Christmas Resources

Our All Age Christmas Service for 2007 is focussed around Peacebuilders - Messengers for Peace - read all about it here!

You can also download our services from -
2006 - Story Sack and Sound Story
2005 - The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe

Download Advent puzzle pages from Barnabas! http://www.barnabasforchildren.org.uk/3315.htm

Christingle Cube

Church House Publishing and The Children’s Society have turned oranges into cubes to help children engage with the Christian message of Christingle in a fun and creative way. More than 600,000 children attended a Christingle service last year. Christingles are central to the special candlelit carol services held between Advent and Epiphany, where the congregation carry candles mounted on oranges to represent Christ as the light of the world, among other symbols. The service was established by the Moravian Church in 1747, and introduced to England since 1986 to raise money and awareness for the work of The Children’s Society. The cube tells the story of the symbolism of each part of the Christingle orange within the context of God’s creation. The format of the new cube follows in the successful footsteps of The Lords’ Prayer Cube and The Communion Cube, which all feature simple text and full-colour illustrations aimed at children aged three years and up.

Christingle Cubes can be purchased from Church House Publishing prices £6.99. To find out more about the work of the Church of England Children’s Society and how they can support local Christingle services, visit www.christingle.org

Step by Step Christmas Crib
Leena Lane and Gillian Chapman
Make Christmas a special occasion for young children with this delightful book.
Each spread tells a part of the story of the first Christmas in rhyming couplets. This is accompanied by a list of things you will need and very simple step-by-step instructions to make each of the characters in the story – Mary and Joseph, ox and ass, angels and shepherds, inn-keeper and wise men – all of which combine to make a home-made Christmas crib to be treasured.
The book is suitable for children aged 4-7 and can be used by teachers and parents working and playing with children at school at home and in church clubs Reception, KS1, Art and RE.
www.barnabasinchurches.org.uk
ISBN 9781841013961 £3.99

Easy Ways to Christmas Plays

Three complete plays with photocopy permission
Vicki Howie
Contains three simple yet effective nativity plays suitable for use with children aged 3-7: ‘Come to my party!’, ‘The star who couldn’t twinkle’ and ‘Shine your lights!’ Now you can put on that nativity play!

ISBN 9781841010175 £11.99
Barnabas www.brf.org.uk

Practical Ways to Christmas Plays
Five Christmas play for 7-11s, complete with ‘beyond the script’ preparation material and photocopy permission
Stephanie Jeffs
Each play includes flexible casting, choral narratives and comprehensive ‘beyond the script’ preparation material. Choice of five plays, each geared towards specific year groups.
ISBN 9781841012254 Barnabas £7.99 www.brf.org.uk

Lifewords for Christmas
Need some fresh ideas for church and family to help prepare for Christmas? Then Lifewords might be worth looking at. Its Christmas website has ideas for worship, prayer stations, school assemblies, an Advent Alphabet, children's booklets and much more.

Christmas Wrapped Up

Scripture Union have brought out a second Christmas compilation book jam-packed with ideas for talks, prayers, dramas, all-age services, assemblies, crafts and much, much more! There's everything you need to help children and adults focus on the true meaning of the season, rather than the commercialised version.

And if that's not enough then try....
More Christmas Wrapped Up         £9.99
Even more of the same excellent resource material!
Pub. Scripture Union    ISBN: 978 1 84427 261 7 www.scriptureunion.org.uk

CD's

A collection of 12 original songs for Christmas. Written by Ali Croxford, for children aged 4-11, this set of contemporary songs has the latest pop grooves and modern sounds, whilst still retaining the Christmas feel. Recorded with children in mind, but will have a wider appeal to the whole family.

Includes new recordings of 3 bonus Christmas Carols: Away in a Manger, Silent Night and In the Bleak Mid Winter. Available from Children's Ministry price £10.99

 

Behind the Scenes Christmas

Age 8-10 years This book helps to explore the details behind the story of Christmas. A retelling to help children rediscover  what might have become a cliched tale. The book is based on Bible Text of the Christmas story and. includes an information section full of explanations and background to the story. Helping children to fully explore the story. There are eleven sections that retell the complete story. The book could be used during Advent with groups, parents or alone.
Available from Scripture Union www.scriptureunion.org.uk £5.99 Author: Su Box ISBN: 1 84427 190 0

Have you Seen Christmas?
Age 5-8 years
In this tale, 'Christmas' is not just a season, but also the name of a little dog who has gone missing. As the children in the story desperately search for 'Christmas', they find themselves also searching for real meaning of Christmas.
Available from brf www.brf.org.uk £6.99 ISBN139781841015125 Author: Vicky Howe

 

 

The Advent Book
A slightly different way to explore advent
Age 8-11
The story of advent is told through drama and pictures, and each week there is a memory verse activity, a suggested game, plus an opportunity to take part in a word game related to the advent calender on the centre spread. Author Steve English Publisher Kevin Mayhew www.kevinmayhew.com £7.99

The Best Gift

Musical Drama suitable for Primary age children and a small cast
The Best Gift featurers electronic games, monsters, colourful paint boxes, sports toys and books, The Best Gift has something to appeal to every child. Lively songs are combined with an imaginative script to give a musical that will be entertaining for both performers and audience alike!
Includes FREE CD performance and backing tracks.
Alison Carver ISBN: 1 84417 445 X Available Kevin Mayhew www.kevinmayhew.com £11.99

The Not-So-Wise Man by Alan MacDonald - £4.99 Lion Publishing (available from www.amazon.co.uk) 
A wonderful retelling of the Christmas story. Great for reading during services.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr Suess - £4.99 Picture Lions (available from www.amazon.co.uk)
A real classic story bringing home the fact that Christmas is not about presents!

Story Plays for Christmas by Vicki Howie - £9.99
Another 3 plays for 7-11 year olds from this popular author. The books contains much more that just the scripts, with advice on costumes, props, and stage management. From www.brf.org.uk

Walking with Jesus through Advent and Christmas by Murray McBride - £9.99From www.brf.org.uk
This is a book with a difference - it's a journey! Designed for all ages to work together through Advent and Christmas it enables you to discover the Christmas story in a new and fun way. The book offers visual images for reflection which can be built into a frieze, as well as bible readings, reflections, and encouragements for the journey.

The Story of Christmas by Stephanie Jeffs and John Haysom - £6.99
This is a beautiful gift book for children, telling the Christmas story through traditional illustrations and text based on the gospel accounts. From www.brf.org.uk

My First Christmas Sticker Book by Sally Ann Wright and Moira Maclean - £3.50
A great book for younger children who will probably enjoy placing the stickers exactly where they want them rather than following the guide at the back! Encourage them to free think the Christmas story with this fun resource!From www.brf.org.uk

A Message for Mary
Gifts for a King
The Long Journey
The Shepherd's Surprise  by Al Alston - £0.99
These are wonderful books for under 6's which are shaped like Tree baubles. Telling the Christmas story in four different parts then all combining to tell the whole story. A new way to explore this story with younger children. From www.scriptureunion.org.uk

Christmas Cards - Various prices
Scripture Union's range of cards are sold to support their work children and young people. Some very eye catching designs. From www.scriptureunion.org.uk

Also available if the fantastic Born Among Us pack available from www.mph.org.uk for £15. This pack includes a worship booklet, a Nativity Play,  activity resources and much more for all-age Christmas work.

On Line Resources

Christian Aid Christmas Resources 2007 - Love

http://www.christianaid.org.uk/getinvolved/fundraise/resources/christmaslove.aspx
A wonderful variety of resoruces to help you celebrate Christmas

PresentAid  
http://www.presentaid.org/ A great alternative to buying more selection boxes! New online catalogue. Perhaps the children of Junior Church could consider buying a present for the whole church this year?