Theme:       Youth are required to create and perform in Christmas Eve program in church. In spite of early concerns they find out a lot about advent and the birth of Jesus. Uses advent wreath and nativity scene.
Bible Reference:     Matthew 1-2

 

Cast:         10 (m or f, youth age)

 

Set, Sound:   standard

 

Lighting:     spot on the nativity scene

 

Costumes:    costumes for Mary, Joseph angels, kings, shepherds

 

Props:        food, notepad, advent wreath and candles

 

Special Instructions:   Actors will leave the group, putting on costumes and form nativity scene as shepherds, kings, angels, Mary & Joseph when indicated in script, will continue to say lines as part of nativity

 

Time:        17

 

Script:

 

actors except Alex come on stage

 

Brett:        So what’s happening, I got an email telling me I was supposed to be here at church for some Christmas thing. . .  I have a busy schedule and don’t want to be wasting time.

 

Elliott:       Don’t feel too special Brett, we all got the same email.

 

Hudson:      Nothing specific in the email Elliott, but my guess is Pastor plans to get all of us a big Christmas present. (pulls a notepad out of pocket) . . In anticipation I have written down a few suggestions, (reads from pad) . . Madden 16 video game, wireless headphone hat, 1 acre of land on the moon . . .

 

Kennedy:     Might happen Hudson, but my guess is more along the line of 2 years of all expense paid professional reality check.

 

Mackenzie:    Well, Kennedy, not sure Hudson will get an all-clear signal after just 2 years of counselling but it’s worth a try.

 

Regan:       Personally I would go for candy and nuts, I missed dinner.

 

Spencer:      So who is gonna break the news to us of the reason we really were called here.

 

Taylor:       I plan to give it 5 minutes and I will leave.

 

Winter:       Don’t leave without me Taylor.

 

Alex enters stage

 

Alex:        Don’t anybody move a muscle! . . . I’ve been with Pastor and he has this fantastic opportunity for us guys.

 

Hudson:      Why do I get the feeling we should all make a break for the door?

 

Kennedy:     Last time I heard about the pastor’s great opportunity I ended up in the nursery with partly digested baby food on my shoe.

 

Alex:        This is nothing like nursery duty . .  This is solid gold number one opportunity.

 

Brett:        OK Alex, let’s hear it before we start a stampede for the doors.

 

Alex:        This will take a couple of minutes so why don’t we start with some food?

 

Winter:       That proves it’s a con, but I believe in looking a gift horse in the food basket.

 

Regan:       I see what you are saying Winter, but remember I missed dinner. Everybody grab a chair, grab some food. . . . Alex, you can give the lowdown on this opportunity while we eat.

 

all get food

 

Alex:        Great Regan, now here’s the good news. . . . Pastor wants a Christmas Eve program.

 

Elliot:        Late breaking news for you Alex. Pastor has a Christmas Eve program every year.

 

Alex:        Yeh but . .  the exciting part is Pastor wants us to do the Christmas Eve program.

 

Brett:        I hate to eat and run but . . . here I go . ..  eating and running.

 

Alex:        Guys, Pastor told me all about what he has in mind; it is really, really exciting.

 

Hudson:      OK Alex. . . . While I finish my sandwich you feed me more of this really, really exciting news.

 

Alex:        We write a short script about Christmas . . .

 

Kennedy:     Hey that’s not so bad, I kinda like writing skits.

 

Alex:        See, didn’t I tell you, exciting? And after we write the script . .  then we act it out.

 

Mackenzie:    Surely you didn’t expect us guys to go along with this idea did you Alex?

 

Regan:       Just hold up minute guys, I mean how bad can this be?

 

Alex:        Exactly, I mean . .

 

Spencer:      I say lets do it. . .  Might be fun if we all get at it.

 

Tyler:        OK, so what is this gonna be all about anyhow?

 

Winter:       Uhhhh . . . (spoken slowly as to a child) . . . Christmas.

 

Brett:        OK so what does Christmas mean?

 

Elliott:       Think of the word . . . Christ . . mas.

 

Hudsin:      In my house it’s Chris . .  . muss! . . . Tons off food and wrapping paper all over the house.

 

Kennedy:     Everyone knows what Christmas means. . . Christmas is when Jesus was born.

 

Alex:        Christmas means . . Christ’s mass, an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. The final step in an annual adventure which the church calls Advent.

 

Mackenzie:    What’s Advent?

 

Regan:       It’s a something that church people do; happens sometime between Christmas and Halloween, mostly.

 

Spencer:      Why is it that at Advent church people don’t give gifts like at Christmas, or go trick or treating like at Halloween?

 

Taylor:       No, it’s not that kind of thing. It’s . . . well . . .

 

Winter:       Thing is, church folks they light a bunch of candles and stuff.

 

Brett:         Why do they do that?

 

Elliott:        ‘Cause they . . .  just . . do. .

 

Alex:         We light candles of the advent wreath on the Sundays during Advent. The wreath is a circle, reminding us God is endless and eternal, without beginning or end.
The green color reminds us of our hope through God; hope for renewal, salvation and eternal life.
Candles remind us God came into the world through His Son, Jesus Christ, as a man, suffered and died for our sins, so we could have a home in heaven.

 

Hudson:      Yeh, basically that’s what I was gonna say.

 

actors lift eyebrows

 

Kennedy:     How come only one wreath but five candles?

 

Mackenzie:    Well, I am not sure, likely it’s . .

 

Regan:       Matter of space, see there’s just not room for four wreaths so they . . .

 

Alex:         The four outer candles symbolize the time of waiting and anticipation which we celebrate in the four Sundays of Advent.
The center candle represents Jesus Christ; he was, and is, central to our faithful hope. And so it is that the first candle, which we light first, is a symbol of the hope we have in salvation, and the hope of Jesus’ return.

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