Church Christmas Activity: Instant Christmas Pageant
The holidays can have a lot of hustle and bustle, can’t they? So delight families by leading this instant Christmas pageant at your church—no rehearsals required!
Prepare for the Instant Christmas Pageant
First, decide when it will be. You could hold the pageant…
- During an adult Sunday service.
- At the family Christmas Eve service.
- After Sunday school when parents come to pick up kids.
- During a children’s event.
- At a time specifically designated for the pageant. (In this case, you’ll need to pick a location, too!)
Then, get families excited:
- Send emails or text reminders about the pageant—and remind families that no preparation is required for them!
- Consider posting reminders on social media.
- Have pastors and Sunday school teachers share reminders verbally.
Finally, gather simple supplies such as:
Introduce the Instant Christmas Pageant
Once families are settled, begin the Instant Christmas Pageant.
Say: Christmas a very special day in the lives of people who love and follow Jesus. Today you’ll help re-create the very first Christmas. Everyone here is going to have a part in a Christmas pageant right now. And don’t worry…you didn’t need to prepare anything! You’ll learn your part right now.
Assign the following parts. Pause to let each group practice its sounds or actions after you read their name or word.
Assign Roles
Say: If you’re in the choir or are a retiree, you get to be part of the city of Bethlehem. When I say the word “city,” you’ll make Bible-times city noises such as donkeys braying or trumpets sounding. Let’s practice that now!
Have members of the choir and retirees practice their Bible-times city sounds.
Say: Anyone who’s on staff at our church will be a shepherd. When I say “shepherds,” you’ll stand and pretend to shake a staff in the air. And if you have something like an umbrella or pencil, you’re welcome to use that as your staff.
Let church staff members practice their Shepherd role.
Say: If you’re a father with kids younger than 18, you get to be Joseph. Yes, all of you are Joseph! When I say “Joseph,” you’ll stand, raise your right hands, and say, “O Holy Night.”
Lead the Josephs in practicing their role.
Say: Now it’s time for moms to get involved! If you’re a mother with kids younger than 18, you get to be Mary. When I say “Mary,” you’ll stand, pretend to hold a baby, and say, “Ahhhh.”
Have the Marys practice their role.
Say: Kids, it’s your turn! If you’re a kid, your job is to stand, place your hands over your hearts and say, “Love,” each time I say the word “child.”
Lead kids in practicing their role. Encourage grown-ups in the audience to help kids who need additional assistnace.
Say: Finally, anyone who I haven’t called yet…you get to be the angels! When I say “angel,” you’ll hold out your arms like angel wings and say, “Peace”!
Have all other participants practice their Angel role.
Roles Summary:
- Choir members and retirees
- Role: City of Bethlehem
- Cue word: City
- Job: Make Bible-times city noises, such as donkeys braying or trumpets sounding.
- Church staff members
- Role: Shepherds
- Cue word: Shepherds
- Job: Stand and pretend to shake a staff in the air
- Fathers with kids younger than 18
- Role: Joseph
- Cue word: Joseph
- Job: Stand, raise right hands, and say “O Holy Night.”
- Mothers with kids younger than 18
- Role: Mary
- Cue word: Mary
- Job: Stand, pretend to hold a baby, and say, “Ahhh.”
- All kids
- Role: Baby Jesus
- Cue word: Child
- Job: Stand, place their hands over their hearts, and say, “Love.”
- All other participants
- Role: Angels
- Cue word: Angel
- Job: Hold out arms like angel wings and say, “Peace.”
Lead the Interactive Christmas Pageant
Instruct your congregation to perform their parts after you read the words in the following story.
Say: This is from the book of Luke, chapter 2.
Show the Bible.
Say: A man named 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.
Encourage participants playing the City, Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus, telling them their roles are looking great!
Say: 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.”
Tell the Shepherds and Angels that they did well, too!
Say: So the Shepherds 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.
Lead everyone in giving themselves a round of applause for their wonderful work in the Instant Christmas Pageant.
Close in Prayer
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.
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