Twelve Gifts: A Children's Interactive Nativity Service

This morning we tried a nativity with a difference—everyone was involved. From the moment the keys were laid on the pews and the Advent candle flickered, we opened twelve “bags,” each revealing a gift that tells the Christmas story in lived ways. Kindness sent the children searching for lost sheep and returning them to a lonely shepherd. Friendship turned the whole room into a Mexican wave, reminding us that joy moves through a community best when we turn toward each other. Love spoke in simple words from our children and in small pocket gifts shared during the carol.

We laughed together—at ourselves, at the “Guess Who?” game, at terrible jokes that loosened shoulders and softened faces. We moved together—twelve days’ worth—discovering that music and motion can swing open doors that words alone can’t. We sang familiar carols as our confidence (and volume) grew, and then shared in practical care: warm clothes, food, shelter. The aisle became a pathway of giving as the trolley rolled by. In that moment the manger wasn’t far away; it was here, in our hands and habits.

Joy arrived as a team game, with children racing and cards flipping, but the deeper joy was seeing faces light up because they belonged to something bigger than themselves. Peace came quietly in prayer, as the angels gathered round. Hope took center stage as we acted the story: doors shut, a stable offered, a baby born, strangers welcomed, gifts laid down. We ended where all true Christmas gatherings should end—in song, with “Away in a Manger,” and with the invitation to carry these gifts beyond the walls: kindness in our errands, friendship across the pews and pavements, giving that costs us something, laughter that heals, peace we practice, and hope we refuse to surrender.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Practice kindness that finds “lost” neighbors. Small acts train the heart to notice what’s missing—people overlooked, needs unnamed, burdens unshared. Kindness is not grand; it is persistent, and it restores what fear scatters. When we return “lost sheep,” we also return one another to belonging. [27:12]
• 2. Friendship grows when we move together. Turning outward—like a wave passed across the room—creates shared courage and shared delight. Friendship is formed by rhythms of attention: I see you, you see me, we carry the moment together. It’s a quiet protest against isolation and a rehearsal for community. [33:44]
• 3. Let joy be a discipline, not a distraction. Games and laughter are not spiritual detours; they open our guarded hearts to receive and to give. Chosen joy breaks cynicism’s spell and makes room for gratitude. It readies us to encounter God with unclenched hands. [45:34]
• 4. Worship Christ through practical generosity. Warm clothes, food, and shelter are not extras; they’re the way love takes on flesh among us. Giving reorders our desires—less grasping, more sharing—so that someone else’s comfort becomes our true gain. The manger still asks for our hands, not just our voices. [59:07]
• 5. Keep peace and hope stubbornly alive. Peace is more than silence; it is courage to bless in a world that wounds. Hope is more than optimism; it is trust that God is at work in small, hidden places. Practice both, and the stable light will keep guiding your steps. [72:44]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [02:00] - Carol: See Him Lying in a Bed of Straw
• [05:30] - Advent Candle and Today’s Involvement
• [27:12] - Bag 1: Kindness and Lost Sheep
• [31:19] - Bag 2: Friendship Mexican Wave (Practice)
• [32:06] - Friendship Wave Across the Church
• [33:44] - Bag 3: Love and Children Share
• [39:58] - Bag 4: Nativity “Guess Who?” Game
• [45:34] - Bag 5: Laughter—Children’s Festive Jokes
• [48:15] - Bag 6: Music & Dance—Twelve Days Actions
• [55:58] - Carol: It Was on a Starry Night
• [59:07] - Bags 7–9: Warm Clothes, Food, Shelter (Trolley)
• [65:42] - Bag 10: Joy—Angels vs Kings Game
• [72:44] - Bag 11: Peace Prayer; Bag 12: Hope
• [77:31] - Carol: Away in a Manger and Closing Thanks

1. In Luke 2:8–20, who first hears the news of Jesus’ birth, and what do they do in response?
2. In Matthew 25:35–40, which simple actions are named as ways of serving Jesus himself?
3. During the giving moment, what did the trolley and the aisle show about worship and care? [59:07]
4. According to Romans 15:13, what does God fill his people with, and how does that happen?

1. If the angels call Jesus’ birth “good news of great joy” (Luke 2:10–12), what does that suggest about treating joy as a chosen practice rather than a passing feeling? How did shared jokes and games open hearts to receive? [45:34]
2. In Matthew 25:35–40, Jesus identifies himself with those in need. How does giving warm clothes, food, and shelter become real worship, not just extra charity? [59:07]
3. Romans 15:13 links joy and peace with trusting God. What habits help a person receive that steady peace? How did the quiet prayer for peace model this? [01:12:44]
4. When children searched for “lost sheep,” it pictured kindness that restores belonging. What does that reveal about God’s heart for people who are overlooked, and about the church’s calling to notice and return them to community? [27:12]

1. Kindness that finds the “lost”: Who is a “lost sheep” near you right now—a neighbour, colleague, or classmate who’s been scattered by worry or loneliness? What one small act this week could help return them to belonging? [27:12]
2. Friendship grows when we move together: Who will you turn toward this week with a simple rhythm of attention—sit with them on Sunday, send a text midweek, or share a coffee? What will be your first step and when? [33:44]
3. Let joy be a discipline: Joy often needs choosing. What shared joy could you practise this week (a game with the kids, a carol sing, a winter walk, a silly joke at the table)? What usually blocks your joy, and how will you handle that moment differently? [45:34]
4. Worship through practical generosity: What can you give that costs you something—warm clothing, a meal, your time, a lift, a donation—and who will receive it? Choose one concrete action and set a day to do it. [59:07]
5. Keep peace stubbornly alive: Where are you tempted to answer sharpness with sharpness? What blessing or prayer could you speak instead—perhaps the same short prayer each day this week? [01:12:44]
6. Carry hope into ordinary errands: In which area of life are you close to giving up? What small faithful step will you take—make the call, knock the door, write the card—trusting that God works in small, hidden places? [01:12:44]