Gather for Soul Reports (5 min)
• Youth will gather in a circle and sing “Sanctuary” and offer soul reports about how their week was, and any praises or concerns
Introduction of the Scripture (5-8 min)
• Scripture can be offered in a variety of ways: group reading, acting out, storytelling, video, song – as long as it gets heard once without interruptions by one reader
• Today: Read the scripture Matthew 1:18-25 Before you have the kids read the scripture, have the kids re-tell the Christmas story with as much detail as possible. Then have them figure out why some of the details aren’t in the verses that they read (because they are in a different Gospel: Mark, Luke or John).
Message (5 min)
• The message will have the same application concept as the sermon, but at a more appropriate level, and should also contain some context and content information about the passage.
• Message can be interactive, lecture, and/or something else
• Today: The Time-line of Christmas. Go through the other books and try to put a time line together of the birth of Jesus. Where the different Gospels say different things, feel free to question why.
Application (10-15 min)
• This is where things like a project with a purpose (not just a craft), role play, and other application activities fit in – making it the most interactive of the worship.
• Today: Hope- The next four weeks are designed to prepare our hearts and souls for Christmas and the birth of Jesus. This week is “hope” – on the chart paper talk about what they are hoping for in the next year, and when everyone has had a turn to list a hope, talk about how/if the kind of hope we talk about in church is the same as what they were hoping for..
Communion (5-8 min)
• Youth will sing “Let Us Break Bread Together” and gather at the table for a real communion meal. After the adult prepares the group for communion with words and prayer the youth will have a slice of bread, glass of juice and have a “Meal of Remembrance” until everyone finishes.
• Youth will be reminded that while they are eating the conversation needs to be about Christ: bible stories, things they know or learned about Jesus, or questions they are curious about – a weekly reminder will be given that communion is about remembering Jesus, and the words of the institution.
Closing (5 min)
• This should be a time to summarize and review the message and application with a short conversation, closing prayer, and end with the song “Bind Us Together”
• If worship isn’t finished yet, youth will quietly return to the sanctuary for the end of the service.
