1. Welcome to our Action for Children Service

2. A call to worship

3. 7 Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Psalm 24:7-10

4. 9 Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 10 Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty – he is the King of glory. Psalm 24:7-10

5. Jerusalem Psalm 24:7-10

6. Make way, make way

7. A prayer of praise

8. Creator God, We praise and worship You For all that You are and for all that You have done. You set this world in motion; You give the breath of life to every living thing; You give us the gifts of time and space So that we can make sense of the world. Creator God, We praise and worship You For all that You are and for all that You have done. You set this world in motion; You give the breath of life to every living thing; You give us the gifts of time and space So that we can make sense of the world. A prayer of praise

9. God the Son, We praise and worship You. By Your coming to live amongst us You give worth and dignity to all humanity. Through the diverse people who played a part In the story of Your birth, We learn that all people can find acceptance in You. God the Son, We praise and worship You. By Your coming to live amongst us You give worth and dignity to all humanity. Through the diverse people who played a part In the story of Your birth, We learn that all people can find acceptance in You. A prayer of praise

10. God the Holy Spirit, We praise and worship You. You have drawn each of us here tonight, And You have things to say to us. Speak to us through the old familiar story, So that as we listen again to something that we know so well, We may discover afresh what it means To be loved by You. God the Holy Spirit, We praise and worship You. You have drawn each of us here tonight, And You have things to say to us. Speak to us through the old familiar story, So that as we listen again to something that we know so well, We may discover afresh what it means To be loved by You. A prayer of praise

11. Gracious God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, We praise and worship You, Now and for ever. Amen Gracious God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, We praise and worship You, Now and for ever. Amen A prayer of praise

12. Isaiah 11:1-9

13. The Branch From Jesse 1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD— 3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. Isaiah 11:1-9

14. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; 4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash round his waist. Isaiah 11:1-9

15. 6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. 7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest. Isaiah 11:1-9

16. 9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. Isaiah 11:1-9

17. Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

18. Photo Album

19. Long ago, prophets knew

20. Photo Album

21. Luke 1:26-38

22. The Birth of Jesus Foretold 26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” Luke 1:26-38

23. 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; his kingdom will never end.” Luke 1:26-38

24. 34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:26-38

25. 38 “I am the Lord's servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her. Luke 1:26-38

26. Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

27. The Angel Gabriel from heaven came

28. Photo Album

30. Matthew 1:18-25

31. Joseph accepts Jesus as his son 18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: his mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 9 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. Matthew 1:18-25

32. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’ Matthew 1:18-25

33. 22 All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’). 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. Matthew 1:18-25

34. Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

35. O little town of Bethlehem

36. Photo Album

37. Luke 2:1-7

38. The Birth of Jesus 1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ( 2 This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own town to register. Luke 2:1-7

39. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. Luke 2:1-7

40. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:1-7

41. Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

42. Photo Album

43. Away in a manger, no crib for a bed

44. Photo Album

45. Luke 2:8

46. The Shepherds and the Angels 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields near by, keeping watch over their flocks at night. Luke 2:8

47. Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

48. Photo Album

49. Luke 2:9-16

50. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. Luke 2:9-16

51. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:9-16

52. 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.” Luke 2:9-16

53. 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about. 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. Luke 2:9-16

54. Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

55. It was on a starry night when the hills were bright

56. Photo Album

57. Luke 2.17-20

58. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. Luke 2.17-20

59. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Luke 2.17-20

60. Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

61. A band of angels

62. Photo Album

64. Matthew 2:1-8

65. The Visit of the Magi 1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-8

66. 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 In Bethlehem in Judea, they replied, for this is what the prophet has written: Matthew 2:1-8

67. 6 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.' Matthew 2:1-8

68. 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” Matthew 2:1-8

69. Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

70. We three kings of Orient are

71. Photo Album

72. Matthew 2:9-12

73. 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. Matthew 2:9-12

74. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. Matthew 2:9-12

75. Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

76. See Him lying on a bed of straw

77. A prayer for others

78. Gracious God, The snapshots that we have seen tonight Have been so familiar; Mary's obedience; Joseph's change of heart; The response of the innkeeper; the wonder of the shepherds; the homage of the wise men. A prayer for others

79. As we consider the Christmas story, Help us to look beyond the well-known pictures, And to enter into the reality Of all that happened during that first Christmas season. A prayer for others

80. Then give us grace to respond in obedience to your call, To take in all that you have done with renewed wonder, And to bring our humble worship To Jesus, born in a stable, our Lord and our Saviour. Amen A prayer for others

81. Photo Album

82. O come, all ye faithful

83. A blessing

84. May the Blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Be upon you and remain with you always. Amen May the Blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Be upon you and remain with you always. Amen A blessing

85. IDEAS is produced by the Family Friendly Churches Trust. For resources see www.ffctideas.org.uk © 2015 IDEAS. All material is copyright and should only be used by members of the scheme IDEAS is produced by the Family Friendly Churches Trust. For resources see www.ffctideas.org.uk © 2015 IDEAS. All material is copyright and should only be used by members of the scheme