Methodist Children - All age Christmas Day service 2007

Over the last few months you will probably have seen our Peacebuilders resource material (www.peacebuilders.info) and you will soon be able to get your hands on the new Peacebuilders Worship resource which will be available from January 2008.

If you have not seen the Resource you can download the book (pdf 1MB) or contact MPH for a free copy.

Following on this theme of Peacebuilders and some of the activities that are suggested in the pack we would like to encourage you to make your Christmas Day a focus for Peace and more specifically on those who bring messages of peace through the Christmas story.

Here are some parts of a service that you might like to use and make up your own Messengers of Peace service.

In Peacebuilders you are encouraged to make a 'Peace Box' which will be passed around your local community to collect the hopes individials have for Peace - Peace in the World, in your comuunity, and in yourself as an individual. At Christmas we are used to opening gift boxes and this year you could have a special Christmas Peace Box that will help tell the story.

Your Christmas Peace Box should be a BIG box covered in Christmas Paper - or you could perhaps try and work with some children to decorate this using the peacebuilders stickers and add some festive touches! Inside the box you could place the following items and as you unpack the items during the service you can expand on the ideas we have listed.

All the items that come out of the box are linked as being representative of Messengers of Peace.

Item: Headphones (representing Mary). In order for Mary to become a Messenger of Peace she first had to hear the message of the Angel. She had to listen to what was being asked of her and after understanding this she had to respond. For us to be messengers of peace in our world we need to be able to listen.

Item: I pod (representing Angels). The angels sang their message and ensured that the world heard that Christ had been born, through music and words we knew that Jesus had come. Today on an i-pod we can have hundreds of different styles of music that have many stories to tell. To be effective messengers of peace we need to reach people in many different places and cultures, to do this we need to make sure our message can be heard in all these places. Our peace message needs to be heard.

Item: Nappy Pin (representing Jesus). Jesus came into the world as a baby and that was the mightiest message of Peace that has ever been seen. Being a messenger of peace is not dependant on you being powerful, being a particular age, or having a particular job, peacemaking is something that is for all ages. Being a Messenger of Peace is something that everyone can do.

Item :Mobile Phone (representing Shepherds). Once the shepherds knew that Jesus had been born they had to tell everyone they met all about what they had seen. Today we would use the phone to pass the message on, the shepherds would simply have told everyone they met. To be messengers of peace you need to be willing to speak out and tell people that there is a better way for the world.

Item: Passport (representing Wise Men). The Wise Men had travelled far to offer their gifts to Jesus, crossing many different countries to get to Bethlehem. The message of peace needs to be spread in all countries across the world. it is too simple for us to assume that there are certain countries where peace will never happen, or where we think it has happened. Peace is a global concern for all God's children in every country.

If you would rather not have the items coming out the box you could perhaps have the letters that make up the work PEACE and do a reflection on each of them -

Passing the Peace
Shake hands using different words for Peace. A list of words is in the Peacebuilders service or activity book.

Doves of peace
Write your prayer or hope for peace on a strip of gummed paper then lick and link. Leave plenty of supplies so that those who visit or use the church for other events can add their hopes.

Write your prayer for peace on a dove-shaped piece of paper. Stick the doves onto long lengths of string or crepe paper. Attach the end of the string or crepe paper to the ceiling or high on the wall so that the doves appear to be taking your prayer up to the skies. With a little preparation by looping the string over a beam or hook you could hoist the doves up as they are attached!

A sharing invitation
Make a large invitation to a Peace Tea or Lunch at your Church on the weekend of the Covenant service. Inviting the congregation to the tea, explore with the congregation who else could be invited from your community.

Pick some groups in your local community you could send peace wishes to and an invitation to a lunch or tea the weekend of the covenant service.
For example: local school or Church. Have a large box wrapped in Christmas paper for each group you intend to invite. The congregation can drop the small boxes into the larger gift boxes.

At the front of the Church lay out Christmas Peace Gift Boxes – small individual gift box or envelopes for each member of the congregation. Inside each gift box/envelope place an invitation to a Peace lunch or Tea to take place the weekend of the Covenant service. Have a pile of blank slips and some pens by the boxes. Invite the congregation to write a message of peace for the community or wish for the community for the coming year. These should be placed in the boxes.

- distribute the large boxes to the groups you decided to invite in the community or

- use the small gift boxes and ask the congregation to take their box home and pass it on to someone who was not at church as an invitation to the tea. This could be a neighbour, a work colleague, or a school friend.

As a response ask the congregation to invite a guest to the tea or lunch it must be a neighbour or someone from work or school, someone who doesn’t attend your Church.

It was on a starry night (Merrily to Bethlehem, A&C Black) – all the angels sing and the whole creation realises the significance of this birth.

Jesus song (Sound Bytes, Stainer & Bell) Sing a song of Jesus to the tune of Sing a song of sixpence, the final verse is about Jesus’ mission as a man.

He became poor (, Innkeepers and light sleepers, Wild Goose) - a short chorus or gathering song

Light a candle in the window (Come and Praise 2) – the candle you light is the message you take from Christmas into your life of caring and building peace.

Funny kind of night (, Innkeepers and light sleepers, Wild Goose) – this night seems to turn things upside down, makes us ask questions. Good song for a choir or soloists with all joining the chorus.

He came down that we may have love (peace) (Many and Great, Wild Goose) – easy to learn African song from Cameroon, change one word for each new verse.

Light a candle in the darkness (Carol Praise, Marshall Pickering) Garth Hewitt song focussing on peace and justice.

Lord,
We know you love us
As a mother loves her child;
And want peace for all your children.
Help us to hear the message of Peace this Christmas
and be willing messengers of Peace to the world.
Give us a share in the joy of the angels
and the excitement of the shepherds.
Let us know your blessing
And the deep peace of your love.
Amen.

produced in Israel by Jews, Arabs, Druze and Bedouin working together. Grown in the foothills of the Carmel Mountains, the olives are pressed within hours of picking, to produce this prize winning extra virgin olive oil.