Advent and Christmas

---

Advent

Kiwi Advent  Illustrations

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

Find out more...

Advent Calendars​

• Kid's Prayer Advent ​ - pray around the world (Micah Lemprecht)
• Nativity Advent Countdown (Sunhats and Wellieboots)
• A Journey through Advent (SUNZ)
• Advent Spiral ​(Good God Ideas) 
• An Aotearoa Advent Circle (SUNZ)
• Tiny House Advent Calendar (SUNZ)

 All-Age Advent

• Intergenerational Advent ideas (Intergen AU) ​

• Christmas on the Move, our travelling nativity​ resource
• Engage Together - Advent: Lectionary-based Children’s Talk + Multi-age activities for Sundays in Advent ​

Advent Prayers

• Advent Candle prayers for the 4 Advent weeks (Theresa Cho)
• Advent Candle prayers (Theresa Cho)
• Advent Prayer Stations (Building Faith)

Advent at home​

• Advent activities for Whanau and Tamariki (Laidlaw)​​
• Jesus Storybook Bible: Advent readings using this great book, by Zondervan.​​

Jesse Trees

• Jesse Tree Devotions and symbols (Dwell)
• Jesse Tree (Diocese of Bath and Wells)
• Jesse Tree (SUNZ)
  
• Ideas for making and using Jesse Tree (CRCNA)
• Jesse Tree Printable Resource (CRCNA)
• ​Jesse Tree (Cath Family)​

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 these fun videos from St Paul's Church in Auckland.
​More videos can be found on our Christmas Media page

Intergenerational ministry

All Age Talks and Stories

• Rags to Riches - An intergenerational all age service (SUNZ)
• Intergenerational Christmas resource (mainly Ministries)
• ​A Very Chocolate Christmas - creative nativity story using 35 types of chocolate found in NZ
• 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.
  Jesus was a Refugee (Lost Sheep)
  Bethlehem Town (Lost Sheep)
  Jed & Roy McCoy (Lost Sheep)
  Tonight in the Palace (Lost Sheep)
  The Three Wise Camels (Lost Sheep)

Messy Church

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

For Epiphany ideas, check out our special Epiphany page

Families

Getting through Christmas when its hard (Parenting for Faith)

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.)

• Christingle  (Auckland Diocese)

• Planning your Christingle (Children's Society UK)
• Download free resources (Children's Society UK)

Nativities and Pageants

• Pop-up Nativity (Bible Society UK)
• ​Why do a Christmas pageant? (Build Faith)
• The Night Before Christmas (Word file download)
• Messy Nativity (Messy Church book)
• Gingerbread nativity (Messy Church)
• The Certainty of Christmas (SUNZ)
  ​- Full Resource available here
  - Skit script
  - Spelling out CHRISTMAS activity ​​

Script Downloads

• Interactive Christmas Drama
• Christmas Story
• An Impromptu Nativity
• Christmas Box Story
• Christmas Box Story instructions
• A Sensory Christmas experience service outline, with 5 Candle Station Scripts

---

Bible Society resources

The new Bible Society Christmas resources for 2024 are available here

The Impossible Promise

The Bible Society NZ has a free Christmas booklet for families, based on Bob Hartman’s story booklet The Impossible Promise.
​Animated video (NZ Version, YouTube)
Download Video 
​Download PowerPoint
Instant Nativity (pdf)

The Amazing days

The newest offering from Bible Society NZ, based on Bob Hartman’s story booklet The Amazing Days
Watch the animated video (NZ version)
Download the video
Download script PDF
Download PowerPoint

Media

There are so many amazing Christmas videos and media, and we have put them on their own Christmas media page

Make + Create

Printable and Crafts

• Strandz Pinterest Boards
• Nativity Story Stones
• Printable Nativity (Made by Joel) 
• Nativity Bookmarks (Lost Sheep)
• ​Crochet your own Nativity Scene (Etsy)
• Preschool Nativity Packs (1plus1plus1)
• Lego Nativity Activity (Frugal fun 4 boys)
• Nativity story Stones (My Joy-filled life)

Bible Paper Toys: The Nativity Story
Didier Martin mylittlehouse.org ​​​​

Songs

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.

---

• Christmas Puzzle and Activity book  (Strandz) - great to hand out to visiting kids over the Christmas weekend
• Human Christmas Trees​
• Journey to Christmas board-game and instructions​
• Family Time Podcast: Christmas Episodes (Salvation Army NZ)

Games and Activities