How to have a nativity pageant that isn't just a performance.

For years we tried to have a successful nativity pageant at Christmas time.  I sewed costumes, planned out scripts, and tried to prepare the children to no avail.  The kids tried, no one was upset, and there was somewhat of a pageant for the first few years, but it just didn't satisfy.  We were going through the motions, but none of us were enjoying the pageant. 

That is, until…         

PHOTOS are of our 5 children.

We prayed it through and listened for God's still small voice, as we always have.  And then one year it came to us.  We could have the kids dress up, and then simply read the Christmas story and let them act it out as it was read, spontaneously, as if they were a part of the story. 

The year we did this, all of us enjoyed the pageant and felt satisfied at last.

If you want a play put on before an adult audience of many different families, this would probably not be the way to go. 

But if you are doing a pageant at home because you want to live the Christmas (nativity) story as it touches your heart, this is something that we, as a family, have really enjoyed.  And it has filled us with awe in a way that a staged nativity play could never do. We share this in case it will be of help to another Christian family.   

Luke 2:7  (NASB)

    And she gave birth to her first-born son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

In future issues of Family Discipleship we will be sharing patterns and instructions for these two nativity sets, as well as ways to make the Christmas story more real to your children using a nativity set.  (Hint: It involves appearances on different days, following the course of events in the New Testament nativity story.)

Singing has also been very important to us, as the most liked Christmas custom in our family.  You can hear excerpts from our Christmas CD here.

During our first year of marriage, I started sewing a nativity set out of fabric.  This set turned out to be very precious-too precious and time consuming to allow the kids to play with.  So before our boys reached grade school, I sewed a second set that was more simple, easy to sew, and one I could feel free to let our kids play with.  LEFT: Justin and Josh play with our home-made nativity set.  BELOW with Jennaya.

LEFT: Judah sings Christmas hymns with a family song sheet next to our collection of pepper berries

BELOW LEFT: Jennaya loved singing Christmas carols from the age of 2.  Here she joins in the singing at age 6.

BELOW RIGHT:  Justin plays the accompaniment for our Christmas singing on two electric keyboards.  This particular evening included a guest.  We also sang for nursing homes and invalids in their homes. 

For those who don't mind a Christmas tree and presents, this photo collage continues.  Just click here.  For those who don't may we share, without photos (since we didn't take photos of our ministries, about our gifts to Jesus over the years at Christmas time).  We say this not to get credit from anyone, but to give other families ideas for things they could do too. 

Each year we choose a family or individual to minister the love of Jesus to in practical ways.  We pray for God to show us what he wants to do and for whom so that it can be truly something that God wants us to do. 

Some of the things we have done have included: a Christmas concert for an Iranian woman who felt very lonely here in the USA; a sleeping bag, a warm jacket, and a warm hat for three different homeless people, different years; Christmas concerts for people in the community, including some people who were house-bound by poor health; bringing decorated cookies to our neighbors; bringing a present to a Japanese woman whose back was badly hurt in an accident; sending gifts to a poverty stricken family in Australia, and there were many others. 

We began doing this every Christmas ever since similar things were done for us, one very special year (which you can read about in Family Discipleship Magazine issue 4.  These kinds of things are a way to give back to God in return for all that He has done for us.