I'm always surprised that there aren't more creative Christmas programs.  I don't mean curriculum programs for the festive season- there are plenty of those and I'll post a list of those soon to help you plan ahead.

No.. I'm talking about Christmas programs to present to a large group or audience, whether it's a Christmas family service, Christmas kidmin party or perhaps as part of your church's carols night. 

And I'm not talking about a concert, either. There are, in fact, a lot of choices for something of this nature. See somehere.

No.. I mean the type of creative program or event that doesn't involved a huge amount of time and preparation; it doesn't mean spending weeks rehearsing when the kids should instead be learning about Jesus in their regular programs; it doesn't mean waylaying unsuspecting people and frantically and dramatically trying to inspire their involvement.

Do you think I'm asking for the impossible? (Sigh!) Maybe. 
Well... I've come up with 3 programs that I think have possibilities. And please... let me know if you've found anything else that seems worthwhile.

1. UNFROZEN- Do you want to meet a Saviour?

Now, I have to admit that a big plus for this one is that it's FREE! But there are other positives, too. Presented in four scenes
First, there are four scenes. That means you can break it up a bit- add some movie clips, items, audience interactions, whatever. It also means that, if you like, you could present this over four weeks as a lead-up to Christmas. I think it could be quite effective and also reduce the pressure on your volunteers.
Does it sound a little familiar?
This program makes use of the tremendous appeal of the recent Frozen movie and the scenes and dialogue highlight this. It adds a ready humour to the program and immediately connects with the audience. In essence.. the script is funny. You'll love it.
Small number of volunteers needed
There are only four people required to present Unfrozen. The stage design is quite simple, though you could add to it and make it as elaborate as you like. Also... the speaking parts are not difficult. In fact, two of the parts can just be read aloud.

It's sounding better and better, isn't it? Yes, I must admit that I'm seriously considering using this program. It definitely has possibilities. You'll also be pleased to know that there is an accompanying teaching program that you can purchase and use with your kidmin groups for the Christmas period. Check it out... from Childrens Ministry Deals.

2. BETHLEHEM BOUND- The fun, instant Christmas play starring families!

We all know when Christmas is. We all know our kidmins will be involved in some sort of Christmas program. And... we also know we have little time and resources to prepare a special event. So... how about an easy, not-much-extra-work type of Christmas event?
From rehearsal to presentation all in one night
Well, that's what this program portends - an amazing and easy event that can be rehearsed and presented all in one night.
Four scenes
There are four scenes filled with drama, humour, music and a message that will place Jesus as the real star of the Christmas season.

What's included?
*director guide
* assistant director guides with family devotions
* music CDs- one for each scene cast
* posters and other promotional media
*comic book that retells the story
* CD with all needed resources for the event and to encourage church attendance afterwards.
Other resources can be purchased for kids and families create and to help with the presentation.

THE MIRACLE OF JESUS- A Christmas event for families

This program, again from Group, sounds similar to a program we used a couple of years ago- One Starry Night. We presented it as a family event and the conclusion to our weekly kids club program. You can read a small recap of the eventhere. It was very well received and if The Miracle of Jesus is similar, it's the type of program that would also work well as the lead-in to a church carol night.
Overview
Families will see, hear, taste, touch, and smell the Bible-times town of Bethlehem. Through hands-on activities, games, stories, and more, they’ll experience firsthand the amazing impact of the miracles of Jesus’ birth—and life. (Group)
What's involved?
As families arrive, they're given a map to follow that leads them around various stations where they experience Bethlehem- the stable, the bakery, spice shop. They'll sample something of what's presented at each station or sometimes create a take-home item. 
What's included?
* director's manual
* media pack with music CD and publicity and resources CD-rom
* samples of marketplace crafts and extras.
Catch a glimpse of what's involved.
Take a look at the small clip we made of the One Starry Night event for some idea of this type of program. 
It was a lot of fun and we involved a lot of other church family member that aren't normally a part of our kidmin.

Start planning now for your end-of-year Christmas event. Check out some of these resources and get started. 
If you begin now, most of your planning can be in place and you can look forward to Christmas with real excitement and remember this year 2014 as season full of overflowing joy and peace.  

I'd arrived earlier than usual. It was to be a special Sunday and I needed plenty of time to set up our equipment, organise the resources and decorate the area without any interruptions.

Yet there she stood, panting a little but with a happy smile on her face.
"I ran all the way. I didn't want to be late and miss anything!"

Ever been there? Or maybe a child has been left waiting for a parent to come and collect them after the service. Or perhaps, there's been an emergency and you've unexpectedly had to entertain a child for a while.

On Sundays, I usually have an activity table set up for these types of scenarios. But it's always helpful to have other solutions up your sleeve. Here's one idea.

What is it and how much does it cost?
The Bible Jigz jigsaw puzzle app from Dennis Jones is just such a resource. First up, the graphics are great! Since it's from Dennis Jones, the Bible story illustrations are wonderful. 

The cost? You can download this absorbing app for only $1.99.

What's included?
The jigsaw app includes 40 Bible story illustrations divided into 4 levels of difficulty and it's easy for the user to navigate to other levels to test their ability. You'll also find a Bible verse Scripture reference making it easy to locate the actual story in your Bible, read it and discuss with the child. Check out the following features listed oniTunes.
 FEATURES:
• 4 different levels of play - 4, 6, 8, or 12 pieces
• 10 puzzles in each level; 40 jigsaw puzzles in all
• Individual puzzle pieces “lock-in” place and fit together easily 
• Fantastic and humorous original illustrations by Dennis Jones
• Kid-friendly interface with big navigation buttons
• Each puzzle has Bible references to the “full story” depicted in picture
• Pleasant musical synth-ditty that toggles on and off

• No rules, no stress, no sweat - it’s just puzzles
• No missing pieces — GUARANTEED!

You also might find it a useful little app to use for small group activities to introduce a specific Bible story. And, of course, it would also be great for families. You can find the app here and read more about the illustrative work of Dennis Jones here.

While I'm highlighting his work, you might also be interested in a special project created as an introduction for a sermon series on Jonah. You can find the YouTube clip below. It would work well with other kids or teens if you needed a quick introduction to the story of Jonah.

The close of our kidmin program was approaching and I knew the kids and families would be wondering about the final event. Yes, we'd been planning it but I still needed to start promoting it; and I also had upcoming birthdays for three family members, my parents' combined 80th celebration, a leaders' summit and a trip away to plan. At this rate, I'd collapse in a nervous heap before I ever left for my week away.

Why include special events?

We try to include a special kidmin event every term, generally at the conclusion of our current kidmin program. series or emphasis. 

Yes.. they mean extra work but these events provide additional interest and excitement for the kids and highlight our kidmin within the church family. They're also a non-threatening and fun event to extend an invitation to non-churched families and friends. 

An easy way to promote your events

But how could I quickly pull together an event promotion that would create impact and appeal? Fortunately, I discovered an great online program, splashthat.com

 Just sign up.. it's free. The program walks you through each step and even suggests wording for your event. You'll need your own images to personalise your promotion but you'll find it's simple to upload them. 

There is also a gallery page if you have a number of images or if you want to include a growing collection of images of your program to share on your social media. 

You'll find a list of the Splash features below.

There are other optional features, such as unique event domain and removal of the Splashthat watermark and branding, that will incur a cost if you request these pro features. Check out the site for more information... here.