Advent and Christmas

Looking for some inspiration this Advent and Christmas? We have pulled together a range of resources, creative ideas and media to bring the season to life. We have a few Christmas and Advent ideas on our Pinterest boards too - check them out here

Kiwi Advent  Illustrations

4 original designs for LOVE, JOY, HOPE & PEACE, illustrated by our Strandz team.

Find out more...

Advent

​Advent Calendars

• Generosity Advent Calendar - Salvation Army NZ
• Busted Halo Advent Calendar​
• Advent Conspiracy — with the 4 aims of worship fully, spend less, give more, love all
• Advent Spiral ​
• An Aotearoa Advent Circle (SUNZ)

All-Age Advent

• Christmas on the Move, our 2016 advent resource with a travelling nativity​
• Engage Together - Advent: Lectionary-based Children’s Talk + Multi-age activities for Sundays in Advent 
• Engage Together – Intergenerational Worship Resources for Advent 2017​​
• ​Advent & Christmas (Messy Church Pinterest)​

Advent Prayers

• Advent Candle prayers - spelling out the words 
• Advent Prayer Stations (Building Faith)
• Interactive Prayer Stations (Theresa Cho) 
• More Advent Prayer Stations (Ministry2Youth) ​

Advent at home

• Christmas Family Faith Trail (UCA)
• Our Strandz Journey Through Advent Packs
• Advent Wonder: A free, printable booklet to give out to families with weekly reflections, daily activities, puzzles, and an Advent Challenge Chart to stick on the fridge.​
• 2017 Multi-Age Advent Ideas for Households (United Methodist Church)​
• Advent Candle image with prayers​
• Picture Advent: Daily devotions, Photo-a-day challenge, Youth and Family activities, Church Resources ​
• Jesus Storybook Bible: Advent readings using this great book, by Zondervan.​​

Jesse Trees

• Jesse Tree (SUNZ)
• Make a Jesse Tree (Bath and Wells Diocese, UK)

Podcasts

• Family Time Podcast: Christmas Episodes (Salvation Army NZ)

Christmas on the Move

Christmas on the Move is a free printable resource with Bible Characters and a nativity set to make. Use it as a family activity at home or amongst your congregation - it can also be used in church. Join Mary and Joseph on their journey towards Bethlehem, as we journey towards Christmas. ​

Download the Christmas on the Move resource pack, nativity files, colouring poster, and prayers

check out Christmas on the move

Meri Kirihimete - Christmas in New Zealand

There are some great New Zealand produced media, including those great videos from St Pauls' Arts and Media in Auckland, including When God was Born and Te Harinui - a musical play about the first preaching of the Christian gospel to Maori in Aotearoa on Christmas Day 1814, performed by the children and youth of St Paul's Church, Auckland, New Zealand.

Intergenerational

All Age Talks and Stories

• ​A Very Chocolate Christmas - creative nativity story using 35 types of chocolate found in NZ
• Dramatic Presentation linking Christmas to Easter
• Lost Sheep have a whole bunch of Christmas stories, with downloadable images/powerpoints and scripts. Great for an all age service where you want some vibrant images.
  Check out:
  - Tonight in the Palace (Storytelling Script, Activity Book pdf)
  ​- Bethlehem Town
  - Jed and Roy McCoy
  - The Three Wise Camels​
• The Grinch can't steal our Christmas (SUNZ)

Messy Church

• Messy Church do a 'Messy Christmas' Book - you can buy the books at Bible Society NZ or download the resource online

For Epiphany ideas, check out our special Epiphany page

Christingle

Christingles are festive celebrations taking place in communities every year. They get their name from the objects lit during the ceremony - oranges decorated with red tape, sweets and a candle. The Children's Society have resources, downloads and guides to help you run a smooth Christingle this year. (NB: Extra safety precautions needed when having candle flames near flammable face coverings and hand sanitisers.)

• What is Christingle?
• Light up your Christingle Celebration with these instructions and service ideas, and how to make a Christingle instructions​
• Holding virtual Christingle services 
• ​Important Safety Advice for running a Christingle service, including to be careful handling flames near hand sanitisers and face coverings
• Christingle Jingle Song
  

Nativities and Pageants

• ​Why do a Christmas pageant? Read more about the joy of children immersed in scripture
• A Well Good Christmas by Bible Society UK (Video in media section) - Pop-Up Nativity and other resources. 
• The Greatest Journey (The Bible Society UK) also do one that goes with ‘we’re going on a bear hunt’ which could be good for your younger kids.
• Kids Friendly Christmas Pageant/Nativity Ideas: 50+ nativity pageants of different sizes and styles, including “one rehearsal” and “impromptu” options!
• The Night Before Christmas
• Messy Nativity - a book for sale with a Messy nativity
• Interactive Christmas Drama
• Christmas Story
• An Impromptu Nativity by Rev Debbie Smith
• Christmas Box Story         
• Christmas Box Story instructions. 
• A 4-minute nativity from Bible Society UK
• A Sensory Christmas experience service outline, with 5 Candle Station Scripts
• Gingerbread nativity
• The Gospel according to Sheep (Iona Books)
• A Community Christmas Event (SUNZ)
  ​- Full Resource available here
  - Skit script
  - Spelling out CHRISTMAS activity ​
• A Zoom Nativity script (Flame Creative)

Godly Play

• Godly Play Christmas Eve Liturgy (Godly Play)
• Godly Play Crib Service Nativity (Mary Hawes / Godly Play)

Bible Society Christmas Resources

Media

Check out our Christmas YouTube Playlist

Nativity Story Media

Make + Create

Printable and Crafts

• Nativity Story Stones
• Christmas Celebration ideas, inc. nativity bunting (Roots)
• Printable Nativity (Made by Joel) 
• Paper Angel Printable
• Paper Nativity Scene Printouts
• 101 Free Christmas Printables
• 21 Printable Nativity Scene Resources
• Lost Sheep Nativity Bookmarks
• Nativity Story Stones: A great story-telling device, or a fun craft for kids, or both! 
• Crochet your own Nativity Scene  
• Preschool Nativity Packs
• Christingle crafts (Messy Church UK)
• Lego Nativity Activity

Bible Paper Toys: The Nativity Story
​© Didier Martin mylittlehouse.org - for personal use only

• Book 1: The Nativity Figures [12mb.pdf]
• Book 2: The Nativity House [15mb.pdf]
• Book 3: The Shepherds [15mb.pdf]
• Book 4: Plants [7.5mb.pdf]
• Book 5: Animals [11mb.pdf]
• All template files [53mb.pdf] ​

Making a difference this Christmas

Compassionate Christmas
You might like to think about 'doing christmas differently' with one of the following:

• Christian World Service - The Joy of Giving, alternative gifts for Christmas. These could be a great fundraiser for Christmas services, nativity plays and Advent events.
• Angel Tree — an initiative from Prison Fellowship, NZ

Compassionate Advent

• Christmas Bowl Advent Resources​
• Create a Reverse Advent Calendar​

Songs

Games + Activities

• Here is a Christmas Puzzle and Activity book we put together - great to hand out to visiting kids over the Christmas weekend
• Human Christmas Trees
• A twist on ​Pass the Parcel - a fun way to retell the christmas story, from our friends at Resourced!
• Journey to Christmas board-game and instructions