A Christmas Sunday School program for age 2 through Grade 6, with group choral readings and anagrams for each group, interspersed with an ongoing drama about a group of children less than anxious to get involved in the program. The children learn in the course of the drama that there is more to the Christmas message than smelly beards and boring lines.
Roles can be added or reduced, includes mime to music for “Away in a Manger”

Cast:
14 in drama:
4 year old: Mia, Jenna
Grade 2 (lambs):
Peter, Alex D, Matthew
Grade 3:
Alex R, Kiara
Grade 4:
Ashley, Alyssa, Brandon, Sophie, Shauna, Erica
Grade 5: Amy
94 in children’s Sunday school parts (can be increased or decreased)
For Scene V Human Video violinist soloist dancers (as available, desired)

Set: bare, rear projection screen used for backdrops

Costumes: as desired some adornment (such as tinsel halos, etc.) for younger classes There will be a pile of traditional costumes, beards, crowns and shepherd’s staff on the floor at center stage throughout the drama. Drama actors will pick these up as they move to the human video in Scene V lambs costumes for Matthew, Peter and Alex D, who will be in full costume throughout the drama

Special instructions: PowerPoint program will display the words spoken by the classes in order that no words will be lost on the audience. For younger groups a narrator may be used and children just hold signs We recommend that rather than paper scripts for the readers that monitors be set up at the front for classes to read from.

Sample of script:

Scene I

Kiara comes on stage, very despondent, sighs, kicks at some imaginary thing on stage, sits down, big sigh, stares at the floor
Alex R comes, on, sees Kiara, speaks

Alex R: Hey Kiara, how’s things?

Kiara looks up, big sigh, looks down again

Alex R: Problems?

Kiara, defeated look: Just the end of my life is all.

Alex R: Sounds serious.

Kiara shakes head, sighs, looks at the floor

Alex R: Wow! Real serious. Care to share?

Kiara: Sunday School Christmas concert is all.

Alex R: And that’s a bad thing?

Kiara: Just the end of my life is all.

Alex R: So you said. Links fingers together, stretches, nods head, very grown up Gotta tell ya, back when I was a kid, Sunday School Christmas concerts, they were seen as a good thing.

Kiara: Maybe you didn’t have Mrs. Rogers, my Sunday School teacher, back then.

Alex R: My guess is that’s a bad thing.

Kiara: You have no idea!

Amy and Alyssa come on stage

Amy: Hello little person type people.

Alyssa: What’s wrong with Kiara? Looks like she’s lost her best friend.

Alex R, crosses to between Amy and Alyssa, puts his hands on their shoulders:
See problem is, Kiara has an issue with the Christmas play.

Amy, takes Alex R’s hand off her shoulder, moves away from him:
Alex, would you please keep your hands off me, I do not want to get little boy germs!

Alyssa: Don’t you just hate that Amy?

Amy: There’s one thing I like about little boys.

Alyssa: Whatever would that be?

Amy: I have no idea, but my mother told me I am required to have one nice thought about everyone, so I am kinda locked in to that. In the case of little boys, I am still searching for that something nice.

All actors come on stage, long sad faces, go through the pile of costumes, Kiara moves to them

Kiara: Don’t tell me, Mrs. Rogers, right?

Erica: Looks like I am forced to be a king. (frames face with hands) Now tell me, does this gorgeous face look like the face of some . . . king?

Shauna: Mrs. Rogers said maybe I could be a shepherd! (holds up a beard) Care to imagine all the germs that have called this thing home over the years? Me, a shepherd? Not in this lifetime!

Matthew: You guys think you’ve got troubles.

Peter: Lambs!

Alex D.: Plain old sheep!

Matthew: As in . . .

Matthew, Peter and Alex D face upstage, wiggle behinds

Matthew: . . . wagging their tails behind them! . . . . . Are we lucky or what?

Jenna, shrugs in disbelief

Ashley: Well, my mom says I’ve been a perfect angel from the day I was born, so I guess there’s no doubt Mrs. Rogers will ask me to be the angel.

Sophie: I am holding out for a singing role. After all, let’s face it, I do have incredible talent.

Sophie sings loud and off key

Erica: You think you are under-utilized? Think of my beauty being wasted as a king!

Brandon: There appears to be tension in the air. Perhaps I should coach all of you.

Amy: OK, but don’t call us Brandon, we’ll call you, OK?

Shauna: I wonder if there is something to spray on this beard?

Ashley: To kill the germs?

Shauna: No, to make the beard disappear.

Jenna takes beard, wears it for a hat, walks off stage

Alex R: What are you going to be in the Christmas concert Mia?

Mia: What else? The star.

Mia walks off stage

Kiara: Looks to me like Mrs. Rogers has herself a can’t miss hit here!

Matthew, points to back of sanctuary:
Speaking of Mrs. Rogers, don’t look now but here she comes!
Alyssa: Like they say in the movies, exit stage left! Quickly before she makes us be in the play!

all actors quickly off stage

Age 4 & 5 Love For Jesus – 14 children

J is for Jesus, born on this night
E for excitement as they saw the light
S for our Saviour sent from above
U is unchanging, His unchanging love
S for singing, the angels were able

W the Wise Men who came to the stable
E is for ever, it never will end

L the sweet love of Jesus, he is my friend
O watching over me, all night and day
V no inn vacancy, no where to lay
E so God came to earth in the cold and the dew

Y but Y means that Jesus came just for you
O so open your heart
U and He will bless you!

NOTE: all children will say the last line in unison, point at the audience, turn over their signs, all will display the letter “U” on the back of sign
Can be expanded or shrunk depending on children available
move back a step so Age 2 & 3 have room in front

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