Other Ideas
Thanks, Neil & Carol, helpful thoughts. I especially respond to "what works and what's just work!" I hope Cathy will let us know how this goes and whether they are able to do some outreach with it. Our traditional summer VBS has netted us some new participants because the kids had such a good time. Of course, these are a small percentage of our non-member attendees, but still a good enough result.
A video possibility: Vol 3 of the Jesus Storybook Bible on DVD. This is a modestly animated version of the book -- the illustrations in the book are "enhanced" to provide some movement. Basically it's a reading with everyone able to see the illustrations on screen. David Suchet (of Hercule Poirot fame) is the reader. The whole DVD (11 stories) is 59 minutes. Christmas (the annunciation through the Magi) is the first 3 stories. I feel pretty confident that would come in at under 20 minutes.
Another DVD: Rabbit Ears "The Savior Is Born" on DVD. This is a similar style of "enhanced" illustrations. These illustrations are in the style of stained glass windows -- not whimsical, but beautiful and the music is from Christ Church Cathedral Choir, very traditional. The reader here is Morgan Freeman -- to whom I could listen for hours! But it's 28 minutes. You can start after the credits (about 2 min) and stop at the end of the shepherds' visit (about 12 min left). That would give you about 14 min of video and a pretty good margin for settling in and discussion. This video is beautiful and reverent, BUT not enough animation to hold pre-school attention, I think. http://www.rabbitears.com/prod...-savior-is-born.html
Both tell the biblical story without fictional embellishments. My regional library has the Rabbit Ears DVD, too, so it's worth checking your library.
My library also has the video the claymation "The First Christmas" with Christopher Plummer as narrator, by Billy Budd Films. It shows the running time as 21 min. I haven't used this one.
You might find it at your library or it is included in the "10-Movie Children's Holiday Classic (Billy Budd's Clay Classics) DVD, 096009743291.
Anne
PS to Carol LOVE "Advent Conspiracy" -- so gentle and generous, not heavy-handed, but still makes a great point.
