What GOOD things/ideas have you seen at Christmas Family Services?

[morningpaper]

I need to plan a Nice Christmas Family Service for about 200 people

What would keep them awake?

Usually it is: HYMN, READING, HYMN, READING etc.

Have you seen anything Good at a christmas family service? I've no idea where to start. Any advice welcome!

which service is this? 9 Lessons, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day??

and do you have access to multimedia stuff - (ie computer and screen that can be used in the church)

It's a 'family crib service' so no real liturgy other than the vicar doing a reading, people singing, vicar reading... etc. The kids take one item of the nativity scene up to the altar in between each song.

It's normally relaly dull TBH and my friends all complain about how boring it is, but they do like coming to a service on christmas eve, so I'm helping to sex it up a bit

I could recruit the memebrs of the sunday school to do the readings, for a start, instead of the vicar, and to use an accessible translation rather than Ye Olde King James signed first edition.

No multimedia stuff no, the church isn't laid out in the right way for it (massive long chancel)

oh yes - the family crib service - one of my BF's has been lumbered with that one this year LOL.

Thought I'd check as obviously ideas would depend on what service it was

"No multimedia stuff no, the church isn't laid out in the right way for it (massive long chancel)"

oh we thought that as well - but do now have a fabulous big screen which is used for the family paraded service (where there's no communion) and other services where there's no communion. It's dead easy to put up and sits at the bottom of the choir/chancel. If we have a "choir" they join the music group in front of the screen.

There are ways of doing that stuff - but we didn't realise until we had some bod in from somewhere to advise on it.

I think if we used any multimedia stuff that the old people would start a petition TBH

oh I think you'd be suprised. We had "opposition" to start with (and it's not used at the "traditional" services of the normal HC service. We started off just using it for the words for songs in the family parade service and then gradually as people got to know how to use the equipment better expanded.

Traditionally they's always done Stainers Crucifixion or Olivet de Calavary (sp) on Good Friday.

This year we went totally different, we had a fab play I found online - basically the story of Easter set in Modern times (and persauded one of the "Traditionalists" to play "God").

We used the big screen with a clip from the 1978 Jesus of Narazreth set to "Everything I do I do it for you", and all sorts of stuff.

People were VERY sceptical, but loved it so much they've asked if we can do the same thing again next year but "bigger".

It's hard taking "modern" stuff in, but it can be done - just got to be handled the right way.

Interestingly these days it's some of the younger members of the congregation who still complain about the use of the screen at times!.

It's been used for quizes, show videos, powerpoints, hymn words all sorts.

But I'm not actually helping you here with ideas and am now totally off topic .

I know what you are saying but there was enormous upset here when we started shaking hands during the peace last year and they rarely allow hymns written after 1850...

My sole church outing a year is to take DS to the crib service at the Abbey. This is really, really popular in our town.

What I really like about it is that first of all they say 'there is an adult at every door. So, don't worry about your child talking, singing, wandering around - they can't go out on their own, and everything else is welcome'

Children are asked if they want to be in the nativity procession, and the older members of junior church organise them into shepherds, kings etc and usher them around as other children are reading the story. Well known hymns, give out Christingles.

Personally, I abhor multimedia presentations.

That's very helpful CMOT

CMOT - admittedly it can be used very badly (and introduced very badly) and indeed overused during services.

We started off just using it for words during the family parade service "so that people didn't need to hold the books while helping children with the actions". They had it pointed out to them it was just a slightly easier way of doing it than using the old small screen and OHP.

It's funny what you say about "no hymns written after 1850".

Earlier this year I asked a largish group of people in the church (old and young) to write me a list of 5 "modern" songs that they liked, and 5 "traditional" songs.

Of the 15 repies I had there were no less than 8 songs that had been put on the "traditional" list that were actually quite new (post 1950) and 3 "traditional" ones that had been written in the last 50yrs .

our 3pm Christmas Eve family service is 'by torchlight' rather than 'by candlelight'

church is dimly lit, everyone brings a torch and they are prompted at vital moments eg to highlight the bit of the nativity happening at the moment, as the 'bright light' dazzling the shepherds, spotlight on the tree etc as well as lots of opportunity for waving them madly around during the carols.

oh and yes to participatory nativity - depending what else is going on (ie how much time is available) either the kings or the shepherds develop a train, or they send the chap with the star round the church again for all the children to follow (with their torches) singing 'here we go up to BETHlehem to BETHlehem to BETHlehem here we go up to BETHlehem to see the baby Jesus' (to Here we go round the Mulberry Bush obv)

tis packed every year

we do have [ahem] multimedia capabilities but it is the trad stuff they love best

We have a participatory nativity - and we provide costumes at the door for anyone who wants to join in and didn't come dressed up. We don't have too many songs. Last year we had a real donkey! The clergyman (my DH) gives a short child-friendly talk about Christmas, usually in the form of a conversation with a puppet (!), which seems to keep the kids attention and breaks up all the singing and nativity stuff. We have loads of 'Happy Birthday, Jesus' balloons (I know, I know)so everyone gets one to take home and a massive cake at the end of the service for all the kids to have a piece, with coffee and mulled wine and mince pies for the adults.

All good ideas, I am loving them

We sometimes go to the Christmas Eve service at about 5 o'clock. The children all get dressed up as nativity characters - kings, shepherds, angels, etc. It is more of a drama type thing with the younger members of the church people doing a play aimed at the little ones. There are carols included throughout and the children all go up to the front to stand round the crib for Away in a Manager.

fab typo Hula, will be using that this year...

How long do you think the service should be?

hour and a half at the absolute outside

We aim for under an hour ... Christmas Eve, over-excited children, manic mothers with lots of presents still to wrap - or is that just me?

Short and sweet, leave them wanting more and all that.

I am also thinking along the lines of child participation - like an extended School Assembly, bit of Singing, some readings, drama, have children dress up as Nativity Character.

try these for fantastic Nativity Plays & Music

Some of the ones aimed at younger children involve the actors acting out what the narrator is reading, so no parts to actually learn.

(although some of the plays are not true adaptations of the Nativity Story so chose carefully)

Do you mean Christmas morning?

We have the usual hymns/songs and the special things we do:

We have a spot where the children show off their presents.

We have a hand-bell choir that gets wheeled out three times a year (all at Christmas). This is lovely as it is truly all-age.

Our readings may well be dramatised, and often split into two separate slots so that the reading/talk is more child-friendly and the second reading/talk is more adult-focussed.

Intercessions are usually taken by a whole family - muggins this year.

We do have Holy Communion but starting 10 minutes after the end of the main service.

We have so many services and events running up to Christmas. The morning family service is just a time to relax.

Ah, I've read on in the thread.

We do a Crib service on Christmas Eve (around 4pm).

The usual format is to get children to dress up into nativity costumes as they come into church. The story is told as a big drama where all the children are in the cast, even if it means having six Marys.

We have child friendly carols (eg Away in a Manger, Calypso Carol).

I can't remember if we have a talk - it's all a bit chaotic, but the children love it.

As everyone leaves, we give a little gift with a message, eg a home-made fridge magnet.

45 minutes for a crib service (the parents have too much to do!, and if you get a lot of visitors, they may simply be not used to sitting in one place for a long time.

I hate screens in church. And they are really bad for singing, because you tip your head back to look up at the screen which strains the larynx and voice box, and so is bad for your voice (technical).

Nice things to do on Christmas Eve I think;

Nativity play with littlest children being characters, older children reading the parts (if you have enough children). Hymns can therefore include Little Donkey, Away in a Manger, Twinkle Twinkle, We Three Kings and Hark the Herald

Or

Christingle, with children being given christingles to take home

Or

Readings and music - mixture of bible readings and poems

(Btw, my kids object violently if the readings are not King James, as they love it - come December every year they dig out their Kings College Carols CD, and they soak the words and music in - the eldest is 8 - and HATE it if modern versions are used. They love the familiarity of the words, and don't have a problem understanding them at all).