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Drama, Newsroom, and Puppet Lessons, Ideas, Activities, and Resources for Teaching "Jesus' Birth Through the Eyes of the Shepherds, Angelic Host, Bethlehem, and the Stable" in Sunday School.

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The following "NEWSROOM" Drama lesson was originally posted by member Cissy Green and moved here by Wormy.



Jesus' Birth - A News Broadcast

Summary of Lesson Activities:
The children will hold a press conference concerning the birth of Jesus.

Scripture Reference:
Luke 2: 1-20, Luke 2:21-38 , Matthew 1: 1-16

Memory Verse:
"I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Luke 2:11-12 (NIV)

Lesson Objectives:

  • Know that Jesus' genealogy fulfills prophesies
  • Know that many old testament characters play an important role in Jesus' lineage

Leader Preparation:

  • Read the scripture passages and lesson plan.
  • Learn the memory verse.
  • Check out the room before your first Sunday workshop so that you know where everything is located.
  • Preview the cameras and know how to operate them.
  • Make press badges
  • Simeon & Anna cue cards since these are lesser known characters

Materials List:

  • Movie camera with fresh tape
  • Microphones
  • TV
  • Bible time costumes
  • Baby doll and baby toiletries
  • Press badges
  • "Kids on the Move" Zion 7 News Holiday Pack Christmas 1 & 2 (aka KOTM)

Advance Preparation Requirements:

  • Remove anchor desk
  • Manger scene backdrop
  • Place chairs for an audience to face the press conference 'platform'


Presentation:


Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction
Greet the children and introduce yourself as well as any new child.

Open with prayer

Explain the purpose of this workshop: "Today, we will hold a press conference concerning the Birth Narrative. We will have a few of you portray our main characters while the rest of you will be the press who are asking questions.

Dig- Main Content and Reflection

Scripture/Bible Story:
Read the scripture: Luke 2:1-12, 21-38

Script:
There will not be a full suggested script for this lesson, only an opening, closing, and suggested press questions. The actors should be encouraged to become their character and try to imagine what they would have thought and felt about their role in our Savior's birth.

Characters: narrator, Joseph, reporter, Mary, Inn Keeper, Simeon, Anna

director: Lights!……Camera!……Action!

narrator: We interrupt our regularly scheduled program to bring you
this special announcement. Joseph, the carpenter's son, has agreed to make a full statement concerning the birth of his fiancÉ's child, Jesus. We'll cut now to go live to Bethlehem, where our reporter is standing by waiting to begin the press conference.

reporter: I'm here in Bethlehem at the town's well where everyone is
waiting for the guests of honor, Joseph, Mary, and a few others. There has been a lot of different versions as to the unusual circumstances surround this "barn baby", and these people have agreed to help set the facts straight. If you listen closely, you can hear the press buzzing disbelief about this lowly baby being the fulfillment of scripture. The guests should be arriving soon. (pause) Wait, here they come now!

Joseph, Mary (carrying baby), Inn Keeper, Simeon, Anna enter)

reporter: Welcome, esteemed collegues! We are honored you would
join us! Why don't begin with introductions? One at a time, would you each please state your name and give us a brief description of your role?

(each character should introduce himself and give a good descriptive idea as to his role)

reporter: Now that everyone is introduced, we'll begin taking
questions.

(encourage the 'press' to ask a lot of questions. Each child with a question should raise their hand and wait to be called upon. At that point, the child is to stand and introduce herself, "Hi, Simeon, I am Gracie from FUMC Beebe and I have a question….")

Suggested Questions:

  • Mary, how did you feel when you found out you would be having a baby?
  • Joseph, did you have any doubts about Mary and her story?
  • Simeon, how old did you say you were? What made you think this baby was the promised Messiah?
  • Anna, is it true that you never left the Temple? If so, what led you to believe this baby was The One?
  • Mr. Inn Keeper, if you had known this baby was special, would you have provided better arrangements?

    Remember to encourage the children to think of their own questions!


reporter: Well, Joseph, Mary, Simeon, Anna, and Mr. Inn Keeper,
thank you all for sharing your stories with us and helping us to better understand and believe in our own salvation through this special child. Mary, with your permission, I'm certain we would all like the opportunity to see this gift from God.

narrator: Well, as you can see, this has been a very special press
conference. It seems as though many people have come to believe this child is indeed special; a special gift from God to us. This child, in fact, is God in human form, whom has come to offer us salvation. What better gift is there?

director: CUT!

End of script

Reflection- ask the following questions:

  • If we could have a Press Conference with God right now what questions would you ask Him about Christmas?
  • How do you think He would respond?
  • Why do you think some people immediately knew who Jesus was and others never accepted it?
  • If this story happened today, would you believe it? Would you believe someone who told you they had seen an angel? Or that the Messiah was here?

    Additional Suggestions:
    If you have a lot of time left, show the KOTM Zion 7 News presentation

Closing:

Close by having students create a "Breaking News" summary of "what God is trying to tell the world."

A lesson written by Cissy Green from: First UMC
Beebe, Arkansas

Last edited by Neil MacQueen
Original Post

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Jesus' Birth through the Eyes of the Shepherds, Angelic Host, and the Stable

Puppet Workshop

 

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Puppets are used to tell the story of the birth of Jesus, focusing on the experience of the shepherds and the sheep. Children make sheep puppets to take home with them.

Scripture Reference:

Luke 2: 1-21 (also Luke 1: 1-80, 2: 22-40 and Matthew 1:1 - 1:23)

Lesson Objectives:
At the end of the session the children will be able to:

  • Locate the book of Luke in the New Testament and identify it as the third of four Gospels.
  • Relate the story of the birth of Jesus.
  • Understand the shepherds' fear, amazement and joy.
  • Know that God's Good News truly is for all people, young and old, rich and poor, educated and not.
  • Know that Ruth and Boaz are the grandparents of King David, who is a great- great...grandfather of Jesus.

Leader Preparations:

  • Read the scripture and background materials
  • Gather the Materials

Materials List:

  • Bible time puppets
  • Halo for a puppet to be an angel (silver or gold tinsel garland works well)
  • Small doll to be baby Jesus (or something wrapped to look like a baby in a small basket to be a manger
  • Rough stable outlined at one end of the stage (make it from sticks or cardboard in an arch shape)
  • Cardboard
  • Black construction paper
  • Cotton balls
  • Craft sticks
  • Tape
  • Scissors
  • Crayons
  • Glue 
  • Flipchart
  • Markers.



Presentation

 

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction

Greet the children and introduce yourself and any helpers that you have.

 

Dig- Main Content and Reflection

Background comments on the story:
It is significant that the first to hear the news of Jesus' birth directly from God's messengers were the shepherds -- dirty, smelly outsiders, despised by the orthodox followers of the law (shepherds had a hard time following the cleanliness laws out in the fields). But the Good News is truly for all people, not just the rich and clean, living in fine houses. Barclay suggests that the shepherds in this story may have been those "in charge of the flocks from which the Temple offerings were chosen. It is a lovely thought that the shepherds who look after the Temple lambs were the first to see the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." The angel's surprises continue: the proof of the truth of what the angel said is that the shepherds will find the baby born in a very lowly place. Babies are born daily! But they went to see this miraculous baby, and told everyone everything, and sang God's praises. Jesus was born as a commoner, not a king. He grew up surrounded by common people and went on to minister to and with the common people.


Early Arrival Activity: Make sheep puppets: precut 3 inch circles from cardboard. Children cover cardboard with cotton balls, add four construction paper legs and a pear-shaped head and ears. Draw a face using crayons. Tape a stick to the back and allow the glue to dry while the group hears the story. (Children should write their names on the backs and take the sheep home after class.)

Bringing the story to life: Puppetry
Group time:

Open with prayer.
Read the scripture: Luke 2: 1-21
Discuss the story before acting it out.
Characters: Mary, Joseph, Jesus, angels, shepherds, sheep, other animals, innkeeper. (If time and class size permit, add King Herod and the three wise men from Matthew to your telling of the story.)
Where did the story take place? Bethlehem and the surrounding hills.
How would you feel if you were? Mary and Joseph hearing the shepherds tell about the angel's news? The shepherds seeing a rather ordinary-looking baby (or do you think he was ordinary-looking?)?

Outline the story: list key events and phrases on the flipchart.

Warm-up or follow-up exercises: (as time permits)
Say to the students: "Close your eyes. [turn off lights in room] Imagine a hillside in the country on a cool evening. You are sitting by a fire. There are sounds of sheep sleeping and moving restlessly nearby. You have just finished dinner. You are sleepy, but watchful since you have heard that wolves have been seen in the area. You are thinking about getting up to walk around the flock to see that all is okay. Suddenly, there is a bright light!! [turn lights on] (Remember, in your world there is no electricity. The only light at night you have ever seen was some sort of fire or candle, so this bright light is really scary!) There is an angel, who tells you not to be afraid, but to listen to the Good News.

"Who do you tell?"

"Do they believe you?"
(If you were able to find the book The Legend of the Christmas Rose, this would be a good time to show the picture of the shepherds' amazed excitement when they share the news with their family.)

Take a few minutes to review puppet manipulation techniques. Have all the puppets quietly sing "Away in a Manger" together, while they rock a pretend baby, put him in bed, etc.

Assign parts and act out the story with puppets. Put the flip chart with the story outline and key phrases where the children can see it. Encourage them to be creative and use their imaginations to extend the story and to create dialog where none is written in the Bible. (What did the shepherds talk about as they walked from the fields to the stable? What did they tell their families the next morning? Did the sheep say anything?)
If time permits, discuss what might have been missing, reassign parts, and act out the story again.

Reflection:

  • How did God keep the promise to Abraham by sending Jesus?
  • I wonder why God sent the Angel to the shepherds with the Good News, instead of to important people in town?
  • The shepherds would have been considered outsiders in their community. They spent much time out in the fields with the sheep, and they weren't always clean. (Think about how hard it is to stay clean if you have ever been camping, or even spent a day outdoors.) Are there outsiders in our community? How can we invite and welcome them into our church family as the angels and God invited the shepherds to see the newborn king?
  • The army of heaven's angels sang "Glory to God in the highest heaven." How can we show glory to God? Is it enough for us to be good to one another, or does God require more?

Closing-

Closing Prayer:
Dear God,
Thank you for sending a baby who will be the shepherd of us all. Help us to follow where the good shepherd leads us. And help us to go tell everyone everywhere the Good News of his birth with the excitement of the shepherds who heard the Good News first. Amen.

Have the kids assist you in putting the room back in order before they are dismissed.


Books for sharing before and after class: There are many picture book versions of the Christmas story available in the public library. Some are better than others. Look for ones with particularly attractive pictures or different ways of telling the story (not just King James English) or look for:

  • Allan, Nicholas. Jesus' Christmas Party. Random House, 1991. (This story is not quite Biblically accurate, but it is great fun to imagine the innkeeper's reaction as a parade of visitors knock on his door, looking for the baby.)
  • Clements, Andrew. Bright Christmas: An Angel Remembers. Clarion, 1996. (The story from an angel's point of view.)
  • Hickman, Martha Whitmore. A Baby Born in Bethlehem. Whitman, 1999.
  • Hooks, William. The Legend of the Christmas Rose. HarperCollins, 1999. (Luminous paintings illustrate this story of a little girl and her shepherd brothers traveling to Bethlehem to see the baby king.)
  • Mayper, Monica. Come and See: A Christmas Story. HarperCollins, 1999. (Smiling shepherds lead the townspeople to the stable, ending with all dancing for joy around the stable.)

 

Resources:

  • Barclay, William. The Gospel of Luke: The Daily Study Bible Series, Revised Edition. Westminster Press, 1975.
  • The Interpreter's Bible: Volume VIII: Luke and John. Abingdon Press, 1980.
  • Wehrheim, Carol. Celebrate Teachers Guide: Ages 3/4/5, Year 3. Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, 1996. Sheep pattern and instructions, page 149. (Summarized below.)

 

A lesson written by Amy Crane from: Palmetto Presbyterian Church

Tampa, Florida

Copyright 2001 Amy Crane. Permission granted to freely distribute and use, provided the copyright message is included

 

 

A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.

 

Last edited by Luanne Payne

 

Jesus' Birth through the Eyes of the Shepherds, Angelic Host, and the Stable
Drama Workshop

 

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Children will perform skits and create screen shots of each scene of Jesus' birth from the point of view of the shepherds.

Scripture Reference:

Luke 2: 8-20 (the Shepherds and the Angels)

Lesson Objectives:

  • To learn the story of Christ's birth from the perspective of the shepherds and the angels.
  • To find the story of the shepherds and the angels in the Bible.
  • To experience the story as it might have been 2000 years ago.
  • To experience the story in a 20th century context.
  • To explore four key elements of the Shepherds encounter with God:
    · Hearing the glad tidings
    · Believing the angels' proclamation
    · Discovering the Christ child
    · Praising God

Leader Preparation:

  • Read the Scripture and Background Materials
  • Gather the materials


Materials list:

  • Costumes for shepherds, angels, and sheep
  • Camera 
  • Manger and/or special props
  • Paper pieces or tongue depressors with a number 1, 2, or 3 on them


Presentation

 

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction

Greet the children and introduce yourself and any helpers that you have.

 

Dig- Main Content and Reflection

Time allotted: 45-60 minutes

Lesson Plan:
As the children come in have them choose a piece of paper (or tongue depressor) with a number 1, 2, or 3 written on it. Divide them into groups by numbers. Have children in each group locate the story of the shepherds and the angels and read the story aloud. Tell the children that they will each be taking a role in the story. 1s will be the shepherds (some can also be sheep), 2s will be the angels, and 3s will be the characters in the manger scene.

 

After parts are assigned, have adults help the children find appropriate costumes and/or props.

Tell the children they are going to act out and photograph "freeze frames" of the important parts of the story. Explain to the children that they are going to be doing a skit that imagines how the story happened 2000 years ago when Christ was born. Let them know that there will be four "freeze frame" scenes in this skit. Explain each scene and let them set up how they think it might have happened. The scenes are based on the shepherds' experiences in this story. Encourage children to come up with appropriate facial expressions and hand motions for each freeze frame.

Scene 1: The shepherds hear the angels tell of Christ's birth (good news!) (children should show fear, awe, and excitement among other things).

Scene 2: The shepherds believe the angels' proclamation (children should show more excitement and anticipation as well as praise to God).

Scene 3: The shepherds discover the Christ child (children should move to the manger scene and greet the child with thanksgiving and awe and excitement).

Scene 4: The shepherds return to their homes and fields, glorifying and praising God (children should express praise and thanksgiving to God).

After scene 4, explain to the children that the skit will be done again using each of the above scenes, but the second time will be as a modern skit. Children should think of an appropriate modern location, modern characters (if not shepherds, who would the angels appear to today and why?), modern costumes and modern language. Encourage creativity. Allow children to be a different character if they choose.

During the skits take a picture at each scene (either polaroid or regular cameras will work). Put the photos together for a display outside the door of the drama room for others to see as weeks go by.

[Older children may do the same thing, or create a video news report of the story. Have one person be the reporter in the newsroom (at a table), then go to a reporter in the field who interviews the various participants in each scene (animals included).]

Reflection:

  • What did it feel like to be a shepherd? Angel? A character in the manger scene?
  • Why did the angels appear to the shepherds and not someone else?
  • Why did the shepherds drop everything to go find out about some baby?
  • What does this "baby" mean to them?
  • What does this "baby" mean to us?

Closing

Close with a prayer and have the children assist in the cleanup before they are dismissed.


 

A lesson written by St. Elmo's Choir, a rotation writer's group.

 

A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.

Last edited by Luanne Payne

St. John Lutheran Church

Drama Station

Station Summary

A shepherd will tell the story from his point of view.  The children will then act out several scenes from the Nativity story while the teacher narrates the action. 

See lesson at this link.

 

Last edited by Luanne Payne

Journey to Bethlehem: a drama activity with script

I created a simple drama for children to follow the events of Jesus' birth as the shepherds did. I used adults as the head shepherd and angel. We used the script in Sunday School. You could  adapt this for other uses, including a live perforance. You could also record it during Sunday school class and show that during a Christmas Eve service.

The script document file is in the attachments below.

Ad for Journey to Bethlehem material

This is KidFrugal, so for scenery I used what we had on hand when we re-enacted the Luke 2 story of the shepherds. Our kids loved it!

1-sheep 2The first thing I did was to make one of our kids' rooms into the field where the shepherds were. I used some leftover green bulletin board paper for grass. The cartoon-like sheep came from Creative for Kids. It is a wall sticker which can be re-positioned. I mounted mine on foamcore-board and used Command Strips to put it up.

Normally these sheep are part of the wall murals in our main room. You can see below how I used Command Strips to attach it to the wall. The newer version Creative for Kids makes can be moved over and over again, so mounting them and the Command Strips may no longer be necessary if you don't mind peeling the decals off the wall and moving them.

1-JAM Center from Stage1-sheep wall

<click on photos to see them larger>

shepherdNext, I found some old Christmas scene-setters. I used the shepherd and the sheep to add to my hillside. Oriental Trading has some great Design-A-Room sets for the nativity. (The curtain hanging to the right of the sheep is hiding the heavenly host of angels.)

I was fortunate to have over 20 feet of the Bethlehem Town Design-A-Room Background left from a previous project. It actually stuck to the wall because of static electricity. Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of it before it fell down - but it lasted for over a week. I wrapped it around the other 2 walls of the room and it felt like we were on a hillside outside of Bethlehem.

heavenly host of angelsI used an overhead projector to draw these angels for the heavenly host. I had a helper dressed as an angel come in and address the children as if they were the shepherds. Then she pulled back the curtain revealing the host of angels. I also had some bright lights that I flicked on at the proper time, illuminating the whole room. (We started out in the dark, pretending it was nighttime.)

This way to BethlehemWe followed the biblical account in Luke very carefully. After the angels' pronouncement, we decided we should go to Bethlehem to see this thing which they had told us about. And how do you find Bethlehem? This old garage sale sign came in handy for that.

Someday, the structure in the picture below will be a stage with a door and puppet window, but right now it is just sitting there. So I decided to re-purpose it into the stable. (See the donkey in there?!) You could also use an old puppet theater like I have done in the past.

I used the rest of the plastic wall scenery in the "stable." The manger is from our Christmas programs in the past, and I borrowed the baby doll from the nursery. I cut up brown packing paper on the paper cutter to make the "hay" for in the manger. I tore an old sheet into strips to wrap the baby Jesus in. (Those are the two main clues in the script to help us find the baby - a manger and swaddling clothes.)

the stablemanger scene

Cost? Nothing, since we had everything on hand.



1-Kid Frugal Logo [800x318)

Moderator's note: This resource is from Rotation.org member Joan Eppehimer's KidFrugal blog, which she is sharing here at Rotation.org in order to preserve it for posterity and make it available more widely with our community.  It is part of a large group of lessons and resources that she developed to make "ministry happen when there are no resources to make it happen." Thank you, Joan, for sharing your creativity with our community!

You can read more about Joan and her ministry here.

Attachments

Last edited by Amy Crane

Stable Backdrop

Made from a Fridge Box, which came from a local appliance store. Just ask, in my case they have the used appliance boxes piled behind their store. You'll need a truck to transport home and be prepared to go through the cardboard yourself to find one.

I have posted the directions, with more photos here.

Below photo: I hung black stretchy fabric, held in place with binder clips along top edge, to give it a night-time look, which also hides actors behind the stable.

The black fabric can be flip over to the other side, as well, as I covered the back in shelf paper to represent a city wall or building so it can be used with multiple bible stories.

We use it in our Christmas Drama Workshops and also for Pageants. Folds fairly flat for storing and holds up well as ours is over 14 years old.

The cut-outs and fabric also makes it a fun puppet stage—from either side. Here's an example below, when we used the back of the stable prop with a bunch of sheep puppets.

The Bethlehem Innkeeper's Busy Night

A "Reader's Theater" Drama Script with Lots of Sound Effects

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Students will read the story of the Bethlehem innkeeper in their Bibles and then re-enact the story of the innkeeper using a Readers’ Theater script (no staging required) and generating lots of fun story-inspired sound effects.

Scripture Reference:
Luke 2: 4-7

Lesson Objective:

  • Jesus Christ is the new covenant.
  • People come to know Jesus in many different ways, and those who knew of His coming had different perspective on the story to tell.

Leader Preparation:

  • Read the scripture ahead of time.
  • Become familiar with the script.
  • Gather the materials.

Materials List:

  • Copies of the script for "The Innkeeper’s Busy Night." (Enough for each child)
  • Highlighters (optional)
  • Class set of Bibles.


Lesson Plan

Opening

Greet the children and introduce yourself and any helpers that you have. Let them know what they'll be doing and learning about today.  Today, we are going to be doing our own "drama" of a possible exchange between the innkeeper and the visitors who came to see the baby Jesus.

Begin by have students find the scripture Luke 2: 4-7.
This is the only place in the Bible that mentions the role of the inn or the innkeeper. There have been many stories about what people have "guessed" must have gone on the night Joseph and Mary came into Bethlehem looking for a place to stay.

There are even some cultures that have a special traditions to highlight this small, ambiguous part of the story. For example,

The Mexican culture participates in the ritual of the posadas. Beginning on December 16th, and continuing through the next eight evenings until Christmas Eve, they reenact the Holy Family’s search for shelter (posadas literally meaning, "inns"). In each of the first eight posadas family members, representing innkeepers and pilgrims, play out the story of frustration on the road to Bethlehem. To Joseph’s every inquiry comes the same answer, "No room at the inn." But then, miraculously on Christmas Even, the final innkeeper recognizes the holy couple and joyfully offers them shelter. In some parts of the country the "pilgrims" travel from house to house, visiting friends and asking the traditional posadas question: "Who will give shelter to those travelers who come with their songs of walking the roads?" In either case, the ritual ends on Christmas Eve, with song, celebration, and –to the great delight of children from Mexico City to Santa Fe—the game of the piñata. (From An American Christmas,A Celebration of Our Heritage from Around the World. Copyright 1989, Allied Books Ltd.)

  • Distribute scripts.
  • Assign parts and have group practice making the "sound effects" before beginning to read.
  • For maximum fun and participation, the ENTIRE group should do the sound effects, except for the person who has the line in which they occur.
  • You may want to let them highlight their parts, if it will be easier to follow along.
    (It is OK to double-up on parts, if you don’t have enough students for each character.)
  • After reading through the script once, discuss what seems "realistic" and what doesn’t, about the story.
  • If there is time, you can re-assign the parts and let the students read through it again.


The Innkeeper's busy night


Characters:
Narrator 1
Mary & Joseph
Narrator 2
Shepherds
Innkeeper
Kings

Sound effects:
KNOCK DOOR SHUTS DOOR SLAMS
COVERS SWISH BED CREAKS SINGING
STAIR STEPS SNORING "Glo-ooo-ooo-ria"
FLAPPING NOISES DOOR CREAK
MATCH STRIKE CURTAINS SWISHING
FOOTSTEPS Groggy People/Rejoicing People

Narrator 1: There was nothing the innkeeper liked more than a good night’s sleep.

Innkeeper: (Yawns.)

Narrator 2: But one night there was a knock at the door. Sound effect: KNOCK

Narrator 1: The innkeeper got out of bed, Sound effect:COVERS SWISH
Stumbled down the stairs, Sound effect: STAIRSTEPS
Lit his lamp, Sound effect: MATCH STRIKE
And opened the door. Sound effect: DOOR CREAKS

Mary & Joseph Hello, sorry to bother you, but we’re in desperate need of a place to stay the night.

Innkeeper: No room.

Mary & Joseph: But we’re tired and have traveled through night and day.

Innkeeper: There’s only the stable around the back. Here’s two blankets. Sign the register.

Narrator 2: So they signed it.

Mary & Joseph: Mary and Joseph.

Narrator 1: The innkeeper shut the door, Sound effect: DOOR SHUTS
Climbed the stairs, Sound effect: STAIR STEPS
Got into bed, Sound effect: BED CREAKS
and went to sleep. Sound effect: SNORING

Narrator 2: But then later, there was another knock at the door. Sound effect: KNOCK

Narrator 1: The innkeeper got out of bed,Sound effect: COVERS SWISH
Stumbled down the stairs, Sound effect: STAIRSTEPS
Lit his lamp, Sound effect: MATCH STRIKE
And opened the door. Sound effect: DOOR CREAKS

Joseph: Excuse me. I wonder if you could lend us another, smaller blanket?

Innkeeper: There. One smaller blanket.

Narrator 1: The innkeeper shut the door, Sound effect: DOOR SHUTS
Climbed the stairs, Sound effect: STAIR STEPS
Got into bed, Sound effect: BED CREAKS
and went to sleep. Sound effect: SNORING

Narrator 2: But then, a bright light woke him up.

Narrator 1: He went downstairs, Sound effect: STAIR STEPS
opened the door, Sound effect: DOOR CREAKS
walked outside, Sound effect: FOOTSTEPS
and looked up.

Innkeeper: (surprised) What in the--?

Narrator 2: Up in the sky was the biggest, brightest star that the world has ever known. It was as light as day.

Innkeeper: Great. That’s all I need!

Narrator 1: Then he shut the door, Sound effect: DOOR SHUTS
Climbed the stairs, Sound effect: STAIR STEPS Drew the curtains, Sound effect: CURTAINS SWISHING Got into bed, Sound effect: BED CREAKS
and went to sleep. Sound effect: SNORING

Narrator 2: But then there was another knock at the door.
Sound effect: KNOCK

Narrator 1: The innkeeper got out of bed, Sound effect: COVERS SWISH
Stumbled down the stairs, Sound effect: STAIR STEPS
Lit his lamp, Sound effect: MATCH STRIKE
And opened the door. Sound effect: DOOR CREAKS

Shepherds: We are three shepherds.

Innkeeper: Well, what’s the matter? Lost your sheep?

Shepherds: We’ve come to see Mary and Joseph.

Innkeeper: AROUND THE BACK.

Narrator 1: Then he shut the door, Sound effect: DOOR SHUTS
Climbed the stairs, Sound effect: STAIR STEPS Got into bed, Sound effect: BED CREAKS
and went to sleep. Sound effect: SNORING

Narrator 2: But then there was yet another knock at the door. Sound effect: KNOCK

Narrator 1: The innkeeper got out of bed, Sound effect: COVERS SWISH
Stumbled down the stairs, Sound effect: STAIRSTEPS
Lit his lamp, Sound effect: MATCH STRIKE
And opened the door. Sound effect: DOOR CREAKS

Kings: We are three kings. We’ve come---

Innkeeper: AROUND THE BACK!!!

Narrator 1: He slammed the door, Sound effect: DOOR SLAMS
Climbed the stairs, Sound effect: STAIR STEPS Got into bed, Sound effect: BED CREAKS
and went to sleep. Sound effect: SNORING

Narrator 2: But then, a chorus of singing woke him up. Sound effect: sing "Glo-oooo-o-oooo-o-
oooo-o-ria!"

Innkeeper: ALL RIGHT—THAT DOES IT!

Narrator 1: So he got out of bed, Sound effect: COVERS SWISH
Stomped down the stairs, Sound effect: LOUD STAIR STEPS
Threw open the door, Sound effect: DOOR BANGS
Went around the back Sound effect: FOOTSTEPS
Stormed into the stable, and was just about to speak when….

EVERYONE (except innkeeper) SHHH!

Narrator 2: whispered everybody.

EVERYONE (except innkeeper) You’ll wake the baby!

Innkeeper: Baby? Baby?!

Shepherd: Yes, a baby has this night been born.

Innkeeper: Oh? (grumbles a little)

Narrator 1: The innkeeper looked crossly into the manger.

Narrator 2: And just at that moment, suddenly, amazingly,
his anger seemed to fly away.
Sound Effect: FLAPPING NOISES

Innkeeper: Oh….isn’t he …beautiful!

Narrator 1: In fact, he thought the baby was so special…

Narrator 2: He woke up all the guests in the inn.

Innkeeper: Hey, everybody, come and see, come and see… Wake up, wake up, …come and see…
Sound Effect: Groggy People waking up, "huh?
What's all the fuss, etc."

Narrator 1: He was so proud that he wanted them all to come and look at the baby, too.

Narrator 2: No one got much sleep that night.
Sound Effect: Rejoicing and singing "Joy to the World"

Script inspired by the book, Jesus’ Christmas Party, by Nicholas Allan. Copyright 1991, Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc.

Closing: Close with a prayer thanking God for all those who "make room" for Jesus in their lives and hearts.


Additional Suggestions:
Have kids come up with sound effects ahead of time and practice.
Use props to make the sfx, like they do in a radio show.
In fact, you could do this as a radio show.

A lesson written by Sharon Troxell from: Marvin UMC, Tyler, TX

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