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Christmas Gathered 2020

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GATHERED

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS AS A CHURCH FAMILY

why not mix things up this Christmas?

Here are some new ideas for how you might be family together as you celebrate Christmas as gathered church. However, it also pushes us to think about and be church family as we look outward to the world around us and ask God how can we bless, love and share what Christmas is all about with those he has placed in our lives. This is not a Christmas "performance", it is designed for the whole church family to participate- not just the children!

We hope this helps you celebrate in a new way but also that it challenges, inspires and equips you to move beyond our boundaries and comfort zones this Christmas.

Have a happy Christmas and blessed New Year!

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:10-11 10

IMYC FAMILY SERVICE RESOURCE CREATED BY LEANNE HILL, IMYC STAFF

GATHERED

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS AS A CHURCH FAMILY

Ideas and running order for Family Worship

EAT TOGETHER

Don’t make it too complicated but also don’t just take the easy option. There is something special that happens when we share food together. It builds community and relationship in a way that nothing else does. (e.g. dinner, Christmas buffet, mince pies and short bread).

CALL TO WORSHIP

A) 'Light of the World’ - sung by a few, together, played through a speaker or perhaps even using sign language. B) Use the ‘Innkeeper Monologue’ C) Read Luke 2 v 1 - 21 D) Use video (Four Kinds of Christmas or Christmas in a Nutshell)

CHRISTMAS WORSHIP SONGS

Light of Christmas (Owl City) How can it be a silent night (Gods kids worship band) Sent from above (allstars kids club) Christmas this year (Toby Mac) Oh what a glorious night (Sidewalk prophets)

WORSHIP

Worship can be together sung, led by others, sung by one, listened to through Spotify or youtube. Used for reflection, for prayer, as a call to worship or for collective worship. Again, try something new. As well as some carols, here are some ideas for alternative worship (some perhaps geared toward children and others perhaps totally new for the whole family or a more modern take on a classic carol or Christmas song)

Too wonderful for words (kidspring) Jesus Saviour of the world (kidspring) A Christmas Alleluia (Chris Tomlin) Light of the World (Lauren Daigle) When I think upon Christmas (Hillsong Worship) Arrival (Hillsong worship)

IMYC FAMILY SERVICE RESOURCE CREATED BY LEANNE HILL, IMYC STAFF

GATHERED

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS AS A CHURCH FAMILY

PRAYERS WRITTEN BY CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE

Dear God, We thank you for this time of year and that you gave us Jesus. We pray that people will still learn about you this Christmas God. We pray for focus on you God and we would not be wrapped up on the thought of presents. We pray for those who are spending Christmas alone or without a loved one this year and ask you to ease their pain and let

Dear God,

them know that you are with them. Amen

Thank you for coming to our world as a baby and for giving us everlasting life, please help us not to forget the true meaning of Christmas. Some people might be sad this Christmas or having

YOUNG PERSON: EMMA FREEMAN

difficulties, please will you help them and be close to them. Amen.

CHILD: EDEN MCCREA

IMYC FAMILY SERVICE RESOURCE CREATED BY LEANNE HILL, IMYC STAFF

GATHERED

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS AS A CHURCH FAMILY

DRAMA/MONOLOGUE

Using drama can be a great way to introduce a topic and aid learning or teaching. It is also not just for children! Play It By Ear have written a monologue that looks at the ‘story of Christmas’ from the perspective of the ‘innkeeper’. If you haven’t used this already, here might be a good time to do that.

(https://www.playitbyeardrama.com/)

Innkeeper rushes on stage carrying a box, he looks panicked. As he walks, he spots the audience and stops suddenly;

Oh no, not more visitors! Look I’m so sorry but this time I really am full, I mean literally no room… don’t look at me like that with those puppy dog eyes, you’ll just have to go somewhere else; I am sorry but we’ve already got a heavily pregnant lady out back in the stable, that’s how full we are! Bit of a funny story actually…herself and her husband showed up here a few hours ago and you should’ve seen the state of them, she was about to pop and he looked like he’d been dragged through a bush backwards which made me feel all the worse when I had to tell them we didn’t have any room. Just as I was closing the door, I hear my wife Sally’s voice, she’d been out stocking up for all these extra guests we’ve got…’oh you poor thing’ she said, ‘come in, come in…we’ll find somewhere for you’ as the door burst open again…and there they were, the lady about to pop and the man who looked like he’d been dragged through a bush backwards following my Sally through the front door. I tried telling her we had no room for them but she wouldn’t listen, as soon as she saw that poor pregnant girl, she was on a mission. All of a sudden, I found myself cleaning out the stable as best I could, ‘move this, throw that away, get those cows away from the manger!’ I wasn’t too sure about this, I mean I didn’t want to get a reputation for putting people up in stables, could lose us business…but at the same time I didn’t want to argue with Sally either, as she said, ‘we’ve got to do what we can, it might not seem like much but it’ll make the world of difference to them’. Anyway, they’re tucked up in the stable at the minute having a well-deserved rest; I tell ya, what a night…the only thing that could make it any crazier would be if that girl actually had the baby back there…imagine that, born in a stable…now that would be a story to tell. Anyway, I must dash so I hope you find somewhere to stay and as I said, that pair are resting so if you could keep it down as you leave that would be much appreciated.

IMYC FAMILY SERVICE RESOURCE CREATED BY LEANNE HILL, IMYC STAFF

GATHERED

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS AS A CHURCH FAMILY

TALK (LUKE 2 V 1-7)

The Christmas story is one that most of us have known since we were very young. Whether we went to church or not, we heard something of the story through school nativity or carol services, or even through Christmas cards we received or songs we heard sung. And yet there is so much that takes place in the Christmas story that it is easy to miss what it teaches us. Today we want to think about the story from a different perspective. We want to think about the story from the innkeepers point of view.
Open your eyes. The innkeeper is someone who always appears in a nativity but who we actually hear nothing about in the Bible. All it says in the Bible is that the baby was born and laid in a manger because there was no room in the inn (v7). But the innkeeper is never mentioned. However, he plays a significant role in the story and birth of Jesus. We don’t know his name, or his religion, or how rich or poor he was or anything about him at all. In fact we don’t even know it is a him! But we do know he was kind, he was compassionate and he offered what he had to a heavily pregnant and tired woman and her soon to be husband. The innkeeper had no idea what was about to take place and certainly didn’t have any idea about the significance of the birth and life of the child that could possibly be born in the place where the animals were kept. Yet in this simple act of offering something that was so little and in no way fit for a baby, never mind a baby that would be the Messiah and King, the innkeeper became a key player in the Jesus story.
Close your eyes and imagine you are the innkeeper. A young teenage girl arrives at your door with a man who she is engaged to. The young couple look exhausted and they certainly don’t look like they have a lot of money. They ask you for a room in the busiest season you have had for a long time and of course you have no room left. Thousands of people have arrived and your rooms are fully booked. And even if they weren’t, is this young couple really the kind of people you want staying in your guest house? If other people knew they were having a baby but weren’t married yet, what would they say. In your culture this was something to ashamed of and not acceptable behaviour. But she really does look tired and that baby looks like it is about to pop out anytime. And he looks exhausted too. I can’t imagine how he must be feeling having travelled all this way with the pressure of finding somewhere to stay before the baby is born. Maybe you could squeeze them in somewhere? There must be a floor or something they can have. There is always the place out the back that isn’t luxury accommodation by a long shot but at least it is dry and warm. If they want to sleep there until they find somewhere else that would be ok I guess. I will move the animals and clean up a bit. That’s the best I can offer for now. I hope they will be comfortable enough and surely by the time the baby is due to arrive they will have found somewhere a bit nicer?!
So what have you in your hands today? Maybe you are really good at baking, or you are great at giving hugs and encouraging people. Maybe you are great at reading, making things, cleaning, building, inviting. Whatever it is that you have to give, when we give it to God, he uses it and does incredible things with it. So give what you have today to God and ask Him to use it. Then step back and see what happens. You will be amazed how God uses the ordinary to do extraordinary things.

IMYC FAMILY SERVICE RESOURCE CREATED BY LEANNE HILL, IMYC STAFF

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CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS AS A CHURCH FAMILY

RESPONSE- THIS IS NOT OPTIONAL!

This Christmas, we want to think about how we not only remember the true meaning of Christmas, but also how we share that with others. Just like the innkeeper, we want to use what God has placed in our hands to love others and share what it means to have faith and hope in Christ.

Spend some time together thinking about what you can do to share Christ this Christmas and commit to doing it. Maybe as a church you can do something. Or as communities and neighbours. And even as individual families. Just make sure you put something into action!!

Team on Mission have come up with some missional ideas to help you think throug what you might want to do! Click to view and download: https://vimeo.com/372903931

WHAT HAS GOD PLACED IN YOUR HANDS TO LOVE OTHERS AND SHARE WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE HOPE IN CHRIST THIS CHRISTMAS?

IMYC FAMILY SERVICE RESOURCE CREATED BY LEANNE HILL, IMYC STAFF

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CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS AS A CHURCH FAMILY

CLOSING PRAYER

Close in prayer together- you could even make creative prayer stations (multiple or one)! Some ideas could be:

Use your prayer angels or christmas baubles and write a name on one as you place it on the Christmas tree and pray for them. Use newspapers to guide your prayers for others over the Christmas period.

Make a paper chain. Write your name on it and as you attach it to the rest of the chain, remember you are part of the Body of Christ (the church) and pray for one another

Using a picture of a present, write down the things that come to mind that you want to offer to God and give back this Christmas. It could be time serving in a ministry in church, it might be finances, it might be using your gifts and skills

Have a quiet corner with some story books that tell the Christmas story. As you sit and read, thank God for the best gift of all.

"THANK GOD FOR THIS GIFT TOO WONDERFUL FOR WORDS!" 2 CORINTHIANS 9:15

IMYC FAMILY SERVICE RESOURCE CREATED BY LEANNE HILL, IMYC STAFF

GATHERED

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS AS A CHURCH FAMILY

CLOSING PRAYER TOGETHER

We give you thanks for our church family, faithful in every season, singing your praises, encouraging us to give all we have to our Saviour.

Lord, thank you that you love us.

Lord, you give us choices each and every day. This week we have seen your path, and turned away from it. We have seen our brother or sister in need and we did not turn to help.
We give you thanks for sending your son Jesus Christ through whose death we receive forgiveness, through whose resurrection we have hope. God of grace, everything we are belongs to you, be with us this week as we go from this place. Help us to see others the way you see them and move us to action.

Lord, thank you that you love us and all those around us.
Lord, we are sorry.

We have said cruel or unkind words, or refrained from saying helpful words when they were needed.

Lord, we are sorry.

We have been critical of those who failed to offer us a helping hand, while ignoring our own apathy towards others.

Lord, we are sorry.

Amen

(Words adapted from ‘The Jubilate Group’)

We have used our resources, gifts from you, to help only ourselves.

Lord, we are sorry.

We give you thanks that in spite of ourselves you show your love to us in many ways each and every day.

Lord, thank you that you love us.

We give you thanks for life and breath today, for health and food to eat, and a beautiful world to live in.

Lord, thank you that you love us.

We give you thanks for the many people in our lives who love us, who care for us, whose presence brings us joy.

Lord, thank you that you love us.

IMYC FAMILY SERVICE RESOURCE CREATED BY LEANNE HILL, IMYC STAFF

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  • Fbc Faith Love Christ

    Fbc Faith Love Christ

    fbc Faith Love Christ. News Love Others. Think Biblically! Nov. 30th, 2017 December 2017 | Monthly Newsletter of First Baptist Church Always Thirsty Mark Your Calendar “As the deer pants for streams of water, night teaching timeless Biblical truths so my soul pants for you O God. My and engaging worship. We had more 12.3 soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” than 200 people every night for 4 nights Communion/Food Pantry straight. On the final night of the Sunday ~ Psalm 42:1-2a revival we had the opportunity to Women’s Mentor Forms respond to how God had impacted our Due Much like physical lives through the week, and the 12.5 thirst, which overwhelming response was a Deacon Meeting-6:30pm is not realization of our need for God. 12.9 quenched Somehow or other we seem to drift Men’s Ministry Council- once, but toward a sense of self-satisfaction, 7:30am must be which leads to selfishness, which turns 12.10 quenched to grumbling, entitlement, anger, and a Trustee Meeting-11:30am continually, host of other sins. The Thirst Revival 12.14 our thirst for was a great reminder to come back to Nursing Home Gift God is not God and find contentment in Him. Deadline/Pack-10am quenched by Some were convicted to ask forgiveness 12.16 a one-time act from people they had hurt, others Joy Food Pantry-9am- of faith or response. Our thirst for God needed to forgive those who had hurt 11am must be constantly quenched through them.