go Tell It on the Mountain, Away in a Manger and Marys Boy Child. 1. Go Tell It On the Mountain 2. Away in A Manger 3. Marys Boy Child Children are dismissed from here on in. N: Now, lets learn more about the Christmas story. 4. The First Noel (Solo for verses and chorus for chorus) a. Tea candles and glass containers b. we sing the WHOLE thing c. Amy +6 N: God prophesized that His son, the Saviour, would be born over 700 years before it happened. 700 years!! Wow thats a long time. In Isaiah 9:6 says that To us a child is born, to us a son is given and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 5. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (group) a. Nathan +Jeremy +Jerry b. Bowties, ties, gentlemen attire 6. O Come O Come Emmanuel (everyone) N: God sent an angel, Gabriel, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph. The virgins name was Mary. The angel said to her: Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And Mary was greatly troubled as she was a virgin. But the angel made clear that nothing is impossible with God and Mary responded saying; I am the Lords servant. May it be to me as you have said. 7. Joy to the World a. everyone Now, in those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. So Joseph went up to Bethlehem, the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born. 8. Little Town of Bethlehem a. Solo b. Maybe a pregnant Mary and Joseph walking MAYBE c. Alice Chen

Talk about no room in the inn (have someone yell Theres no room!!!) and how Jesus had to be born in a manger as well as the Bible verses that prophesized this 9. Away in A Manger reprise a. Still frame tableau nativity scene or just a manger put out with a baby (hopefully Alice Zhang and Jerry) b. Everyone, very quiet

INTERMISSION/SHARING/PASTOR ALAN HELEN IDK

N: Now in the fields nearby, there were shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night. Lets see what theyre up to. S: Im so sleepy. S2: My sheep are so stinky. *smells their own shirt* Nevermind, its just me. Angel appears: Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and swaddling in a manger. Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to all men oh whom his favour rests. S: Lets go see what this angel is talking about. 10. Do You Hear What I Hear? a. During verses solo spread out to everyone b. During this, the shepherds slowly amble towards the Nativity scene c. Whole song 11. What Child is This? a. Amy, Anna, Marilyn, Tina b. Tableau of nativity scene with two shepherds if we are doing that. 12. Mary's Boy Child a. Chorus/everyone b. All in the Nativity scene jump up and sing 13. Silent Night a. Everyone exits stage b. Only one person on stage c. Need to assign solo N: Now, three wisemen came to King Herod, a king assigned to Israel by the Roman empire. (in the background, we have the Nativity scene out again in the far right corner and we have the wisemen appear in the far left with the star on a stick.) They had come from the east to Jerusalem and asked where they could find the King of the Jews due to a star in the sky. They came to worship him. King Herod was disturbed by this as he saw himself being replaced. Calling together the teachers of the law, he pinpointed that the Christ was to be born in Bethlehem. Herod then told them to find the child, and report to him when they found him so that he might worship the child as well. (Magi & star start walking across the stage). They followed the star until it brought them to the child, where they were overjoyed and bowed down to worship him. They brought gifts of gold, incense and myrrh.

14. We Three Kings a. Three boys/maybe a girl b. Holding gifts 15. O Come All Ye Faithful a. Everyone comes back in and sings b. Very happy song 16. We Wish You A Merry Christmas a. Everyone b. Finale c. Maybe walk through the audience and shake hands with everyone/hug d. Teach Helen & Alice harmony e. End up with everyone out and preferably narrator in the middle Narrator ends wishing everyone a merry Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Saviour

Notes Wear red, white and green PROPS o Star on a stick o Gifts for the wisemen o Baby o Manger o 7 tea candles & 7 candle holders o Two rotating screens to cover the sides of the stage with COSTUMES o Wisemen x 3 o Shepherds x 3 o Mary & Joseph o Angels x 2?? Maybe o We can reuse the Shepherd outfits for the prophet o Bowties/newsies/gentlemanly attire and ties for the boys in God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (suit/sports jacket/vests) Tasks: o Ask Ding to bring his camera so we can videotape the kids o Get Jeremy to edit it o Choreograph Go Tell It On The Mountain Joy to The World Marys Boy Child God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen The First Noel o Ask Pastor Alan to ask to borrow Journey costumes o Set a time to arrive on Christmas o Find out if we are doing everything If so, organize refreshments, programs, set up and take down, dcor Christmas lights Hot chocolate Programs making/necessary?? Sound/set up o Find someone to translate and make powerpoint of Chinese stuff o CHECK MICROPHONE AVAILABILITY AND MAKE SURE OF MICROPHONE HAND OFF o We need to recruit more boys