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Preparing to Celebrate the Birth of Christ

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Preparing to Celebrate the Birth of Christ: Adults

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Preparing to Celebrate the Birth of Christ

A Four Session Activity Guide for Leaders of ADULT GROUPS

By Henrietta Wilkinson

Author

Henrietta Wilkinson is an editor, educator and writer of church school curriculums, Bible study books, and audio visual scripts.

Introduction

Christmas is a time of hope, love and joy, a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus. However, the cultural pressures so abundant this time of year often overshadow the real meaning of Christmas. Due to advertising, family traditions and lack of time and planning, we often just go along doing what we've always done. And so we miss out on experiencing a Christmas that is both joyful and spiritually satisfying.

This resource is designed to guide leaders of adult groups to consider the true meaning of Christmas, to examine their ways of celebration, and to find alternatives.

DESIGNING THE SESSIONS

Ideally, this four session study could begin the first Sunday in November to prepare for Advent. If the sessions start later, there will not be as much potential for impacting the way people celebrate this year. Participants need the time during Advent to put their study into practice.

THE TEACHING TEAM

You will probably want to select one leader to be the primary person in charge of teaching the group. This person might want to enlist the help of three others. Each of the leaders could be in charge for one of the four sessions. Or, one could be responsible for setting up the room, one could do the ordering and securing of supplies, one could do the Bible study, and one could do everything else (leading discussions, directing activities, etc.).

PREPARATION NOW

Before the unit starts, review the other materials in the Christmas Packet. Review the sessions, with special attention to the "Need" sections. Ask church school teachers of children to ask their pupils to draw some pictures of the first Christmas for the adult class.

Session One: Christmas Awareness

GOALS

NEED

Opening

As participants arrive ask them to begin grouping the advertisements by the message they send to us. For example some might say that, "Christmas is time to show love by how much you spend on others," or "Even though someone has everything, you still need to give him/her more," or "If you are really somebody you would own this."

After the advertisements have been placed in groups, ask someone to write a heading that describes each group of ads on a sheet of newsprint (see suggestions listed above). Have participants glue the ads on the appropriate sheet of newsprint. As this is being done, write the figure $20,000,000,000 on the chalkboard or on newsprint. Post all of the newsprint sheets in the room.

Discussion

As people are seated in a circle, play two or three of the commercials you recorded from the radio or television. Discuss:

(a) What ideas did the ads reinforce?

(b) How did you feel as you worked?

(c) What did you learn from handling those ads? Then tell the group that merchants in the United States count on 20 billion dollars of spending at the Christmas season (October  December) over and above the regular rate. Many merchants say they make as much as half of their yearly income at Christmas time.

Bible Study

Pass out Bibles. Ask one person to read aloud Luke 2:8 20, as the rest of the group follows in the Bible. Point out that this message came to workmen on the night shift, those with a lowly occupation and standard of living.

Ask the group to look for the shepherds' reactions (fear, vs. 9; excitement, vs. 15,17; joy, vs. 20). Connect the shepherds with the "stop, look, listen" sign. That is what they did. What are our reactions as we look around? What do we see, hear, do? We can still hear if we listen  read again vs. 10 11,14.

Closing

As a group, compose a litany or short prayer of confession. Ask the participants to list ways that they act during Christmas time that are not in keeping with the values Jesus teaches. As the leader, read one of these confessions or petitions with the rest of the group responding with: "Jesus Christ, whose birthday we celebrate, forgive us." Then close with words something like these: O God, help us

Before the participants leave, ask them to look closely at store decorations, and Saturday morning commercials. Also, ask them to pay special attention to magazine and newspaper advertisements and to bring some of them to the next session.

Session Two: Christmas Simplicity

GOALS

NEED

Opening

Before participants begin arriving, decorate the room with things that will remind people of the first Christmas. You can use a crèche, pictures, and children's drawings.

As people arrive, ask them to add to the newsprint sheets any new advertisements they brought. Post an additional sheet of newsprint with the title, "Contrasts." Under this title add:

Ask the participants to write down some other contrasts.

Christmas Ads

Call attention to the new ads that people brought. Encourage people to discuss their observations during the past week.

Contrasts

Remind the group of last week's discussion of our usual Christmas activities. On the newsprint titled, "Contrasts," add "Christmas today .... the first Christmas." Discuss the differences between our celebration of Christ's birth and the first celebration.

Bible Study

Read Luke 2:1 7 aloud. Look at the simplicity of the tale. Talk about the basic elements that are still with us: a baby, ancestors, taxes, government decrees, etc. Talk about the children's art, discussing very briefly what each child thought was a basic ingredient of the first Christmas.

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"

Show the video to the group. After viewing it, ask questions such as:

(a) What would you like to change about Christmas?

(b) Are there better ways to celebrate Christ's birth?

(c) What are the obstacles to change? What would be the rewards?

If you do not have access to either the video, make up a list of ideas for simplifying and enriching the celebration of Christmas.

Closing

Ask people to write a personal list of "How I will try to make Christmas more meaningful," sharing these lists with the group if they wish. Ask them to take the lists home to talk over with their households.

Pray for sincerity of heart and oneness of purpose.

Session Three: Christmas Imagination

GOALS

NEED

Opening

Encourage people to examine poster, brochures and the clothesline list. Have some blank strips of construction paper available for people to add more of their own ideas to the clothesline.

Reviewing the Week

Ask participants to share their observations of Christmas commercialization during the week. Talk over any family discussions. Encourage people to share with the group their family discussions of "How I will try to make Christmas more meaningful."

Christmas Savings

Divide into small groups of no more than five persons. Ask each group to figure out how much money they could save if they made gifts or gave of their time instead of buying expensive gifts. To help them do this, they could make a list with two columns:

If I did this ... Then I could save this ...

For example:

Made my wrappings from comics or brown bags $5

While people are working in groups, write the following on the chalkboard: If 500,000 people each liberated $200 a year from Christmas consumption, hunger and human welfare projects could benefit by $10,000,000 annually.

After ten minutes of working in groups, ask everyone to gather to listen to one or two of each group's best ideas. Ask someone to add these ideas to the clothesline if they are not already there.

Call attention to the statement you wrote on the chalkboard. Encourage discussion.

Imagine Stories

Assign one of the following items to each small group:

  1. A woman in the mountains without income who is a skilled quilter
  2. A newly arrived refugee family from Haiti
  3. A recent college graduate willing to spend two years digging wells in Africa
  4. An expectant mother in the Philippines who is facing a choice of either breast feeding or bottle-feeding her baby
  5. A man completing a 15 year prison sentence due for release
  6. A farm worker family receiving inadequate wages

Ask each group to think up original stories of how they might minister to the person in need. After five minutes, allow the small groups to share their stories with the entire group.

Bible Study

Ask everyone to follow along in their Bibles as you read aloud three passages that show the thrilling imagination of the first Christmas.

Talk about the fact that in all these passages God is seen as being particularly on the side of the poor. God has lowered the proud, the mighty, the rich and has raised those of low degree, the hungry, the small nation of Israel. Discuss the amazing ideas of the incarnation as God's way of dealing with humankind's sinfulness.

Closing

Ask volunteers to share their decisions about the use of money during Christmas.

Session Four: Christmas Follow  Through

GOALS

NEED

U-TURN ENCOURAGED

Opening

Before people arrive, clear the clothesline of any remaining paper. As participants come, ask them to illustrate on a strip of paper a special day such as: Valentine's Day, Easter, the Fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, birthdays, wedding days, graduation, funerals.

Begin by referring to the "Stop, Look and Listen" sign, reminding people that this sign says what we have been doing together: STOPping in our busy lives to LOOK at our usual celebrations, and to LISTEN for a message from God about how we should as Christians observe the birth of Jesus.

Bible Study

Read aloud Matthew 2:1 12. Discuss the wise men's follow through, noting the following:

1. They saw the star, so they set out (vs. 1,2)

2. They found Jesus (vs. 9 11)

3. They took a different road home (vs. 12)

Also consider the following:

1. What did Mary and Joseph do with the wise men's gifts?

2. Did the wise men feel that their gifts were appropriate after they got to Jesus?

3. What gifts might they have brought if they had paid a second visit?

4. Is it possible that the wise men had a new sense of values as they rode home?

Planning U Turns

Look over the symbols for special days that have been placed on the clothesline. Talk over:

1. How do you usually observe this day?

2. Do your usual habits reflect your beliefs and feelings as a Christian?

3. What would my celebration be like if I made a U Turn?

Group Discussion

Spend time together talking over questions such as:

1. What have you learned or realized anew during these sessions?

2. How have you felt about your lifestyle as an individual? as a member of your family? as a member of the church? as a citizen of the United States?

3. Do you want to continue to look at options for alternative lifestyles throughout the year? (If yes, see "Making Plans" below.)

Making Plans

If the group wants to continue some form of study and action, consider these questions to help you plan. Write down specific suggestions that come out of the discussion.

1. How can we enlist the interest and help of our minister or priest?

2. How can we help other family members comprehend the experience we have had?

3. Should we set up study sessions for a quarter, seeking to enlist a wider group of persons?

4. Should the study group continue to be all adults? adults and youth? anybody from the fourth grade up?

5. How should we organize to plan for study and for action? Should we talk to those who plan study opportunities in our church? 6. Should our study and action include just our church? an ecumenical community group? Can someone contact other churches to see if they are interested?

Closing

Ask participants to join in prayer by adding one word each to the following phrases: O God, we thank you for ... We pray that you would strengthen us to...

Make copies of this resource under the Creative Commons attribution, not-for-profit license.

Page Updated 11 Sept. 2013

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