Advent Carol Service on
behalf of The Children’s Society
A better childhood. For every child.
www.childrenssociety.org.uk
Anisha’s story
Anisha, aged just 11, looks after her Mum who has limited
mobility. Her Mum can’t work and money is extremely tight.
Even simple things like school uniform or money for school
lunches seemed impossible. Anisha did all the housework but
found it difficult to do this as well as her homework.
The Children’s Society acted as an advocate for Anisha,
helping her with things her Mum would normally do but
wasn’t able to. We also arranged for a school uniform grant,
set her up with free lunches and helped her settle into school.
Anisha says:
‘I’d like to say something to you, that you helped me and my
Mum a lot ... I really want to say thank you so much.’
Order of Service
Welcome and introduction
Carol: Once in royal David’s city
Once in royal David’s city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her baby
In a manger for his bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little child.
He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all.
And his shelter was a stable,
And his cradle was a stall:
With the poor and meek and lowly,
Lived on earth our Saviour holy.
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For he is our childhood’s pattern,
Day by day like us he grew;
He was little, weak and helpless,
Tears and smiles like us he knew.
And he feeleth for our sadness,
And he shareth in our gladness.
And our eyes at last shall see him,
Through his own redeeming love;
For that child so meek and helpless
Is our Lord in heaven above;
And he leads his children on,
To the place where he is gone.
Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing round,
We shall see him; but in heaven,
Set at God’s right hand on high;
When like stars his children crowned,
All in white shall wait around.
Words: Cecil Frances Alexander (1919–1895), 1848
Music: Irby (Henry John Gauntlett, 1805–1876)
Opening prayer
Gracious God
Meet us as we gather
At the dawning of your light.
As we hear again your story of your love born among us,
Strengthen us as we face the darkness of the world;
May we know our gifts and find our voice
And be emboldened to proclaim the light of your kingdom,
Fragile and dependent as a baby,
Shining in the darkness,
And that the darkness will never overcome.
Light candle or Advent wreath
Reading: Isaiah 9.2, 6–7
A response follows each reading:
Reader: To all whose world seems overwhelmed by darkness,
All:
Bring your light and hope.
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Carol: O little town of Bethlehem
O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.
O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth!
And praises sing to God the King,
And peace to men on earth.
For Christ is born of Mary;
And gathered al above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love.
How silently, how silently,
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of his heaven.
No ear may hear his coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him, still
The dear Christ enters in.
O holy child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin and enter in,
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanual!
Words: Phillip Brooks (1835-1893), 1968
Music: St Louis (Lewis Henry Redner, 1830-1908)
Reading: Luke 1:26–38
Reader: To all young women and men who face responsibilities
Which seem too much to ask,
All:
Bring your light and hope. 4
Carol: O come all ye faithful
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold him,
Born the King of angels;
O come let us adore him,
O come let us adore him,
O come let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.
God of God, Light of Light,
Lo! He abhors not the Virgin’s womb;
Very God, begotten not created;
O come let us adore him,
O come let us adore him,
O come let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.
See how the shepherds, summoned to his cradle,
Leaving their flocks, draw nigh with holy fear;
We too with thither bend our joyful footsteps;
O come let us adore him,
O come let us adore him,
O come let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.
Child, for us sinners, poor and in the manger,
we would embrace thee, with love and awe;
who would not love thee, loving us so dearly?
O come let us adore him,
O come let us adore him,
O come let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.
Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,
sing, all ye citizens of heaven above;
glory to God, glory in the highest:
O come let us adore him,
O come let us adore him,
O come let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.
Words: John Francis Wade (1711–1786), circa 1743;
Music: Adeste fideles (18th century melody, probably John Francis Wade, 1711–1786)
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Reading: Luke 2:8–16
Reader: To all who are on the margins
And all who need to hear your good news,
All:
Bring your light and hope. Carol: While shepherds watched their flocks by night
While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
all seated on the ground,
the angel of the Lord came down,
and glory shone around.
‘Fear not,’ said he, for mighty dread
had seized their troubled minds;
“Glad tidings of great joy I bring
to you and all mankind.
‘To you, in David’s town, this day
is born of David’s line
a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord;
and this shall be the sign:
‘The heavenly Babe you there shall find
to human view displayed,
all meanly wrapped in swathing bands,
and in a manger laid.’
Thus spake the seraph, and forthwith
appeared a shining throng
of angels praising God, who thus
addressed their joyful song:
‘All glory be to God on high
and on earth be peace;
good will henceforth from heaven to men
begin and never cease.’
Words: Nahum Tate (1652–1715), 1700
Music: Winchester Old (Este’s Whole Book of Psalmes, arranged William Henry Monk, 1823–1889)
Reading: Matthew 2:1–11
Reader: To all who bring gifts
And who are changed in the process,
All:
Bring your light and hope. 6
Carol: As with gladness men of old
As with gladness men of old
did the guiding star behold;
as with joy they hailed its light,
leading onward, beaming bright;
so, most gracious Lord, may we
evermore be led to thee.
As with joyful steps they sped
to that lowly manger-bed;
there to bend their knees before
him whom heaven and earth adore;
so may we with willing feet
ever seek thy mercy seat.
As they offered gifts most rare
at that manger rude and bare;
so may we with holy joy,
pure and free from sin’s alloy,
all our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to thee, our heavenly King.
Holy Jesus, every day
keep us in the narrow way;
and, when earthly things are past,
bring our ransomed souls at last
where they need no star to guide,
where no clouds thy glory hide.
In the heavenly country bright,
need they no created light;
thou its light, its joy, its crown,
thou its sun which goes not down;
there for ever may we sing
alleluias to our King.
Words: William Chatterton Dix (1837–1898), 1860
Music: Dix (Conrad Kocher, 1786–1872, arranged William Henry Monk, 1823–1889)
The following response should be read before the final reading.
Stand
Reader: Alleluia, alleluia! The Word became flesh and dwelt among us
All:
The light shines in the darkness,
And the darkness did not overcome it.
© Common Worship, Gospel acclamation for Christmas Day
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Reading: John 1:1–14
Sermon
Prayers
Be sure to include prayers for your community, for the world, and for the work of
The Children’s Society in your intercessions. Please include the following prayer:
God in Jesus, source of hope,
Born into the poverty of the manger,
Mothered by a pregnant teenager,
Cared for by a young man far out of his depth,
Announced to grubby shepherds,
Visited by impressionable kings –
Be with all who play a part in your life today.
Be with those who have cares beyond their years,
All who do not fit in,
All who offer their gifts in whatever way they can.
We pray for all young people like Anisha,
And we pray for ourselves.
Be with us as we find our place in your story of love,
May we know your light that shines in the darkness
And the darkness has never overcome.
During the final hymn, we offer our gifts to help and support the young carers
who have no choice but to offer theirs. A collection is taken.
Carol: Hark, the herald angels sing
Hark, the herald-angels sing
glory to the new-born King,
peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled.
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
join the triumph of the skies;
with the angelic host proclaim,
‘Christ is born in Bethlehem.’
Hark, the herald-angels sing
glory to the new-born King.
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Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
late in time behold him come,
offspring of a Virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see:
hail, the incarnate Deity,
pleased as man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel.
Hark, the herald-angels sing
glory to the new-born King.
Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace:
hail, the Sun of Righteousness.
Light and life to all he brings,
risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
born that man no more may die,
born to raise the sons of earth,
born to give them second birth.
Hark, the herald-angels sing
glory to the new-born King.
Words: Charles Wesley (1707–1788), 1739
Music: Mendelssohn (Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholody, 1809–1847)
Blessing
Bless us with courage,
Bless us with grace,
Bless us with generosity,
Bless us and all the world
With the light of your love,
And the strength of your hope.
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0300 303 7000
www.childrenssociety.org.uk
Charity Registration No. 221124
A better childhood. For every child.