Session
3
Jesus Is Born
Luke 2:1-20; Hebrews 1:1-4
Worship Theme:
Jesus is born.
Weaving Faith Into Life:
Kids will worship Jesus and give God glory because
he was born as a small baby for everyone.
Session Sequence
Let’s Praise
God!
(up to 25 minutes)
Session Sequence
Let’s Learn
the Point!
(up to 25 minutes)
32
What Children Will Do
Sing
• “O Come, All Ye Faithful” (track 2)
• “Love Each Other” (John 15:12) (track 9)
• “Silent Night” (track 3)
• “O Come, O Come, Immanuel” (track 4)
• “I Am the Way” (John14:6) (track 12)
• “Wonderful” (Isaiah 9:6) (track 17)
What Children Will Do
Supplies
KidsOwn Worship Kit:
Songs From FaithWeaver
Classroom Supplies:
CD player, tape, decorations, cake
and supplies to serve it, birthday candles, matches, box,
black paper (to cover windows)
Supplies
Glorious Night
Pretend to be angels or shepherds to help tell
the Bible story.
Classroom Supplies:
Bible, box, scissors, wrapping paper, tape, 1 flashlight and
2-foot length of gold garland or 1 pillowcase per child,
safety pins
Jesus’ Birth
Celebrate Jesus’ birth by making a manger scene
and joining in a clapping rhythm.
Classroom Supplies:
Photocopies of “Manger Scene” (p. 44), scissors, glue
sticks, crayons
Born for Everybody
Talk about Jesus being born to save everyone,
and finish their manger scenes.
Classroom Supplies:
Confetti, “Manger Scene” cutouts, glue sticks, yarn,
scissors, stapler
FaithWeaver • Winter Quarter
Session Sequence
Let’s Learn
the Point!
(up to 25 minutes)
Session Sequence
What Children Will Do
* Silent Night
Use sign language to experience the Bible story.
KidsOwn Worship Kit:
Songs From FaithWeaver:
“Silent Night” (track 3)
Classroom Supplies:
CD player, candles, matches
* Celebrate Jesus
Decorate balloons for balloon bouquets to
celebrate Jesus’ birth.
Classroom Supplies:
Colored-paper photocopies of “Balloon” (p. 43), tape,
scissors, markers, ribbon
* Light of the World
Fill a dark room with light, and discuss Jesus, the
light of the world.
Classroom Supplies:
Pillar candles, matches, flashlights
What Children Will Do
The Offering
Give their offerings and worship God.
Let’s Pray!
(up to 10 minutes)
Supplies
Supplies
KidsOwn Worship Kit:
Songs From FaithWeaver:
“O Come, All Ye Faithful” (track 2)
Classroom Supplies:
Offering bowls, CD player
What a Difference
Reflect and add to a prayer.
Glory to God
Imagine they’re angels and say what the angels
said.
* Starred activities can be used successfully with preschool and elementary children together.
Customize your session to fit your needs. You can separate preschoolers and elementary children for Let’s Learn the Point!
Or, if you keep the children all together for the entire worship session, we suggest you choose from the starred activities.
Session 3 • KidsOwn Worship
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Bible Background for Leaders
Jesus Is Born
Luke 2:1-20; Hebrews 1:1-4
These two passages describe the incarnation of Christ in
different ways. Luke presents the concrete historical facts,
while the writer of Hebrews explains how the appearance
of Jesus fits into the big picture of God’s working in and
through human history.
Luke 2:1-20 describes Joseph and Mary’s continuing
hardships. Certainly it had been difficult for them to overhear
the snickers of acquaintances who noticed that Mary had
become pregnant prior to the completion of her marriage.
Now she and Joseph had to travel from his home in Nazareth
to his ancestral home of Bethlehem, a journey of about 70
miles. Though popular renditions of this trip usually show
Mary riding a donkey, she and Joseph probably weren’t
wealthy enough to own one. It’s more likely that they had
to walk all the way even though Mary was close to her time
to deliver.
The exact date of Jesus’ birth is impossible to calculate.
According to Luke 2:2, the census occurred when Quirinius
was governor of Syria. His first term occurred from 6 to 4 B.C.,
so Jesus was likely born between those dates. Unfortunately,
the date of Jesus’ birth was miscalculated when the Christian
calendar was created.
It is significant that Jesus’ birth was announced first to
shepherds. In those days, shepherds were not highly thought
of. They were considered so unreliable that their testimony
was not accepted in the courts, and they were deemed
unclean by the orthodox religious establishment. The fact
that Jesus’ birth was announced first to them indicates that
Jesus came to earth for those in need of a Savior. It also
foreshadows the common people’s acceptance of Christ and
the religious leaders’ rejection of him.
The significance of Jesus’ coming is described in Hebrews
1:1-4. Prior to Jesus’ incarnation, God spoke through the
Old Testament writers. Their writings pointed to the advent
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of the Messiah. With the coming of Jesus, a new era was
ushered in as God revealed himself in a new way. In the past
he had spoken through faithful people. Now he would speak
through the life, actions, and words of his own Son.
Hebrews 1:1-4 focuses on the superiority of Jesus’
revelation over that spoken through the prophets. First, he
is an heir—the very Son, in fact—of God, not just a servant.
He is the creator of our universe. He shows us the radiance
of God’s glory. He is God himself! He continues to hold
together all that exists. He brought salvation for us through
his death on the cross. And he is now sitting in heaven with
God, ruling over all creation and interceding for those who
believe in him! Jesus is the living Word of God, who came to
show us who God is and to make it possible for us to live in
relationship with God himself. Even the angels, as exalted
as they were in Jewish culture, were a far distant second to
God’s supreme revelation of himself in Jesus!
Devotion for Leaders
Jesus was and always will be the best Christmas gift
ever! Share the truth of Jesus with someone else today.
Jesus is the gift that keeps on giving!
Weaving Faith Into Your Life: Reread Hebrews 1:1-4
as a way to celebrate the truth of Christmas. No matter
what you think of Christmas, when you make Jesus the
focus, it becomes the best holiday ever. Is Christmas
a happy time for you? Jesus’ presence can kick it up a
notch. Is Christmas a sad time for you? Jesus can fill the
void you feel at this time of year. Give him the chance,
and he’ll bring true joy to any situation.
Why We Worship for Leaders
Today our worship takes the form of celebration—we are celebrating Jesus’
birth. We celebrate new life each time a baby is born; how much more should we
celebrate the one who gives new life?
The book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is the exact representation of God’s
glory, so let’s make this worship session full of joy and glory. We’ve all heard the
Christmas story many times, but it will never lose its wonder and its awesome
power for our lives. Let’s help children celebrate not only Jesus’ birth but also what
he has done in our lives.
Easy Prep for Leaders
WEB
Let’s Praise God!—Put birthday candles in a small box with matches, and have
the candles and a cake available. If it’s practical, provide one candle for every child.
If your room has a window, cover the window with black construction paper to
block out the light.
Celebrate Jesus—Photocopy the “Balloon” handout (p. 43) onto colored paper so
that you have a balloon for each child, and cut out the balloons.
Preschool Activities—Refer to the preschool pages for preparations.
Web Help—Get bonus leader tips and ideas at kidsownworship.com.
Let’s Praise God!
Play Songs From FaithWeaver, Winter 2010-2011 as children arrive. Greet them
by name, and say to each one “Jesus was born! Let’s celebrate!” Provide party
decorations and tape, and ask the children to decorate the room while they wait
for the worship session to begin. When the room is sufficiently decorated and
everyone has arrived, set a cake at the front of the room and begin the session.
Hello, everyone! Today we’re celebrating because Jesus was
born. It’s almost Christmas! Let’s make a circle around the cake
as we sing, “O Come, All Ye Faithful.”
Sing “O Come, All Ye Faithful.”
Lyrics are in the back of this book.
Track 2
Have a child open the box to find the candles. Distribute the candles to the
children so they can put the candles on the cake. Light the candles, and turn off
the lights in the room so that the candles provide the only light.
The glow from the candles lights up your faces. You reflect the
candlelight. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 1:3 that Jesus reflects
God’s glory. Glory means “beauty and wonder.” The verse says
that Jesus shines with God’s beauty and majesty. Jesus came to
show us how wonderful God is. That’s why we celebrate Jesus’
birth. As we blow out the candles, try to make your faces shine
with Jesus’ love.
Session 3 • KidsOwn Worship
35
Blow out the candles with the children.
We blew out the candles so we could eat the cake, but the
light of Jesus never goes out. It shines through us to other
people because Jesus is the light of the world. Let’s continue to
worship, and we’ll enjoy eating the cake together soon.
ALLERGY ALERT
See page 15.
Have adult volunteers cut the cake and place the pieces on paper plates to be
served later.
Today we’re celebrating Jesus’ birth because it’s almost
Christmas. Jesus came into the world because God loved the
world so much that he sent Jesus to show everyone in the
world what God is like. We came here today to celebrate God’s
love and Jesus’ birth. We could say that love is what brings us
together.
Sing “Love Each Other” (John 15:12).
Lyrics are in the back of this book.
Track 9
Let’s celebrate Jesus’ birth with another song that many of us
know: “Silent Night.”
Sing “Silent Night.”
Lyrics are in the back of this book.
Track 3
Different people celebrate Jesus’ birth in different ways.
• How does your family celebrate Jesus’ birth? Allow several
children to share briefly.
You may have heard people say, “Jesus is the reason for the
season.” It’s important to remember that Christmas is about
celebrating Christ’s birth. Celebrating makes us feel happy. It’s
good to share our happiness with others by telling everyone
why we’re celebrating! Let’s sing “O Come, O Come, Immanuel.”
Sing “O Come, O Come, Immanuel.”
Lyrics are in the back of this book.
Track 4
We have many reasons to shout the good news about Jesus
from the mountaintops! Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
What an exciting reason to celebrate!
Sing “I Am the Way” (John 14:6).
Lyrics are in the back of this book.
Track 12
Before Jesus was born, people desperately wanted a savior.
They knew the Scriptures said that the Savior was coming, and
they could hardly wait. The prophet Isaiah described Jesus long
before he was born. Let’s sing the words of Isaiah.
Sing “Wonderful” (Isaiah 9:6).
Lyrics are in the back of this book.
Track 17
Let’s eat our cake to celebrate Jesus’ birth now. We waited a
long time, but the time is finally here.
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FaithWeaver • Winter Quarter
Serve the cake. As the children eat, continue the discussion.
• Was it hard to wait to eat the cake? How was waiting for this
delicious cake like waiting for the Savior? (It wasn’t like waiting
for the Savior because I knew I’d get the cake soon; it was sort of
similar because I kept thinking about the cake.)
People waited a long time for the Savior to come. They
anticipated his coming. That means they were excited and could
hardly wait. Their anticipation was like the excitement you’re
feeling as you wait for Christmas to come and like the joy you’ll
feel when Christmas is finally here.
God, we thank you for sending Jesus into the world. We
celebrate Jesus’ birth today. Help us understand why Jesus is so
special. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Let’s Learn the Point!
Preschool Activities, pages 39-40
At this time, have the preschool leader invite the preschoolers to go to their own
room for this section of activities. Tear out the Preschool Activities page, and
give it to the preschool leader. Have the preschool leader bring the preschoolers
back to participate in Let’s Pray! with the older children. If you prefer to keep all
the children together, do the starred (*) activities. They will work well with both
elementary and preschool children.
Elementary Activities
* Silent Night
Our Bible story is the story of Jesus’ birth, found in the second
chapter of Luke. We’re going to tell the story using American
Sign Language (ASL). First we’ll learn some simple signs to go
with the Bible story. Then we’ll perform the story for each other.
I’ll read the Bible verses aloud while you sign.
shepherd
angel
Use the following narrative from Luke 2:1-18 (Kids’ Devotional Bible: New
International Reader’s Version). Refer to the pictures in the margin to see how to
make the signs.
After the children have learned the signs, dim the lights, light candles, and
play “Silent Night” on the CD. Read the narrative aloud as
Track 3
the children sign in the appropriate places.
“In those days, Caesar Augustus made a law. It
required that a list be made of everyone in the whole Roman
world…All went to their own towns to be listed.
care, sheep
scared
Session 3 • KidsOwn Worship
37
“So Joseph went also. He went from the town of Nazareth in
Galilee to Judea. That is where Bethlehem, the town of David,
was…He went there with Mary to be listed. She was expecting
a baby.
not, afraid
“While Joseph and Mary were there, the time came for the child
to be born. She gave birth to her first baby. It was a boy. She
wrapped him in large strips of cloth. Then she placed him in a
manger. There was no room for them in the inn.
“There were shepherds (sign “shepherd”) living out in the fields
nearby. It was night, and they were looking after their sheep.
(Sign “care” and “sheep.”) An angel of the Lord (sign “angel”)
appeared to them. And the glory of the Lord shone around
them. They were terrified. (Sign “scared.”)
gospel
Savior, born
“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. (Sign “not” and
“afraid.”) I bring you good news (sign “gospel”) of great joy. It is for
all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior (sign “Savior”
and “born”) has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord. Here
is how you will know I am telling you the truth. You will find a
baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.’
glory, God
“Suddenly a large group of angels from heaven also appeared.
They were praising God. They said, ‘May glory be given to God
in the highest heaven! (Sign “glory” and “God.”) And may peace be
given to those he is pleased with on earth!’
go, see
“The angels left and went into heaven. Then the shepherds said
to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem. Let’s see (sign “go” and “see”)
this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’
“So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby.
The baby was lying in the manger. (Kneel.) After the shepherds
had seen him, they told everyone. They reported what the angel
had said about this child. (Pretend to tell people something.) All
who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”
* Celebrate Jesus
Have kids sit at tables, and set out the colored-paper balloons and markers.
Sometimes we celebrate special events with balloons. Today
we celebrate a really special event—the birth of Jesus. We
celebrate Jesus’ birth because of the tremendous difference
he makes in people’s lives. One way that Jesus has made a
difference in my life is by giving me joy.
• How does Jesus make a difference in your life? (Jesus makes me
feel loved; Jesus helps people get along.)
Think of something that represents a way Jesus has made a
difference in your life. Then write or draw it on your balloon.
For example, you might write the word joy, or you could draw a
smiling face to represent joy.
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FaithWeaver • Winter Quarter
(continued on page 41)
Preschool Activities
3
Session
Jesus Is Born
Luke 2:1-20; Hebrews 1:1-4
Worship Theme:
Using Theo
Consider using Theophilus the
FaithRetriever puppet today in
these ways:
Jesus is born.
Easy Prep for Leaders
Glorious Night—Attach a safety pin to each pillowcase. Cut gold
garland into 2-foot lengths, and tape the ends together to form
halos. You’ll need a pillowcase or a halo and flashlight for each child.
If you don’t have enough flashlights, give kids a 2-foot length of gold
garland to wave in the air for that section of the story. Gather the
pillowcases, halos, flashlights, and a Bible, and put them into a box.
Wrap the box in colorful wrapping paper.
Jesus’ Birth—Make one photocopy of the “Manger Scene” (p. 44)
for each child. Cut out the manger, the baby, and the people. Set the
people aside for the “Born for Everybody” activity.
•H
ave Theo lead the preschoolers
from the main worship area to the
preschool room.
•H
ave Theo pretend to be an
angel during the “Glorious Night”
activity.
• S ee the KidsOwn Worship Kit for
a puppet skit written for today’s
worship session.
Born for Everybody—Cut a 2-foot length of yarn for each child.
Glorious Night
The angels said,
( Angels cup their hands
around their mouths.)
Have the children sit on the floor in a circle. Show them the box, and
ask them to open it. Then place a pillowcase on your head, and pin it
to suggest a shepherd’s head covering. Help children who would like
to be shepherds do the same thing. Place halos on the heads of those
who want to be angels, and give each “angel” a flashlight. Open the
Bible to Luke 2, and show it to the children. Ask the children to help
you tell the Bible story.
“A Savior is born.”
( Angels pretend to rock a
baby.)
The shepherds said,
( Shepherds cup their
hands around their
mouths.)
“Let’s go see the Savior.”
( Shepherds point in one
direction.)
So they went to find
Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus.
(Shepherds walk in the
direction they pointed.)
The shepherds worshipped
Jesus.
(Shepherds kneel.)
Tell the story as follows, pausing after each line to let the
children repeat your words and follow your actions.
There were shepherds
(Shepherds wave.)
Watching their sheep
in the field. (Shepherds shade their
eyes as if looking far
away.)
All of a sudden,
( Shepherds look
surprised.)
Angels appeared.
(Angels wave.)
The angels said,(Angels cup their hands
around their mouths.)
“Glory to God in the highest!”(Angels turn on their
flashlights and wave
them in the air.)
Session 3 • KidsOwn Worship
39
Preschool Activities
Jesus’ Birth
I t’s almost Christmas so today we’ll celebrate
Jesus’ birth. We’re very happy that Jesus was
born.
• What is special about Jesus?
• Why do we celebrate Jesus’ birth?
od gave us Jesus to show us what God is like
G
and to show us the way to God. Jesus was born
to give us life.
Let’s make a manger scene that you can take
home to help you remember that Christmas is
about celebrating Jesus’ birth.
Born for Everybody
J esus was born for you. Jesus was born to save
you. Jesus was born to give you life. Jesus was
born to help you. Point to each child as you
mention the things Jesus was born to do.
• Who else do you think Jesus was born for?
Give each child a few pieces of confetti, and ask children to
hold onto the confetti until you tell them what to do with it.
hen people are celebrating something
W
special, they sometimes throw confetti in
the air. Today we’re celebrating Jesus’ birth.
Jesus was born for everyone. Open your hand
and look at the confetti I gave you. Pick out
one piece and hold it up. Jesus was born for
you. Now put that piece on the table and pick
out another piece to hold up. Jesus was born
for your family. Put that piece on the table.
Pick out another piece and hold it up. Jesus
was born to save your friends. Put that piece
on the table. Now let’s see how many other
people Jesus was born to save. When I say “go,”
we’ll throw all of our confetti up into the air.
• Who was Jesus born to save?
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FaithWeaver • Winter Quarter
Give each child a paper manger and baby Jesus, and
help kids use glue sticks to glue the baby Jesus picture to
the manger picture. If you have time, have the children
color the baby and the manger with crayons.
et’s celebrate Jesus’ birth with a clapping
L
rhyme. Have children join you in clapping to the
rhythm of the following words using one clap per
syllable.
Jesus is born!
Jesus is born!
Jesus is born! Hallelu!
Now let’s thank God for sending Jesus. Let’s all
shout, “Thank you, God, for sending Jesus!”
J esus was born to save everybody! Let’s
celebrate! Ready? Go!
Have children throw their confetti in the air.
o help us remember that Jesus was born for
T
every person, let’s add some people to our
manger scenes. Give each child a people cutout.
Help the children glue the mangers they made
in the previous activity to the people cutout.
Then staple both ends of a length of yarn to each
manger scene to form a hanger.
You can hang this manger scene in your room
so you can see it every night. When you pray
at night, you can look at the people kneeling
around the manger and thank God for sending
Jesus for you.
• What are these people doing at the manger?
hey’re worshipping Jesus because they’re so
T
happy that God has sent him to show them
the way to God. Let’s form a circle and kneel to
worship Jesus.
Thank you, God, for sending Jesus for
everybody. In Jesus’ name, amen.
(continued from page 38)
Encourage kids to come up with several different ways Jesus has made a
difference: bringing life, forgiving, and loving are some examples. After the
children have drawn or written on their balloons, give each child a wide ribbon
to tape onto the bottom of the balloon. Help the children tape the balloons to
the wall and gather all the ribbons at the bottom to form one or more balloon
bouquets (see the illustration on page 38).
Warning
Because balloons present a
choking hazard to children,
make sure you pick up all
pieces of popped balloons and
throw them away immediately.
Let’s step back from the wall to admire our work. Our balloon
bouquet reminds us to celebrate Jesus, and it reminds us what
he has done in our lives. When I say “go,” let’s applaud and
shout, “Thank you, Jesus!” Ready? Go!
* Light of the World
Ask the children to stay very quiet as you turn off the room lights. Make sure the
room is very dark, and keep the lights off for at least 30 seconds, then
Listen to what the Bible says.
In the darkness, recite John 8:12b : “I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have
the light of life.”
Jesus was born to be the light of the world. Light a candle.
Extra Impact
Have a helper play soft
worshipful music as
the children light their
flashlights or candles during
“Light of the World.” Music
played by a musician in your
congregation would add
even more to this activity.
• What effect did this candle have on our dark room? (It made the
room a little lighter; it helped us see.)
• What effect did Jesus’ birth have on the dark world? (Jesus
brought love to make the world brighter; Jesus shows us the way
to God.)
Jesus is the light of the world, and we can show his light to others.
Walk quietly among the children, and randomly distribute flashlights or
battery-operated candles. If there aren’t enough flashlights to go around,
encourage the children to share them. Ask each person to turn on the flashlight
as you hand it to him or her. As the light grows,
• How is what’s happening to the level of light in this room like
what happens when we let Jesus’ light live in us? (We can make
the world brighter with Jesus love; when we share about Jesus,
more people let Jesus’ light live in the world.)
Let’s see what this world would be like today if Jesus had not
been born. Turn off your flashlights. Blow out your candle. We
would be in darkness. But the Bible verse we read tells us that
whoever follows Jesus will never walk in darkness. Light your
candle again. Let’s place the lights on the table. If you would like
to thank God in your own words for sending Jesus to be the
light of the world, turn on a flashlight and say your prayer.
Thank you, God, for sending Jesus to us. We celebrate Jesus’
birth this week. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Turn on the room lights.
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41
Let’s Pray!
The Offering
Let’s give our offering today as we sing, “O Come, All Ye
Faithful.” The song says, “O come, all ye faithful, joyful and
triumphant.” Let’s be joyful as we give our offering. As you place
your offering in the bowl, give a shout of adoration. Adoration
means “love and praise,” so you might shout, “I love you!” or “I
adore you.” Let’s finish with a round of applause in adoration.
Sing “O Come, All Ye Faithful.”
Lyrics are in the back of this book.
Track 2
What a Difference
Take a minute to think about what a difference Jesus’ birth has
made in your life. For example, I’ll think about Jesus giving me
love. Let’s make a circle. I’ll begin the prayer. I’ll say, “Thank you,
Jesus, for giving me…” Then you take turns around the circle
saying one word.
God, thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, to be born. Thank
you, Jesus, for giving me…[pause as each child adds one word]. In
Jesus’ name, amen.
Glory to God
Imagine how thrilled the angels were to announce that the
Savior was born. Let’s use the words of the angels for our
closing prayer. Have the children form three sections.
When I point to the first section, you will say, “Glory to God in
the highest!” The next section will say in louder voices, “Glory to
God in the highest!” The third section will say it even louder. Fill
the room with your praise. Then we’ll all say together, “Peace on
earth!”
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FaithWeaver • Winter Quarter
Balloon
Permission to photocopy this handout from KidsOwn Worship® Leader Guide, Winter, granted for local church use. Copyright © FaithWeaver®.
kidsownworship.com
Session 3 • KidsOwn Worship
43
Manger Scene
Permission to photocopy this handout from KidsOwn Worship® Leader Guide, Winter, granted for local church use. Copyright © FaithWeaver®.
kidsownworship.com
44
FaithWeaver • Winter Quarter
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