Christmas
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Nativity Dramas The Second Season
$14.95Add to cartKeith Hewitt is back with a second volume of cleverly developed nativity dramas in which he adapts biblical stories to popular television programs. In the same way Jesus communicated in a context that people of his time could relate to, Hewitt presents four sharp-witted takeoffs on something our culture can really relate to — TV. The humorous yet reverent treatments of these biblical narratives will hold people’s attention and breathe new life into traditional nativity texts.
All four plays are specifically designed to be produced in churches, and can be easily staged by congregations of almost any size. Props are simple and easy to find.
The four plays in this second volume are:
“A Night for News” — Taken from a CNN (Caesar News Network) news broadcast
“Bethlehem Blues” — A takeoff of the popular 80s police drama, Hill Street Blues
“Two-And-A-Half Wise Men” — A parody of the CBS sitcom Two-And-A-Half Men
“Dirty Jobs: Bethlehem” — An adaptation of Mike Rowe’s Discovery Channel show Dirty Jobs -
Spiritual Plays For Christmas Easter And Other Occasions
$29.49Add to cartA compilation of 22 Spiritual plays for Christmas, Easter, and Other Occasions, written by a Black Christian Woman. The plays are practical lessons from God’s Word in a simplified format injected with humor for the edification, inspiration and enjoyment to Christians and non-Christians alike. Working as scriptwriter, producer and director for the performance of these plays in her church for thirteen years provided the writer an additional way to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, enhancing Biblical knowledge to the writer, reader, play performer and viewing audience.
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Christmas : Nostalgic Holiday Images From The Past
$9.95Add to cartSixty images relating to Christmas are found in this full-color paperback. Part of Applewood’s Pictorial America series, the book features images drawn from historical sources and includes prints, paintings, illustrations, and photographs. This small gem is the ideal gift for anyone interested in a concise and beautiful visual history of Christmas in America.
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Christmas Story
$6.99Add to cartSee and Say are simple retellings of Bible stories with bright and appealing pictures-and lots of words for young children to join in with. In the Christmas Story, they will clip-clop with the donkey, sing with the angels, and gasp with the shepherds. In the Creation Story, they will crash with the seas, slish splosh with the fish, and zzz on the seventh day. In the Lost Sheep Story, they will count with the shepherd and baa, baa, baa with the sheep! And in the Noah’s Ark Story, kids will splish with the rain, coo with the dove, and cheer with Noah! With simple concepts and familiar words for repetition, young children will come to learn the story for themselves.
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Christmas : Vintage Images Of America’s Living Past
$9.95Add to cartOver 60 images relating to Christmas in a full-color paperback. Part of Applewood’s Pictorial America series, the book features images drawn from historical sources and includes prints, paintings, illustrations, and photographs. This small gem is the ideal gift for anyone interested in a concise and beautiful visual history of Christmas in America.
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Santa Tizing : Whats Wrong With Christmas And How To Clean It Up
$20.99Add to cartThrow away the template for Christmas books and come walk on the kingdom side in an examination of America’s most loved holiday. Critical thinking is a must while looking through this lens of history and Scripture. You will be intrigued and enlightened. What’s wrong with Christmas? Plenty. This book shines light on various troubling issues involved in celebrating a Christian Christmas. How to clean it up? This will be determined by you and your family. Since we have an abundance of traditions, memories, and reasons to stay just the way we are, Santa-tizing will primarily explore the opposite. Know that in God’s kingdom no person is forced to do anything against their will.
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Christmas Heart : Preparing The Heart Of Your Family
$12.99Add to cartIf you are longing to relaim your family time for Christ, this book is at the very heart of that start. You will experience activities; Scriptures; encouragement; prayer time; and a section to journal, record memories, or place photos. Christmas is a great time of year to engage your family in heart preparation, and with consistency you will be underway to rediscovering the value and blessing of family life as God intended it to be.
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Story Of Christmas
$19.99Add to cartThe Story of Christmas is an innovative Advent Calendar, storybook set, and tree-trimming keepsake. Wonderfully illustrated and brimming wih holiday spirit, the calendar features 24 jewel-like miniature board books nestled in a three-paneled, stand-alone backer that can be used season after season.
The books are numbered 1-24, and like the peek-a-boo windows in an Advent calendar, are meant to be opened one per day from December 1 through Christmas Eve. Read in sequence, the books capture the magic of the first Christmas, from Gabriel’s visit to Mary (Book 4) to the three Wise Men (Book 9) to Jesus’ birth (Book 24). Each book is one of four different trim sizes and features a gold thread loop so that after it’s read, it can be hung on a Christmas tree.
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Advent Christmas And Epiphany
$36.00Add to cartPreeminent hymn writer and liturgist Brian Wren offers this new collection of worship resources suitable for a variety of worship traditions during Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. These theologically sound and creative worship resources include prayers, litanies, calls to worship, and complete liturgies crafted to encourage rhythmic public responses during worship. All material is drawn from the readings from all three years of the Revised Common Lectionary. This collection also contains Scripture selections from the nativity narratives in Matthew and Luke and the messianic sections of Isaiah and the Psalms, making it just as useful to churches that do not follow the Revised Common Lectionary. Additional features of this volume include a Scripture index that points users to materials drawn from passages, a topical index listing items that can be used on other occasions during the church year, and a searchable CD Rom.
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Tidings Of Comfort And Joy
$17.99Add to cartAs the questions begin, an extraordinary story unfolds. A story of love and loss and caring, of separation and reunion. Of small acts of heroism in a distant and war-weary English village, now half a century ago. As her grandmother shares this story with Marissa, the two discover that the most precious gift of Christmas is that of the present. And the season of giving is not limited to once a year.
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O Little Town
$16.99Add to cartChristmas 1958: Elvis is on the radio, Ike is in the White House, the Lord is in His holy temple . . . but there is no peace in Mt. Jefferson.
In a small town where everybody seems to know everybody, there are still a few secrets. Three families find they are connected in ways they never suspected: an angry teen, a dying man, a lonely wife, a daughter in trouble . . . just ordinary people, muddling their way through ordinary challenges. Marriage. Illness. Bad decisions. Friendship. Faith.Forgiveness.
Spanning three generations, O Little Town is a reminder that people still make mistakes, forgiveness can still be granted, and people still rise to the occasion and do the right thing. This tender tale of love and redemption will touch readers’ hearts. -
Let Them Eat Fruitcake
$16.00Add to cartIt’s the holiday season, and each of the roommates at 86 Bloomberg Place is a little blue . Megan’s got the boss from hell, and now her mom is going on a cruise, leaving Megan alone for Christmas for the first time ever. Lelani can’t afford to fly home to Hawaii and isn’t sure she’d be welcomed anyway, not that she can admit that to anyone. Anna’s old boyfriend–the one who cheated on her–has sailed back into her life, just when she’s met a for-real “nice guy” she’s been keeping secret from her large, crazy Latino family. And Kendall’s met a famous actor, who might be the answer to her money woes–if she could only convince him she’s the love of his life. His wife might have something to say about that, though. Thank goodness God’s around to listen when the girls need help!
Let’s face it, relationships are hard work–whether they’re with family and friends, coworkers and customers, or boyfriends and girlfriends. And when you’ve got your first apartment, a real job, and grown-up responsibilities, too, relationships are loaded with confusion, emotion, and secrets you can’t tell to anyone but God. Best-selling author Melody Carlson has captured all the uncertainty and joy of being twenty-something in pitch-perfect detail–and their stories just might sound like someone you know.
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In The Bleak Midwinter
$11.99Add to cartOnce again, well-known and beloved author Herbert Brokering offers spiritual nourishment, this time based on Christina Georgina Rossetti’s Christmas carol, “In the Bleak Midwinter.” This set of forty meditations and prayers can be opened at leisure or followed as a guide to daily devotions. Either way, it is a rich and imaginative reflection on the incarnation as God’s continual gift to us. The overall tone of the book shows the depth and beauty, paradoxes and perplexities of the nativity.
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Come All Ye Faithful
$8.95Add to cartDrama can be a wonderful tool for presenting spiritual truths in a fresh and creative way. Come All Ye Faithful is a valuable resource for churches seeking new methods for presenting the joyous message of Advent and Christmas. From an insightful allegory illuminating the symbolism of the Advent wreath to mice depicting the nativity scene in whimsical verse, this resource will appeal to any dramatic preference.
These plays can be used by congregations of almost any size, with only minimal props and costuming required. Copy privileges are included.
The plays featured in this volume are:
* The Living Advent Wreath – a musical allegory depicting a pilgrim’s journey to discover the true meaning of Advent as revealed through the Advent Wreath (sheet music is included).
* The Mouse Christmas – a lighthearted children’s play written in rhyming verse.
* The Ad Vent Wheat — a humorous children’s play offering a slightly altered view of the Christmas message.
Each of these plays will help congregations capture anew the true joy of the Advent and Christmas season. -
I Spy Christmas
$8.95Add to cartI Spy Christmas is an excellent resource for pastors and churches that either need to add another element to their Christmas service or are simply in need of a Christmas order of worship. This volume provides both, including three Christmas dramas that are intended for casts of various ages, from children to teenagers to adults. Each play can be produced by congregations of various sizes, providing an attractive mix of humor, wit, and inspiration that will speak to any congregation.
The plays included are:
* I Spy Christmas
* Taking Jesus
* Open Auditions
Also included is Shattering Christmas to Find Christmas, a candlelight Christmas Eve service complete with an order of service, liturgical prayers, hymn selections, and meditations.
I Spy Christmas will enhance your congregation’s Christmas worship experience for years to come.
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Loves Pure Light
$8.95Add to cartLight is an integral symbol in the Christian faith, especially during Christmas. The light of a single candle can disperse the deepest darkness, bringing warmth, comfort, and illumination. The soft, warm candlelight at a Christmas Eve service creates an atmosphere of worship and reverence as congregations celebrate the arrival of the Light of the world.
Love’s Pure Light is a collection of insightful Christmas sermons delivered at Susquehanna University between 1997 and 2006. This book offers pastors a valuable source of inspiration for Christmas sermon preparation. Love’s Pure Light also includes an order of service, providing congregations with a complete Christmas candlelight worship experience.
Love’s Pure Light will be a welcome addition to congregations of any size, aiding them in perceiving the power of the Light of Christmas in a deeper and more dynamic way. -
Christmas To Remember
$14.00Add to cartAs Cape Light dwellers get ready to deck the halls for a Christmas to remember, curmudgeonly Lillian Warwick is confined to bed, injured after a nasty fall. Cared for by her daughters, Emily and Jessica, she lets her thoughts drift back to the holiday season of 1955, when she first met Oliver Warwick, the dashing man who would become her husband. Recounting those romantic early days, she is reminded of a time when she had much to be grateful for-and recognizes the mistakes she’s made since. And to cap off this life-altering season, there just might be a winter wedding on the horizon.
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Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
$17.95Add to cartAdvent and Christmas meditations based on the seasonal hymns of Charles Wesley. Each daily meditation, keyed to the scripture reading for the day and portions of Wesley’s texts, concludes with a brief prayer based on the day’s theme. Reflective material place Wesley within his rich Anglican heritage. Daily readings are between 500-600 words in length.
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Simply Wait : Cultivating Stillness In The Season Of Advent
$13.99Add to cartHow many times have you tried to reduce the stress and hurry of Christmas by making Advent a more spiritual time? And how often do you find that your efforts to be more spiritual only intensify your stress by becoming one more complicated thing on your already long list of things to do? What if this year you found a devotional practice that offered more rest, more quiet, more room in your heart for the Christ child to be born?
Simply Wait: Cultivating Stillness in the Season of Advent is a resource that individuals and small groups can use to help them focus, rest, and renew spiritually. For the four weeks of Advent, participants will focus on a single word and a single, simple prayer practice that does not require extensive preparation or previous experience. Readings for each week offer creative reflections rooted in scripture, and engaging questions that stimulate our anticipation for a meaningful Christmas season.
This year, instead of doing more, moving faster, trying harder to cram it all in, do less scurrying, and more reflecting; less worrying and more connecting, with the graceful and grace-filled wisdom of Simply Wait.
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Its So Christmas See
$29.95Add to cartThis anthology provides a wide range of dramatic and worship material for seasonal celebrations. There are numerous Thanksgiving resources, including a children’s Sunday school learning event, a children’s message, a brief responsive reading, a one-act drama, and a sermon. For Christmas there are six plays of various lengths for a variety of ages and cast sizes, as well as a “hanging of the greens” worship program and an engaging story that can either be read to young children or performed as a play.
* Come! See What God Has Done is designed to heighten children’s awareness of God’s many blessings. Six learning centers — each featuring posters, projects, a guided experience, follow-up activities, and a closing prayer — focus on such topics as families, nature, our religious heritage, and our bodies. Intended for kindergarten through sixth grade, this is an ideal activity for your church school and can be held during a single session.
* What Are You Thankful For? is a one-act drama portraying two families as they gather for Thanksgiving dinner. It utilizes a cast of fourteen characters with a wide range of ages, and guides audiences from self-centered complaints to a positive attitude of thankfulness.
* Thanksgiving for Our Day, a brief responsive reading, and Recalling Our Blessings, an interactive children’s lesson, are perfect for use in ecumenical Thanksgiving worship services.
* Is It Still Wonderful?, a sermon for Thanksgiving Day, reviews some common Thanksgiving clichi 1/2s and concludes that to demonstrate true thankfulness we need to become less jaded and rediscover a sense of awe and wonder.
* Welcome the Spirit of Christmas enables the entire congregation to participate in adorning the sanctuary with holiday decorations for the Advent and Christmas seasons. This “hanging of the greens” worship program includes complete instructions plus many additional ideas, making it easy to adapt the material to individual circumstances.
* The Christmas Stranger and The Christmas Stranger Returns are two full-length dramas depicting events in the lives of a typical American town’s leading citizens. Each play features a multi-generational cast of around 20 characters and has a running time of approximately 60 minutes. In The Christmas Stranger, an amiable handyman brings joy and laughter to the home of a prominent businessman who is consumed by his work and hates Christmas. With the stranger’s aid, the businessman’s family tries to break t
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Animals Christmas Eve
$5.99Add to cartIn the barn on Christmas Eve,
After all the people leave,
The animals, in voices low,
Remember Christmas long ago . . .So begins a sweet rhyming story in which a group of animals recounts the events surrounding JesusO birth in the manger, and the parts some of their ancestors played in it. This is also a counting book.
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Saint Nicholas : The Real Story Of The Christmas Legend
$10.99Add to cartMany parents and teachers struggle with how to approach the Saint Nicholas/Santa Claus dilemma. Many deal with this by telling children that the legends surrounding Santa Claus are based on a real, historical figure named Nicholas, a Christian bishop known for his generosity.
This picture book presents a shortened, somewhat fictionalized version of the life of Saint Nicholas, explaining that Nicholas was a servant of God and that, through him, God’s love was reflected to others. The story touches on the ministry of Nicholas and his generous gift of a dowry to three young girls as a response to God’s love in Jesus. And it brings application to our own lives as we, too, respond with grateful hearts to God’s great gift of love to us.Combining museum-quality artwork and family friendly language, this book clearly articulates how God showered His love upon us through Christ and helps children see that our own gift-giving is a grateful response to the sacrificial gift of God’s Son.
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Legend Of The North Star
$7.95Add to cart“The Legend of the North Star (Little Dot Makes a Wish)” is an imaginative children’s story about a little dot left behind after God created the stars. The dot wants to be like other stars, so Luminaria, the wisest of all stars, grants the dot its wish and helps it discover its real purpose as the Star of Bethlehem. The story is formatted both as a narrative that can be read by a storyteller and as a play that can be performed by a narrator and numerous children.
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Nativity Dramas : Four Nontraditional Christmas Plays For All Ages
$12.95Add to cartEveryone knows the nativity story — the inn, the stable, and all the rest. If your traditional Christmas pageant has become a bit stale and you want to give it new life, this collection of engaging plays is sure to fit your needs. Keith Hewitt gives the usual narrative a modern treatment by adapting characters and settings from four popular television series (Blue’s Clues, CSI, Cops, and Trading Spaces) and transferring them to the events in Bethlehem. By twisting the lens a little to change the focus, these sketches tell how common people are affected by incredible events. Audiences will love these entertaining programs, and they’ll have fun watching the characters as they learn a valuable lesson.
All four plays are specifically designed to be produced in churches, and can be easily staged by congregations of almost any size. There are roles suitable for a range of ages from kindergarten through adult, allowing you to involve the whole congregation in the production. “Ewe’s Clues” is intended primarily for younger children (although adults and older children will also enjoy it) and has a running time of approximately 30 minutes. “Cops: Bethlehem,” “CSI: Bethlehem,” and “Trading Spaces: Bethlehem” each have a running time of approximately 45 minutes, and are designed for older audiences (though children will get something out of them as well).
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12 Days Of Christmas
$13.95Add to cartThe twelve days of Christmas run from December 26 to January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany, the date on which we traditionally recall the Magin’s arrival to present gifts to the infant Jesus. For many, the sacred meaning of these days is lost. By Christmas night we are saturated with the holiday hype, overfed with music and food, and maybe quite disappointed that the presents we received have not fulfilled us. Almquist invites readers to go deeper than the tinsel and wrappings to the source of all the good gifts in life: love, forgiveness, joy, hope, and so on. These are gifts that, once unwrapped, will last and satisfy our spiritual cravings.
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God Gave Us Christmas
$10.99Add to cartAs Little Cub and her family prepare to celebrate the most special day of the year, the curious young polar bear has something on her mind: Who invented Christmas?” she asked. “Is God more important than Santa?”
Her questions reflect the confusion of so many children during the holiday season. And this heartwarming story takes them on a wonderful journey of discovery – right to the heart of Christmas.
To help her child understand more about God and why he “invented” Christmas, Mama Bear takes Little Cub on a polar expedition. Along the way they find many signs that God is close by: the dancing lights of the northern skies, an early morning star, the power of a mighty glacier.
Through Mama’s gentle guidance, Little Cub learns that God loves her and everyone – polar bear, moose, or human – so much that he gave us Jesus, the very best gift of all.
Sequel to God Gave Us You and God Gave Us Two.
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Man Who Saved Christmas
$13.49Add to cartChristmas-only days away; plastic snowmen and glowing reindeer adorn the lawns of neighborhoods all across America. All is calm, all is bright, and yet there is something tragically wrong about this Christmas night. With swift passage through Congress, the Anti-Intolerance legislation was signed into law prohibiting the public display of religious symbols. The traditional centerpiece enjoyed by millions every Christmas, the Nativity Scene, is now gone. This is one of those perennial issues that often stir emotions to the brink. But taking a lighter approach to the argument, wouldn’t it be fun if, somehow, through some bizarre chain of events, the person who most fervently opposes open displays of religion, became the mouthpiece from which a fictitious law like the Anti-Intolerance bill, was overturned? This story brings to life a witty rendition of the political struggles fought every December over something as humble and yet powerful as the display of the Nativity Scene.
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No Stable Too Small
$15.95Add to cartHere’s a collection of humorous, down-to-earth plays that bring a fresh perspective to the Christmas story through such creative devices as imagining the thoughts and feelings of fringe characters (like an innkeeper or a servant to one of the magi) or by updating the story with contemporary settings and characters. No Stable Too Small offers a variety of practical material for any situation, ranging from shorter plays with small casts and lines that can be easily mastered by younger children to more elaborate pieces with sophisticated themes for older children and adults. And they’re ideal for use with today’s young people — the dialogue reflects the way they really talk, yet never detracts from the biblical message.
These flexible scenes offer a mix of speaking parts for all age groups, from preschool through adult, and are especially valuable for small congregations that lack the resources to mount large-scale productions. No sets are required, and only simple costumes and minimal props are needed. The plays can be performed by smaller churches with as few as 8-10 cast members, or parts can be easily divided to accommodate groups as large as 25-30. And with a running time of approximately 20-25 minutes each, it’s easy to fit them within a Christmas Eve or Advent Sunday worship service.
Some of the charming presentations include:
* Love Finds a Way
* It Wasn’t the Hilton, You Know
* Christmas Eve at Angel School
* Because God Said So, That’s Why
* No Small Parts
* “Unto Us a Child Is Born”… Next on Omar
* Miracles? No Problem!
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Sampsons First Christmas
$7.95Add to cartSampson’s First Christmas is a charming play that’s perfect for a holiday children’s program in small congregations. The story details the attempts of Sampson Squirrel to discover Christmas. After overhearing a conversation between the rustic characters of Ma and Pa, Sampson asks his forest friends where to find this wonderful place. When they are unable to help, Ma and Pa show Sampson the true meaning of Christmas.
This adaptable piece can accommodate any number of actors, and can be presented as a play, a puppet show, or a readers’ theater. The characters, plot, and message appeal to all ages, with dialogue that’s easy for youngsters to learn and memorize. Costumes are affordable and easy to assemble — and clear and concise directions with reproducible patterns are provided to help you make distinctive animal hats that children will love. Instructions are also included for creating simple Christmas tree decorations that accentuate the animal theme. With all these craft ideas plus production suggestions, Sampson’s First Christmas is bound to be a hit with your church!
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Christmas Journey : Advent Christmas Resources
$14.95Add to cartThis complete set of seasonal material offers everything you need for an exciting Advent and Christmas program. With dramatic monologues, sermons, children’s messages and worship liturgies, a Sunday school program, and a pair of Christmas Eve candlelight services, there’s something for everyone, whatever your congregation’s size or worship style.
An Unlikely Cast (Alan E. Siewert) is a set of dramatic monologues that reveal the inner thoughts and feelings of five characters who were deeply involved in the unfolding divine drama of the nativity: Joseph, Mary, John the Baptist, the innkeeper, and a shepherd. The monologues can be used in midweek Advent services, special programs, or Sunday morning worship. Staging and costuming suggestions are included, to help you bring these exciting accounts to life.
The Colors Of Christmas (H. Michael Nehls) is a creative series of six sermons and children’s messages in which each week features a different color. The sermons use the color idea to stress such Christian themes as royalty, sacrifice, and holiness, while the children’s messages utilize the inventive device of passing out ribbon swatches of the color of the day; as the youngsters receive the various ribbons, they can collect a “ribbon rainbow.”
Is This The Road To Bethlehem? (Judy Gattis Smith) is an Advent worship liturgy in which children are the main participants. The centerpiece is an “action/sermon” featuring six brief readings using illustrative wooden figures. All the elements of a typical worship service are present — but in a manner that focuses on the interests and expressions of children, allowing them to experience worship rather than just listen and watch.
Producing Christmas (Jennifer Hockenberry Dragseth) is a humorous children’s play which casts the Christmas story as the ultimate Hollywood blockbuster. Everyone wants to be a part of the big movie — and they all have ideas about how to make it a hit, only to finally learn why the coming of the Christ child is truly the “greatest story ever told.” With participants ranging in age from junior high to preschoolers, this flexible piece is perfect for a brief Sunday school program.
A Christmas Journey and Christmas Letters (Rod Tkach) are imaginative Christmas Eve services weaving together carols, prayers, scripture readings, and several brief meditations. In A Christmas Journey, the reflections guide worshipers on a journey from being home alone to the ultimate destination of the
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Advent Storybook : 24 Stories To Share Before Christmas
$17.95Add to cartBenjamin Bear is so impatient for Christmas to come. To help the time pass more quickly, his mother tells him that every day when he opens a door on his Advent calendar she’ll tell him a story-twenty-four stories all about another little bear and his long, arduous journey to Bethlehem. The little bear, led by a glittering star, meets many others on his travels across hot deserts, snowy mountains, and through dark, lonely nights. His adventures, filled with acts of heroism and kindness and many small miracles, show him the path to the Christ Child. And by journey’s end Benjamin Bear-and all youngsters who share the stories and their simple morals along with him-will understand and celebrate the true spirit of Christmas.
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Hannahs Hope : A Novel
$32.00Add to cartRaised in a political family, 15-year-old Hannah Roberts lives a lonely life with her wealthy, unaffectionate grandmother while her parents work abroad. As Christmas nears, Hannah learns a shocking truth: the man she believed was her father is not her parent after all. In an effort to find answers, she begins a desperate search for her real father, Air Force pilot Mike Conner, who she discovers to be the man of her distant childhood memories. Local politicians and the city’s newspaper catch wind of her quest, and the entire state joins in Hannah’s hope that she’ll find her father before Christmas.
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Night Before Christmas (Anniversary)
$9.95Add to cartRunning Press is proud to be the publisher of the best-selling edition among all the available versions of Clement C. Moore’s classic Christmas Eve poem. With appearances at the top of the New York Times bestseller list over the past ten years, illustrator Christian Birmingham’s stunning interpretation of this holiday favorite has been clearly embraced by the market. Now, for the second year in row, we are thrilled to have Birmingham’s gorgeous illustrations available in a board book edition. These two unbelievably priced treasures have become as much a tradition for booksellers as the classic tale itself.
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Child Of The Light
$11.99Add to cartIf the Christmas season has become more of a chaotic consumer ritual rather than a nurturing spiritual one, you need this brilliant “Advent Survival Guide!”
If you set aside just 10 minutes per day, Child of the Light will help you find your quiet center amid the stressful flurry of the November/December busyness. As you read the book’s brief readings inspired by the season’s carols and hymns, your spirit will be lifted, and your thoughts will be redirected to the purpose of the season: preparing for the coming.
“Take time for God: that’s exactly the challenge God gives us during this season of preparation,” writes Richardson. “Personally and culturally this time of year already seems to race out of control toward a Christmas finish line. In Advent, we are invited to take time out…. [In] doing so, we nurture our spiritual self, that sometimes fragile part of us who longs for a connection with God.”
The reflections extend past Christmas to Epiphany, January 6, encouraging you to live into the joy of Christmas beyond traditional seasonal celebrations.
A small-group guide is included among the daily meditations, recommended spiritual disciplines for the week, reflection questions, and leader helps. The use of hymns and carols will engage even the most non-musical among us to fully appreciate the lyrical richness of the season.
Long for a more sacred and measured observance this year? Be joyfully carried through the pre- and post-Christmas pandemonium as a child of the light!
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Run Shepherds Run
$16.95Add to cartThe Advent season is filled with rich themes that have fascinated poets. In Run, Shepherds, Run, Bill Countryman presents a poem a day for devotional reading during Advent and theTwelve Days of Christmas. Readers will find classic poets they know and love, including George Herbert, John Donne, Christina Rossetti, Emily Dickinson, and Alfred, Lord Tennyson, as well as contemporary poets, known and unknown.
Run, Shepherds, Run includes helpful hints for reading poetry, for those who have less experience reading it than others, as well as useful annotations to help readers with older language that may not have easily apparent meanings for today’s readers.
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Christmas Stories From Gainesberry Farm
$12.49Add to cartChristmas Stories from Gainesberry Farm is a collection of short Christmas stories that leads the reader into challenges of the human spirit and the mystery of God’s touch. Author W. Scott Lineberry developed these stories with family Christmas reading in mind as they are entertaining for both adults and children! Set on a central North Carolina farm and rooted in true events, each adventure resonates with the tension between human hardship, humorous relief, mystery, and encouragement. Christmas Stories from Gainesberry Farm is an extraordinary blend of reality, humanity, Divinity, and imagination that readers can identify with and cherish. Imagine being a camper and wandering into a spot in a seventy-acre forest and experiencing a Christmas Eve full of extraordinary surprises. . .
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Beastly Christmas : A Comedy For All Ages
$10.95Add to cartCentering around the theme of the familiar song “The Friendly Beasts,” this intriguing program depicts what the animals who witnessed Jesus’ birth might really have been thinking — if they had human minds. There’s humorous interplay among camels, sheep, cows, and the donkey that carried the pregnant Mary as they share their unique perspective on the nativity. This complete presentation allows many different parts of the congregation to participate; speaking roles can be performed in a readers’ theater format by adults or youth, young children can portray the humans at the manger in a silent tableau, and musical selections allow the choir to be involved as well. A special feature is more than 70 reproducible drawings that can be projected for audience viewing. (Purchase of this book includes access to a downloadable PowerPoint file for use in performances.) This adaptable drama is ideal for use not only in church settings, but also in schools or for children’s programs.
A five-copy package of supplementary coloring books for young children based on the imagery in the PowerPoint file is also available.
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Night Before : Two Christmas Eve Services With Childrens Sermons
$13.95Add to cartComprised of two compelling services plus a pair of delightful children’s messages, this complete set of Christmas Eve resources provides everything you need to create a special worship experience that your congregation will remember long after the holiday decorations have been stored away.
A Christmas Gift contemplates Christmas Eve’s mixture of madness and magic through a creative weaving together of carols, prayers, scripture readings, and several brief meditations. By highlighting some of the diverse moments, memories, and traditions that contribute to the gift of Christmas, this worship service evokes the powerful mystery and miracle of the nativity.
O Come, Emmanuel is a moving candlelight service which utilizes the ancient antiphons of Advent to explore the longing behind our search for the Messiah. As the service unfolds, the singing and reading of each antiphon leads worshipers to reflect on the hopes and desires that bring us to Bethlehem, culminating in the joyful announcement that God has come among us. The service employs two readers and a solo quartet, along with congregational singing of several traditional hymns. An original choral arrangement of the Christmas antiphon is included.
Two inspiring messages for the “children’s moment” are also included. Featuring an interactive, conversational style that involves young people, these lessons can be used with either service or separately. One message helps children think about where Jesus might be in their town or neighborhood if he were born today, while the other celebrates how Christ’s birth draws us all together.
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Letters From Father Christmas
$25.00Add to cartEvery December an envelope bearing a stamp from the North Pole would arrive for J.R.R. Tolkien’s children. Inside would be a letter in a strange, spidery handwriting and a beautiful colored drawing or painting. The letters were from Father Christmas.
They told wonderful tales of life at the North Pole: how the reindeer got loose and scattered presents all over the place; how the accident-prone North Polar Bear climbed the North Pole and fell through the roof of Father Christmas’s house into the dining room; how he broke the Moon into four pieces and made the Man in it fall into the back garden; how there were wars with the troublesome horde of goblins who lived in the caves beneath the house, and many more.
No reader, young or old, can fail to be charmed by Tolkien’s inventiveness in this classic holiday treat. -
Follow The Star
$24.00Add to cartTime magazine has called him America’s best preacher and praised his “overwhelming gift.” Now New York Times bestselling author T.D. Jakes presents the perfect book for the holidays-a heartwarming collection of stories and reminiscences that will bring readers a deeper understanding of the true meaning of Christmas.
Amidst the family gatherings and the exchanging of presents, the true meaning of Christmas–the birth of Jesus–tends to get lost. Now, T.D. Jakes pays homage to the miracle behind the holiday.
In Follow the Star, T.D. Jakes leads a journey that makes Christmas past and present come alive through deeply personal experiences that shaped his life: family stories about finding the Christmas spirit during the worst hardships, and of the need to appreciate fellowship, love, and God-the real gifts of the holiday. With his unique insight, warmth, and wisdom, Bishop Jakes embraces fully the magnificent miracle of the birth of Christ.
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Sarahs Song : A Novel
$32.00Add to cartEvery year Sarah Lindeman celebrates Christmas the same way, placing one special ornament on her tiny tree on each of the twelve days of Christmas. It is her time to remember where she came from, who she is today, and how long ago a song gave her another chance at love.
But this year the ritual is different. This year a desperate young woman is listening, a nurse who cares for Sarah at the Greer Retirement Village. Sarah senses a familiar struggle in the woman’s soul and shares the story of her song in hopes that it will help her find healing, as it did Sarah so long ago.
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Tracks In The Straw
$14.99Add to cartIn a memorable Christmas book full of surprises and wonder, Loder offers 15 nativity stories and fables that bring forth an amazing set of characters, animals, and unexpected visitors who witness, in one way or another, the life-changing mystery of the nativity. Arranged into 24 readings for optional Advent use.
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Destination Bethlehem
$17.95Add to cartThis anthology provides you with a great selection of dramatic material for memorable Advent and Christmas worship. With a variety of approaches, there’s ample material to choose from to fit your needs, whatever your congregation’s size or worship style.
Five Advent Candle Dramas (Anne W. Anderson) explores the traditional meanings of the Advent wreath candles in brief 3-5 minute sketches which incorporate the lighting of each week’s candle. The Advent themes of hope, love, joy, and peace are couched in contemporary dramatic settings yet connected to the powerful reality of Christ’s coming. Each scene includes concise instructions for costumes, props, and settings.
The Savior Of The World (Nelson Chamberlain) is a five-scene play that tells the traditional Christmas story — with a touch of humor and a few unexpected twists. With roles for children from preschool age through sixth grade, this fun, easy-to-produce program is perfect for that special day when the church is full and you want to highlight the young people in your congregation.
Time Travelers’ Tale Of The Carols (Linda Buff & Sharon Cathcart) is an entertaining and educational presentation that combines the story of Jesus’ birth with the stories of several beloved Christmas carols. Through the imaginative device of a time machine, audiences will hear from some of the musicians and writers who created these familiar classics. Sets and costumes are minimal, and this simple play can be produced by churches of any size — while there are parts for many children, the script can be easily adapted for any age or number of participants. Performance time is approximately 35-40 minutes.
Here We Come To Bethlehem (Pamela Honan Peterson) is a Christmas pageant and congregational worship service that lets audiences eavesdrop on the thoughts, stories, and questions of ancient travelers as they make their way to Bethlehem. There are roles for 18 performers ranging from age three through high school, but with this flexible program it’s easy to involve as many children, youth, and adults as desired. Performance time is approximately 20-25 minutes.
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Light Of Bethlehem Shines On
$12.95Add to cart* In The Darkness Of Despair — Isaiah 9:2-7
* In The Darkness Of Suffering — John 1:1-13
* In The Darkness Of Oppression — Luke 2:1-5
* In The Darkness Of Fear — Luke 2:6-11
* In The Darkness Of Anxiety — Luke 2:12-17
* In The Darkness Of Uncertainty — Luke 2:17-20
* In The Darkness Of Suspicion — Matthew 2:1-12Additional Info
The impact of the miraculous event of the incarnation continues — and the light of hope that appeared in the darkness of that night in Bethlehem two thousand years ago still shines on us today, even in the midst of life’s most difficult situations. Illustrated with poignant stories and anecdotes, these powerful messages celebrate the heartwarming joy of Christ’s coming, and demonstrate how we can rely on the Lord to serve as our steady lighthouse while we navigate the shoals of life.This seven-part series for Advent, Christmas Eve, the Sunday after Christmas, and Epiphany Sunday provides a comprehensive seasonal resource for busy pastors and worship planners. Each chapter includes a sermon, a children’s message, a candle lighting response with scripture reading, and a pastoral prayer.
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Speaking Of Christmas
$12.95Add to cartIf you want to celebrate the birth of the Savior by participating in a Christmas play but have a limited budget and want to avoid long rehearsals, you’ll want to have this fascinating collection of twelve short plays in readers’ theater format. Whether you’re a novice or have plenty of experience, you’ll find these scripts, varying from humorous to deeply religious and ranging from 5-20 minutes in length, to be easy to stage yet packed with meaning. Suitable for worship services, prayer groups, religious education classes, retreats, or for entertainment at parish social functions, these flexible dramas can be staged in a sanctuary, classroom, lounge, or any large space, and require no scenery, costumes, or special lighting. Brief background essays on the Christmas play and on readers’ theater are also included, along with a list of other helpful resources.
Some of the intriguing presentations include:
* A Discussion Among Angels
* The Tree That Didn’t Get Trimmed
* Million Dollar Christmas
* Hoodoo McFiggin’s Christmas
* Home For The Holidays -
Christmas Treasures : A Collection Of Congregational Resources For Advent C
$25.95Add to cartThis anthology provides an ample selection of seasonal worship, drama, and children’s resources by popular authors from a variety of denominations. Whatever your congregation’s size or worship style, you’re sure to find something in Christmas Treasures to help you create memorable Advent and Christmas services. Copying privileges are included for all segments.
Litany For Advent And Christmas Candle Lighting provides brief responsive prayers and creative congregational activities for the four Sundays of Advent, Christmas Eve, and Epiphany. It’s excellent for worship services or as a Sunday school opener.
Christmas Treasures offers three sets of short readings and prayers for the candle lighting portion of Advent and Christmas Eve services. Each 2-3 minute narrative links aspects of the nativity with events in our modern lives, both global and personal, and challenges worshipers to reflect on current issues and respond in ways that glorify the Lord.
Six Christmas Testimonies depicts the Christmas events and their meaning from the viewpoint of John the Baptist, a magus, the innkeeper, Joseph, a shepherd, and Mary. Especially powerful when read in sequence, these concise dramatic readings are an excellent way to have members participate in Advent or Christmas Eve worship services.
The Christmas Gift utilizes a creative approach to the seasonal children’s program — a “talent show” is cleverly included as part of a simple yet powerful play based on Luke’s Christmas scripture. It’s a practical presentation for any size congregation — many of the speaking roles have only a few lines, and some parts can be combined. A prop list, set diagram, and sample rehearsal schedule are included to aid novice directors. Performance time is approximately 15 minutes (plus talent show time).
Who Are You In Bethlehem? and The Promise are two dramatic presentations for the entire congregation with roles that can be performed by any age. Each combines the reading of scripture and singing of familiar hymns with brief narrations to telling the Bethlehem story, focusing on how we respond to the Savior — asking us if we have truly welcomed the babe into our hearts. These inspirational services are flexible enough to be performed by as many participants as are available without requiring extensive memorization.
Revelations Of Jesus, Given From Heaven/Received On Earth, Nativity, and If It Happened Today are four flexible, Bible-based plays with parts for young peopl
