One of my favorite memories of Christmas at the Malm house was the reading of the Christmas story. My dad figured out early that we would check out if he didn’t make it entertaining for us. So he turned our expensive nativity set into action figures (not sure how he convinced my mom on that one). My brother, sister, and I got to act out the Christmas story with the figurines while my dad read.
It was memorable because I became part of the story. I was off at a distance shepherding my sheep when my sister’s angel gave me great news about a baby born across the room?off in Bethlehem. My brother, as the wise men, traveled afar to see this young child later on.[quote]It was memorable because I became part of the story.[/quote]
Today’s Christmas idea is a way you can provide families in your church this same sort of fun, interactive memory ? a?paper nativity gift set.
Consider designing a?nativity set with characters in paper doll format. You could start with some vector characters from a stock photo site like these or design them from scratch. You could even design some scenery elements like a stable, hillsides, and a starry night. Print them out and die cut them with perforation so kids can use them on Christmas morning to act out their own version of the Christmas story. Or you could just make sheets of?them and leave it up to the parents to cut out the characters on their own.
You could either package a printout of the Christmas story (along with instructions) with the paper nativity gift set, or you could read the story digitally as part of a video Christmas service.
You could give them to parents as an activity they can do with their children during the holiday, or you could give them directly to the kids at the end of children’s ministry time.
It’s a great way to make the Christmas story portable and even to tie it into things that you’re doing at your church for the month of December. Even when families?are traveling for Christmas, they can still feel connected to?your church through a simple gesture like this.[quote]Even when families?are traveling for Christmas, they can still feel connected to?your church.[/quote]
So there’s the idea! Spark anything in you? What do you think would take this idea to the next level? Share in a comment below.
