RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Evening Star, Issue 22805, 13 November 1937, Page 6

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

[By Forward.]

CHRISTMAS PLANS FOR THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. With the approach of Christmas Sunday school teachers and leaders will bo making their plans for a fitting celebration of that event so dear to the hearts of children. Successful Christmas services depend upon the preparation made for them by both teachers and scholars, so that it is already time to prepare and draw up plans. In order to help in this direction a series of articles will be givep in this column dealing with plans for each department which have been successfully carried out in schools in other years. In this issue will be found a very successful plan of work for a beginners’ department. CHRISTMAS IN THE BEGINNERS’ DEPARTMENT. A King might miss the guiding star, A Wise Man’s foot might stumble; For Bethlehem is very far From all except the humble. But he who gets to Bethlehem Shall hear the oxen lowing; And if he humbly kneel with these May catch far trumpets blowing, —Louis Bensen. The happiest time of all in. the beginners’ department is during the last few weeks of the year, when we share with the children the Christmas stories and try to bring home to them something of the real meaning of Christmas. Our aim then will be “ to lead the child to feel that because of Jesus we have happy Christmas experiences.” The last four, Sundays of the year, then, will be devoted to the Christmas stories under the following headings:— (1) The coming of the Baby Jesus; (2) the song of the angels; (3) the visit of the Wise Men; (4) Christmas service, at which the children will dramatise the Christmas stories. (1) The coming of the Baby Jesus. Before the service the teacher will have prepared and hidden in some part of the room a box filled with straw, representing the manger, and in it a baby boy doll wrapped in white butter muslin. On the completion of the story the children are told that they will now see a real picture of it, and while quiet music is being played the manger will be brought in and placed on a chair, another chair being placed alongside. The children are now asked to complete the picture, on© to be Mary, sitting beside the manger, another Joseph. The following is then sung and acted, the children tiptoeing forward and peeping at the baby, then tiptoeing back to their places again:— The little Baby Jesus is asleep, If you tiptoe very softly you may peep. Can you see Him in the hay On this happy Christmas Day? Hush! He’s asleep. (2) The Song o| the angels. On the completion of the second story the previous Sunday’s dramatisation may.be carried out again, "and then the suggestion made that they act today’s story, too. At the end of the room, sitting found their fir© watching the _ sheep, will be the shepherds. Christmas music is played while the angel goes and tells the shepherds the good news. One shepherd remains behind to watch the sheep while the others hurry away to find the Baby Jesus. The shepherds kneel by the manger and peep at the baby, then tiptoe out and go back over the hills to their sheep, singing as they go the angels’ song (as they go hack the children join in singing) :

(3) The visit, of the Wise Men. After the story has been told on the third Sunday the two previous Sundays’ dramatisations will be repeated, ■followed by the acting of this story. One child will represent the star and lead the Wise Men to the Baby Jesus. By the manger they will Ikneel and place their gifts, ihen tiptoe out again. While this is being acted the following song will be sung:— O’er Bethelehem town there shines a star, The Wise Men journeyed from afar. Bringing their presents, rich and sweet, To lay them at the Christ Child’s feet. Just as the. Wise Men, long, long ago, brought gifts to Jesus, so we at Christmas time bring gifts to make others happy. Suggest to the children that on the next Sunday they each bring a gift for the Christmas ■ tree, something. of their very own, that will help to make some other little child happy at Christmas time. (4) The Christmas service. In a prominent place in the room should be a little Christmas tree, decorated with its silver star and coloured paper chains. As each child arrives he will unwrap his gift and place it by the tree, singing as he does so: “If you want to he happy on Christmas Day, give something away, give something away.” A Christmas tableau will be formed as follows: Mary and Joseph will he by the manger, the shepherds sitting round their fire, the star and the Wise Men ready to enter when their turn comes. The music of ‘ Holy Night ’ is played softly, while the teacher says: “ Long, long' ago on Christmas night God sent The little Baby Jesus to Mary. She wrapped Him in soft white clothes and laid Him in a manger, and Joseph helped to take care of them both.” All then join in singing the first verse of ‘Away in a Manger.’ While the music ‘ Glory To God ’ is played softly the teacher continues the story while the children dramatise it: “ Some shepherdds were away out on the hills, minding their sheep. They were sitting round their fire and were looking up at the stars, when a bright light shone down, and they heard an angel speaking to them, telling them that the Baby Jesus was bom. He said that they would find Him wrapped in soft . white clothes, lying in a manger, with Mary and Joseph looking after Him. Then the sky was filled with angels singing (all join in singing) : ‘ Glory To God in the Highest.’ So they left one shepherd to look after the sheep and set off over the lulls. They came to the place where the little

Baby Jesus was. tiptoed in, knelt down and peeped at the little baby, then tiptoed out again, and went away back over the hills, singing the angels’ song (the shepherds sing) : * Glory To God in the Highest.’ The music of .‘O’er Bethlehem’s Town ' is played very softly and sung by the children while the story of the Wise Men is being dramatised. Quiet music is played while the Wise Men go back to their places; then all sing and act: “ The little Baby Jesus is asleep.” This completes the tableau. Dedication of Gifts.—As the teacher says the following words the children cluster round the Christmas tree; “ Just as the Wise Men long, long ago brought gifts to Jesus, so we to-day have brought gifts to make some little children happy this Christmastide. And there clustered round the tree the children will talk to their Heavenly Father about the gifts _ they wish to share with other little children to make their Christmas a really happy one. So these little ones share in the joy of Christmas through its stories, songs, and gifts to others, and so another year in Sunday school will be brought to a close with the happy Christmas songs singing themselves into their hearts.

Glory to, God in the highest! Glory to God in the highest! Glory to God in the highest,' For Jesus is i born to-day.