December 2, 2014 -- Issue #27 - Volume 15

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        In today's issue:

1) Make an Advent Wreath

2) Skit on Samuel?

3) Heaven and Hell Skit

4) Christmas Game: Right, Left

5) Shepherd Game

1) Make an Advent Wreath

The season of Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas day, Nov. 30th for 2014. The term Advent, means coming. The Advent season helps us prepare our hearts to remember the first coming of our Savior and the reason he came--his birth was for his death; his death was for our birth. Advent also reminds us that Jesus is coming again to separate the sheep from the goats, the believers from the unbelievers. Making an Advent wreath is a great way to celebrate Jesus' birthday! Read on.

2) Skit on Samuel?

In our church we are doing a play on the book of Samuel, I needed your assistance in finding a play that is scripted with the life of Samuel. This will help in our kids preparation for this holiday's play. Thanks in advance.

Warm Regards,
I Bavin Clinton.

--from SSTN: see reply for #3, below.

3) Heaven and Hell Skit

> I am looking for a skit on Heaven and Hell. Can anyone help?

Try this: as the teacher reads the Scripture, have children pantomime "act out" the parables from Matthew 13: Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, or from Matthew 25: the Parable of the Talents, or the Sheep and the Goats.

4) Christmas Game: Right, Left

Instructions: Pass a small gift RIGHT then LEFT as you hear those words in this story of Christmas. The last person holding the gift at the end of the story wins! You can also use this idea by writing your own story for any time of year.

Alternate idea: keep passing the gift like a "hot potato" until you hear the word, then reverse direction. That way bigger groups could get more people involved. 

"We all know the story of Christmas well – but . . . Read on.

5)  Shepherd Game

Divide into 2 teams. Draw on the floor with chalk or masking tape a "path" for the sheep to be herded through. Tape a few boxes to the floor with ends cut out. If doing this outside use croquet hoops pushed into the ground. Teams line up on opposite ends of the track. Give each team a broom and 6 cotton balls (for younger children a small rubber ball can be used). The object is to heard the sheep down the path, through the "tunnels," to the other side and back. The team with every child completing the course wins. Finish by reading the story of the shepherds from a child-friendly Bible in Luke chapter 2.

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