Building Faith's Christmas Pageant Ideas, Tips, and Scripts offers tips, different perspectives on the pros and cons of doing a pageant, and several script options - from no-rehearsal to full-length scripts.
In Stay Awhile, pastor Kara Eidson presents a banquet table of inspiration for Advent, including weekly reflections for personal and small group use, brief daily devotions, and ideas to involve the whole congregation. Congregational resources include liturgies, sermon starters, children’s moments, and even a no-rehearsals-needed Christmas pageant.
What it is: A short script that plays off of the Nativity story from Luke 2, with the players “interrupting” the person reading the gospel passage.
Cast: 11 roles plus a choir or worship team. 2 kids, the rest can be teens or adults. No costumes are needed and very little rehearsal is required.
One note about process: This skit works best if the congregation doesn’t know it is coming, interrupting their expectations for the service, much like Jesus interrupted Mary and Joseph’s plans all those years ago, and is still interrupting ours today. This little reader’s theatre, and the short sermon that accompanies it, are meant to shine a light on the gift of Holy Interruptions, and invite all who hear to open their hands and their hearts to the gift that God offers us through Jesus.
Cost: $15. You will receive the script via email within 24 hours of receipt of payment.
DREAMS OF A NEW DAY INTERGENERATIONAL ONLINE PAGEANT LITURGY
Includes a full script, preparatory study guide, and is a full online worship service liturgy.
Faith Alive's numerous Christmas Dramas
Building Faith offers several ideas for Christmas Pageants 2020: Recorded, Zoomed, Live, Outside
Katherine Willis offers two downloadable Christmas Pageants: A Mary Carol (2014; an homage to Dickens' A Christmas Carol) and Don't Freak Out (2018; contains a subtext regarding consent, along with the traditional Annunciation and Nativity stories).
Cathy’s Music is music where faith and fun meet. Your children will sing about the promises of God and the stories of God’s people and have fun at the same time. See here for Christmas-specific items.
Kid-friendly Christian songs that make a director’s job easy!
In Voices of Christmas, author Nikki Grimes and illustrator Eric Velasquez share stunning character sketches - in poetry and drawings - that provide a simple format for a beautiful Christmas pageant.
Step One: A Narrator reads the introductory Scripture verses to introduce each character.
Step Two: Ask actors to dress and act appropriate to their lines.
Step Three: Have each actor - from memory or not - share their poem.
Step Four: The congregation plays the part of 'YOU' and reads the final poem together, aloud.
DONE!!
