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God’s Christmas List

by The Revd Catherine Williams

Suitable for Key Stage 1

Aims

To consider what gifts the world needs this Christmas.

Preparation and materials

  • You will need a small Christmas tree or a bare branch in a pot.
  • Some gift tags, and pens.

Assembly

  1. Ask the children which of them has made a Christmas list. Go round and ask individuals what they hope they might receive at Christmas. You could share with them some of the things you might like to receive, e.g. a Mini Cooper, a sparkly dog-collar, a chocolate mouse, etc.
  2. Say that you also make a list of the people you are going to give presents to - e.g. husband/wife, children, parents, colleagues – because Christmas is about giving as well as receiving.
  3. Say that Christians believe that at the first Christmas God made a Christmas list with the whole world on it. He had a huge present to give and he gave it to everyone. See if they can guess what God’s present to everyone was – give clues until you get the answer: Jesus. Christians say that at the first Christmas God gave the baby Jesus to the whole world. This was so that the world could become friends with God through his son Jesus, and all people could be at peace.

    You might mention that the angels sang 'Glory to God in the highest and peace to all people on earth'.
  4. Ask the children to think of things that the people of the world really need this Christmas. Help the ideas along until you begin to get answers like peace, love, friendship and so on.
  5. Ask various children to come and write the words on gift tags and hang them on the tree. Leave the tree in school with spare tags and suggest the children add ideas to the tree as they think of them. You might put a sign above the tree such as 'Presents for our world'.

Time for reflection

Reflection:
Read through the gift tags again, asking children to think about the gifts suggested.
Can they do anything to help make this gift a reality?
Would they like to add any further gifts?
Suggest that they return to the tree from time to time to look at and think about the gifts suggested and to look for new ones.

Prayer:
Dear God,
Thank you that the whole world is on your Christmas list.
We thank you for your gift of Jesus.
We pray this Christmas for special presents for our world –
like peace, love, and (add some of the words used earlier).
Amen.

Song/music

'Little star' (Come and Praise,) 126

Publication date: December 2004   (Vol.6 No.12)    Published by SPCK, London, UK.
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