Church Christmas Activity: Instant Christmas Pageant

During your morning worship service on the Sunday immediately before Christmas, lead your church in this instant Christmas pageant.

Instant Christmas Pageant

Say: Today is a very special day in our Christian lives. This morning you’ll help recreate the very first Christmas. Everyone in this sanctuary is going to have a part in a Christmas pageant right now.

Assigning Roles

Assign the following parts and pause to let each group practice its sounds or actions after you read their name or word.

City: Choir or senior citizens stand and make Bible city sounds such as yelling, donkey sounds, and trumpets.

Joseph: Men stand, raise their right hands, and say, “O Holy Night.”

Mary: Women stand, pretend to hold a baby, and say, “Ahhh.”

Child: The children on your left stand, place their hands over their hearts, and say, “Love.”

Angels: The children on your right stand, hold out their hands like angel wings, and say, “Peace.”

Shepherds: Church staff members stand and shake their staffs (use brooms, umbrellas, or yardsticks) in the air.

The Christmas Story

Instruct your congregation to perform their parts after you read the words in the following story.

Read: This is from the book of Luke, chapter 2: Joseph (pause) went to the city (pause) of David called Bethlehem, to be registered with Mary (pause), to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child (pause).

While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child (pause). And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn.

In that region, there were shepherds (pause) living in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night. Then an angel (pause) of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel (pause) said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people. To you, this day is born in the city (pause) of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: You will find a child (pause) wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel (pause) a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God in the highest heaven, and saying, “On earth peace among those whom he favors!”

When the angels (pause) had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds (pause) said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.”

So they went with haste and found Mary (pause) and Joseph (pause), and the child (pause) lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what they were told about this child (pause);  and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherd (pause) told them, but Mary (pause) treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.

Closing Prayer

Say: Let’s pray.

Dear God in heaven, You richly blessed us with the most precious gift of your Son, Jesus Christ. We do truly cherish and treasure our Bibles from which so many generations have learned and loved this wonderful story. Thank you that today, in this place, we’ve all had the honor and privilege of reliving this most blessed event one more time. We ask that each of us will carry in our hearts a piece of this Christmas story and that you give us the strength and courage to share its meaning with others through the coming holidays and the coming year. In Jesus’ name, amen.