“Merry Christmas!”We Wish You A Merry CHRISTmasCut sheets of green or red construction paper in half width-wise.

Fold each half width-wise to create a greeting card.Copy and cut the greetings below. Glue a greeting to the front of each folded card.

Write a personal greeting inside wishing everyone a CHRIST-filled Christmas. Place cards in envelopes and mail or deliver them to friends and family.

“The Gift of Christmas”Gift of Christmas Boxes

Preparation: Obtain 4 gift boxes of graduated sizes to fit one inside the other. Write GOD THE FATHER on the largest box, GOD THE SON on the medium box, ME on the small box, and GOD THE SPIRIT on the smallest box. Attach the corresponding Gift Tags to each box. Place the three smaller boxes inside the large box.

Instructions: Identify the GOD THE FATHER box and explain that God loves us and wants us all to become His children placing our faith in His Son, Jesus. Read John 10:29. (Jesus said) “My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand.” Explain that when you become God’s child, you are completely protected by Him. Remove the GOD THE SON box and open it to reveal the ME box inside. Read John 10:28. (Jesus said) “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand.” Explain that when we accept Christ, we are not only in God’s hand, but in Jesus’ hand also. We are completely surrounded by God the Father and God the Son. Remove and identify the ME box. Open it to reveal the GOD THE SPIRIT box. Read John 14:17. “The Spirit of Truth . . . He lives with you and will be in you.” Explain that not only are we surrounded by God the Father and God the Son, when we give our lives to Him, God the Spirit comes to live in us. Place the boxes back inside each other saying: (placing the GOD THE SPIRIT box in the ME box)

When I accept Emmanuel, the gift of God’s Spirit is in me . . . (placing the ME box in the GOD THE SON box)

and I am in the protection of God’s Son, Jesus . . . (placing the GOD THE SON box in the GOD THE FATHER box)

And I am also in the protection of God the Father, who is greater than all!

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“Always Emmanuel (O Come, O Come, Emmanuel)”

“Always Emmanuel”sounds happy

because it is in a major key.

Complete the happy words in this song.

f _ _ e n d

J _ y o f _ e a v e n

L o r _ _ l i v e

S _ _ v i o r

“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”

sounds sad because it is in a minor key.

Complete the sad words in this song.

c _ p t _ v e

_ o u r n _

l o n e _ _

e x _ l _

Because of Jesus we can be “major” !

MAJOR MINOR

“Always Emmanuel (O Come, O Come, Emmanuel)”

“The Story of the Christmas Child”The carol “What Child Is This?” was written by a Scottish man, William Dix, in 1865. Draw an

arrow from his words to the words we might use today. The first two lines are done for you.

1865

What child is this

who laid to rest

on Mary’s lap is sleeping

whom angels greet

with anthems sweeet

while shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ the King

whom shepherds guard

and angels sing!

Haste, haste

to bring Him love*

the Babe, the Son of Mary.

Today

asleep on His mother’s lap

who’s lying here

This is King Jesus

with beautiful songs

Who is this baby

that angels wake up

that shepherds protect

Hurry, hurry

as shepherds watch over Him?

Mary’s holy Baby Boy

and angels praise!

to honor Him

*the original lyric is “laud” which means “honor”

“Like a Child”“I” is a dipthong. A dipthong is a vowel made of two vowel sounds. Just as the cat’s body is

bigger than it’s tail, the “AH” is the long vowel sound followed by the short “ee” sound. Complete the long and short sounds of the dipthong in the “I” words below.

I = Ah ee

like = l AH ee k wise = wAH __ se

child = ch AH __ ld Christ = Chr ___ ee st

my = m __ ee time = t AH __ m

while = wh AH __ ll mild =m __ ee ld

The first one is done for you.

“Birthday!”Birthday Box

Make a Birthday Box for each large or small group of children. Separately wrap a gift box and the lid and decorate with ribbon to create the Birthday Box.

Display the box and ask the children, “Does it make you feel loved when someone remembers what makes you happy and gives you a present?” After they respond, tell them that it makes Jesus feel loved too, when we remember and give Him what pleases Him. Ask them, “If you were giving Jesus a gift this Christmas — His birthday! — what would you give Him?” Let the children respond, and guide them toward what the Bible says pleases [God] (obedience, prayer, Scripture memorization, obedience to our parents, time spent with Him, telling others about Him, showing love to others, etc.) Write their responses on slips of paper you place in the box. Remind them how important it is to tell Jesus we love Him by giving Him these “presents.”

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“Christmas Started with a Present”(Two keys, please.)

It takes two keys to sing “Christmas Started with a Present.” Not two house keys but two KEY SIGNATURES. The Chorus is in the key signature of Eb major, but the Verse moves up the scale to Gb flat major.

Look at the key signatures above. Can you find and circle the 3 flats found in both the Eb major key signature and the Gb major key signature?

These 3 flats B flat, E flat and A flat are also in

Gb

flat major along with D flat, G flat & C flat.

By mixing these COMMON TONES shared between the two key signatures,you can move from one key to another and “open” a new world of melodic choices!

E b major

Chorus Key SignatureE b major

G b major

Verse Key SignatureG b major

“The Open Door”Open Up and Breathe

These two balloons represent our lungs. When we breathe deeply, air goes down into our windpipe and fills our lungs. Air released slowly will help you sing longer phrases with a fuller tone.

Use this exercise to practice deep breathing:

SIT or STAND TALLRAISE your CHEST

RELAX your SHOULDERSBREATHE through your NOSE

FILL your LUNGS FULLDON’T BREATHE for 5 SEC.

EXHALE SLOWLY for 20 SEC.

“Behold! (The First Noel)”Behold! or Noel?

“Behold!” is a Bible word that could be translated “Yo!”, “Hey,” “Believe me” or “Listen.” “Noel” is an old English word that is short for the phrase “Now all is well.” Read the story below and write “Behold” or “Noel”under the words that share their meaning.

Once during choir practice, it started to rain. As I left the building, a kid said,

“Yo! Here’s an umbrella. Without it you would get soaked so, now you’re cool.”

As I stepped outside, someone in front of me said, “Look!” Don’t step in that

big puddle!” So I walked around the puddle and thought, “Now I’m okay.”

After putting my stuff in the trunk, I started the car. Suddenly, a man knocked

on my window and said, “Hey! You left your trunk opened.” Then he shut

the trunk and yelled, “You’re okay now.”

Driving home, the rain came down really hard, but I wasn’t afraid. At every

turn God had placed someone in my path to watch our for me. It was as if God

was saying, “Listen, can’t you see how much I love you?” So as I drove I sang,

“All is well, All is well.” Suddenly the rain stopped. So I rolled down my window

and yelled, “Hey world, with Jesus, everything is good!”

“Hearse and Rehearse”

Gather 4 sheets of green paper and tape.

Teach the chorus of “Hearse and Rehearse.” Explain that music is created through repeated melodies. Tape the first green sheet to the wall to represent the chorus melody. Tape the second green sheet then lead children to sing the chorus twice. As you teach the song, add 2 other sheets of green paper to represent each of the 4 repeated choruses.

To expand this activity, place 3 sheets of yellow paper to represent the verses and one sheet of red paper for the bridge among the green sheets. Show how the form of this song repeats the verse melody, but the bridge melody is only sung once.

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“I Will Worship You”Circle the name “Jesus” which is hidden in the picture of the worshipping wise men.

It appears 10 times.

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