Encounter Jesus this Christmas
What does Christmas look like for you this year? For many of us, Christmas will be full of familiar routines. People, places, meals and gifts that bring comfort, joy and hope. For others, Christmas will involve change, either planned or unexpected. Many around the world are suffering and facing immense challenges.
This year we hope for a different kind of Christmas, where our attention shifts from our own lives to focus on the birth of Jesus, and we have designed these resources to help each of us in this pursuit. Our prayer is, whether or not you are used to reading the Bible, you would encounter Christ. For, whatever our circumstances, it is encountering Christ that will make the real difference this Christmas.
A Different Kind Of Christmas: Encountering Jesus
At the heart of Christmas is Jesus Christ. This booklet contains short Bible readings and reflections that run from the first Sunday of Advent through to Christmas Eve. It comes with an invitation to a different type of Christmas. A Christmas where we find rest, in a culture that is busy and frenetic. A Christmas where we can find silence, in a world full of noise. A Christmas where we find peace, in a world at war. A Christmas where we find hope, in a world where hope is in short supply.
Christmas Activity Poster
This Double-Sided Activity Poster is designed for the whole family to explore the joy of Christmas. On the front, four specially illustrated scenes depict the core elements of the Christmas story. On the back are activities specially designed to help you explore the story. You can turn the poster over on Christmas Day, or any time that suits you over the Christmas holidays, and enjoy the mini-activities with the whole family.
* A Poster comes free with each Booklet order,
or Posters can be ordered independently.
The Light Inside is Luke’s Gospel in a fresh format. Pairing the easy-to-read NIrV translation with contemporary images, this gospel magazine is designed to be read by believers and new-comers alike. For the Christmas period copies of Luke’s Gospel are missionally priced at £1 per copy.
Quiet Christmas
Christmas is often associated with joy and celebration, but for some, it can be a season or time of year they find difficult. This free ‘Quiet Christmas’ Service Outline provides a more reflective space for those who find Christmas brings painful memories to the fore, or for whom Christmas is a point in the year marked by loneliness, fear, loss, or grief.
Part of reflecting on the joy of Christmas is embracing the reality of the pain and sadness we all experience, as we wait for that joy. A Quiet Christmas Service can therefore also be helpful in creating a safe space where we can all acknowledge such feelings together and where support can be offered to those who may be particularly struggling at this time of year.
Intergenerational Service Outlines
As we read the Christmas story in the Bible, we find shepherds telling everyone they meet about Jesus, Mary pondering all these things quietly in her heart, and wise men considering where to go and what to do.
If you want to create spaces where people of all ages can talk about Jesus, ponder him in their hearts and wonder about who he is this Christmas, then try these intergenerational Bible based Service outlines in your church this Christmas season.
This free digital download provides six creative services for all ages to explore the story of Jesus this Christmas.