JAM Kids Celebrate the Birth of Jesus
The JAM Kids worked on a craft while everyone got dressed in costume.
And then, after a brief practice, we told the story of Jesus' birth.
Each actor had a place to wait until it was time to play the part.
Our story is found in the New Testament, the book of Luke.
Denise and Maddie were the readers.
Long ago, in city of Nazareth, there lived
a young woman named Mary.
Mary was loved by many and she was greatly admired
for her strong devotion to God.
One man who was especially fond of Mary
was a carpenter named Joseph.
God sent the angel Gabriel to speak to her.
And the angel said, “Hail, favored one!
The Lord is with you; blessed are you among women.” 
When she saw the angel and heard his words, Mary was afraid.
The angel appeared to Joseph in a dream.
The angel told Joseph to care for Mary and the baby.
Joseph said he would.
Now, it happened that many months later,
a law went out from the Emperor Caesar Augustus,
that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.
Each person was to go to the city where he was born to be counted.
And so it was that Joseph was forced to travel from
Nazareth to the City of David, called Bethlehem.
Joseph and Mary went together.
Her baby was due to be born very soon.
When Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem,
they found the city filled with people.
They were very tired, and Mary needed to rest.
They began to search for an inn where they
could spend the night.
They went to one inn. But it was full.
They went to another. But it was full, too!
They tried may places, but there was no place available.
At last, one innkeeper offered to let Mary
and Joseph find shelter in her stable.
That night, in a stable surrounded by animals,
Mary brought forth her first-born son.
She wrapped him in swaddling clothes
and laid him in a manger.
And they called him Jesus,
just as the angel Gabriel had told them to do.
In this same country, there were shepherds living in the field,
keeping watch over their flock by night.
And the angel of the Lord came to them, and they were terrified.
The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.
I bring you news of great joy which will be for all people.
God’s son has been born in Bethlehem.
He will bring great peace and joy to the world.
You will find him sleeping in a manger.
And suddenly many other angels appeared,
praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the Highest,
and on Earth, good will to men."
The shepherds saw a bright star in the dark sky.
They turned to one another and said,
“Let’s go to Bethlehem to see this thing
that has happened which the Lord told us about.”
They followed the light of the star until they reached the
small stable. There they found Mary and Joseph and the baby,
who was lying in the manger.
When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning
what had been told them about this child.
And all who heard it were amazed at
what the shepherds said to them.
At the same time, far across the desert,
three Magi saw a brilliant star in the sky.
This was a sign that a great king had been born.
They knew that the star was meant to be followed.
The Wise ones followed the star to Jerusalem.
They wanted to ask King Herod where they could find the newborn king.
Herod told them, “Go and search for the child;
and when you have found him, come back
and bring me word so that I may come and worship him also.”
The brilliant star in the east went before them
until it shone brightly over the place where the child was.
Upon seeing this, the Wise Men rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
The Wise men found the house and when they saw
the young child, they bowed down and worshiped him.
They gave him their treasures , gifts of gold,
frankincense, and myrrh.
Then it was time for the Wise Men to leave.
But the Wise men had a dream.
They would not go back to Herod.
They would go home a new way. Jesus would be safe.
And so it was, so long ago, that Jesus was born.
And the promise of the angel Gabriel came true:
“He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest.
He will rule forever; and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
The baby that was born over two thousand years ago
The baby that was born over two thousand years ago
has changed the world.
And tonight we celebrate this precious gift.
The son of God.
The Cast!
Time to get our passports stamped for Israel
And then it is time to eat.
Soup and sandwiches!
Gym Time included a goofy relay game!
We ended the evening with singing by the Christmas Tree
We each had a percussion instrument to play while we sang.
