Lesson Overview
1
Get Them Curious
Prepare kids for an exciting
learning journey.
No More Room
Find creative ways to squeeze as many people as possible on a piece of newspaper that gets smaller with each round.
2
Screen Time
Show kids a video on the
Bible story.
The Birth of Jesus
The Story of Christmas: Mary and Joseph; and Jesus is Born. By Saddleback Kids
3
Make it Stick
Help kids remember the
Bible story.
The Birth of Jesus Comic Strip
Kids create an 8-frame comic strip to re-tell the story of the Birth of Jesus.
4
Dig Deeper
Help kids grasp
the big idea.
Nativity Craft
Kids make a Nativity Scene to display at home to share the story of the birth of Jesus.
5
Walk the Talk
Help kids live out
the big idea.
Candy Cane Slide
Players must manipulate a string stretched across a room to move a candy cane from one end of the room to the other.
6
Take it Home
Send kids home with a concrete action plan and fun midweek activities.
The True Story of Christmas
Tell the True Story of Christmas using the Nativity Craft and The True Story of Christmas Word Search.
Big Idea
Jesus is the Son of God.
Key Verse
So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Luke 1:35b
Live it Out
We celebrate Christmas because God gave us His Son, Jesus, so that we can be with Him forever!
This Sunday School Lesson requires some advance preparation. For a consolidated summary of preparation, supplies and free printables required, please scroll to the bottom of this lesson.
1. Get Them Curious – No More Room
Divide into teams of 4 to 10 players.
Ideally, each team should have the same number of players.
As this game involves physical contact, we suggest same-gender teams.
Give each team 1 sheet of newspaper.
All team members must stand on the piece of newspaper, with no parts of their bodies touching the floor or surrounding objects or walls. Remain standing for 5 seconds.
Teams that succeed in doing this progress to the next round; other teams are eliminated.
For the next round, fold the newspaper in half and repeat.
Keep doing this until only one team remains – this is the winning team.
Discuss:
- Did you enjoy this game?
- How do you feel when you had to squeeze onto a piece of newspaper with so many other people?
- Does this game remind you of any Bible stories?
- Can anyone guess the title of today’s Bible story?
Say: Let’s watch 2 short videos on The Story of Christmas.
Pray: Dear God, thank you for our No More Room game! Please help us learn what this game has to do with today’s lesson and teach us how you want us to live it out! In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
2. Screen Time – The Birth of Jesus
These are our 2 favorite YouTube videos on The Birth of Jesus:
- https://youtu.be/XkEypzmHwCI
- https://youtu.be/v3656G6tWuI
Before you begin, tell the children to pay attention to the various events in the story.
3. Make it Stick – The Birth of Jesus Comic Strip
Remember to download The Birth of Jesus Comic Strip Printable in advance.
(This printable has 8 pages; each page describes 1 scene.)
Discuss: What Bible story did we just watch?
Show Slide 1 (Sunday School Lesson Title & Bible Reference):
Say: Let’s create a comic strip to re-tell today’s story.
Part 1 – Create 8 Frames of The Birth of Jesus Comic Strip
Divide your class into 8 small groups (3-5 kids per group).
Give each group:
- 1 page of The Birth of Jesus Comic Strip Printable
- Some markers
Kids must work in groups to create 1 frame of the comic strip to illustrate that scene.
If you have fewer kids in your class, assign more than 1 scene to some groups.
Part 2 – Use the Comic Strip to re-tell the story of The Birth of Jesus
After all the groups have finished creating their comic strips, have kids put up all 8 frames in the correct order.
Starting with the first frame, have each group take turns to re-tell (in their own words) that part of the story.
4. Dig Deeper – Nativity Craft
Remember to download the Nativity Craft Printable and prepare all necessary materials in advance.
Show kids a sample of the Nativity Scene that you have made.
Tell kids they will be making their own Nativity Scene.
You will need for each child:
- 1 set of Nativity Craft Printable (printed on cardstock)
- Scissors
- Sticky tape or glue
- Toilet paper roll (optional)
- Tissue box or shoe box (optional)
To make the Nativity Scene Figures:
1. Cut out each figure.
2. Roll each figure into a cylinder and glue.
To add stability and weight, you can roll the figures around a toilet paper roll.
(You can also use half a toilet paper roll.)
To make the Nativity Scene Background:
1. Cut out the 3 sections of the background. (These must be printed on cardstock.)
2. Apply some glue on the white flaps of the larger section and paste the 2 side panels to the larger section.
3. Fold in the 2 side panels forward about 45° so the background can stand.
(To add stability to the background, kids can paste the back of the larger section onto a tissue box or shoe box at home.)
Say: Today we have watched 2 videos about the birth of Jesus and drawn our own comic strip. Let’s see if we can tell the story using the Nativity Craft that we have just made.
Kids can refer to their comic strip to help tell the story.
Hold up Mary and Joseph.
Discuss: Who are these people?
Say: More than 2000 years ago, there lived a young woman named Mary. She was preparing to be married to a man named Joseph.
Hold up the angel.
Discuss: Who is this?
Say: One day, an angel appeared to Mary and said, “Listen! You will soon have a son, and you will name him Jesus. The baby will be holy and will be called the Son of God.”
Hold up the background and the animals.
Discuss:
- Where is this place?
- Why are they here?
Say:
- Around the time for Jesus to be born, the Roman rulers ordered everyone to return to their hometown to be counted.
- Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth, but they had to travel to Joseph’s hometown, Bethlehem.
- Since Joseph did not live in Bethlehem anymore, he did not have a home there. So Joseph and Mary had to stay with Joseph’s relatives.
- But because many of his other relatives had also travelled back to Bethlehem to be counted, the place was overcrowded.
- Joseph and Mary had to stay in a room that was also used to keep some animals.
Hold up baby Jesus.
Discuss: Who is this?
Say: While Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem, baby Jesus was born. Mary wrapped him with pieces of cloth and placed him in a manger.
Hold up the shepherd and 3 wise men.
Say:
- This is a shepherd, and these are wise men from the East. In the next 2 lessons, we will learn more about what they have to do with the story about the birth of Jesus. (If you like, you can read about them in Luke 2:8-21 and Matthew 2:1-12.)
- Let’s learn more about Jesus.
Read Luke 1:26-35
Discuss: Before Jesus was born, God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary. What did the angel tell Mary about Jesus?
Read: Matthew 1:20-23
Discuss: God also sent an angel to Joseph. What did the angel tell Joseph about Jesus?
Say: Jesus is not just any ordinary baby. Jesus is the Son of God! Before the birth of Jesus, not only have the prophets told us about Him; God also sent His angel to tell Mary and Joseph about Jesus!
Show Slide 2 (Big Idea): 
Have everyone read the slide.
Show Slide 3 (Key Verse): 
Have everyone read the slide.
5. Walk the Talk – Candy Cane Slide
Divide into teams of roughly equal numbers.
Give each team 1 long string and 1 candy cane.
The first player of each team stands at 1 end of the room and holds 1 end of a string as well as a candy cane.
The last player stands at the opposite end of the room and holds the other end of the string.
All other players spread out and stand next to their team’s string.
When everyone is in place, the first player hangs the candy cane on the string.
On go, the first player must raise the string to slide the candy cane to the next player.
Players are not allowed to touch the candy cane. They can only touch the string.
Raise or lower the string to slide the candy cane from one player to the next.
If the candy cane drops, pick it up and re-start from the first player.
The first team to successfully transfer their candy can from one end to the other wins.
Discuss:
Did you enjoy the game?
Do you like candy canes?
Which time of the year do you usually see candy canes being sold?
What do candy canes have to do with Christmas?
Say:
- The candy cane looks like a shepherd’s staff when you hold it upright. But when you turn it over, it looks like the letter J. J is for Jesus!
- We see candy canes during the Christmas season because that is the time when we celebrate the birth of Jesus.
- Let’s learn more about why we celebrate the birth of Jesus…
Read John 3:16
Discuss:
- Why did God give us Jesus?
- Who can have eternal life?
- What is eternal life?
Say:
- God gave us His Son, Jesus, because He loves us!
- God wants us to be with Him forever!
- To have eternal life means to have a relationship with God. It begins the moment we believe in Jesus and continues forever and ever.
Read John 1:12 and 1 John 3:1
Discuss: What do we become when we believe in Jesus?
Say:
- We celebrate the birth of Jesus because God loves us and gave us His Son, Jesus!
- God gave us His Son, Jesus, so that those who believe in Him can become children of God and be with God forever!
Discuss:
- Are you a child of God?
- Do you want to become God’s child and be with Him forever?
Say: The Bible tells us that you can become God’s child and be with Him forever if you:
- Admit that you have sinned and ask God to forgive you,
- Believe that Jesus died on the cross to be punished instead of you, and
- Invite Jesus into your life to help you turn away from sin
Discuss:
- Do you want to tell God that you are truly sorry for all the wrong things you have done?
- Do you believe that Jesus took the punishment for your sins?
- Do you want to start a relationship with Jesus to help you turn from all the wrong things you have done and do what is right?
Invite those who want to accept Jesus to pray this prayer:
Dear Jesus, I know that I have sinned. I believe that you died on the cross to take the punishment for my sins. Please forgive all of my sins. Please come into my life and help me turn away from doing wrong. Thank you that because you took the punishment for my sins, I can have a relationship with you now and will one day be with you in heaven. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Say:
- Congratulations! If you have prayed this prayer sincerely, you have become God’s child and will be with God forever and ever!
- It is important that you grow in your relationship with God by talking to Him and reading the Bible regularly, and by obeying God.
- For those of us who believe in Jesus, Christmas is a great time for celebrating and telling others about Jesus!
- We celebrate Christmas because God gave us His Son, Jesus, so that we can be with Him forever!
Show Slide 4 (Live it Out): 
Have everyone read the slide.
6. Take it Home – The True Story of Christmas
Say: Let’s recall all that we have learned today. Can you remember the title of today’s Bible Story?
Show Slide 1 again (Sunday School Lesson Title & Bible Reference):
Have everyone read the slide.
Say: Can you remember today’s big idea?
Show Slide 2 again (Big Idea):
Have everyone read the slide.
Say: Can you remember today’s key verse?
Show Slide 3 again (Key Verse):
Have everyone read the slide.
Say: How can we live out today’s lesson?
Show Slide 4 again (Live it Out):
Have everyone read the slide.
Discuss: How will you celebrate Christmas?
Say:
- We celebrate Christmas because God gave us His Son, Jesus, so that we can be with Him forever!
- Today you will be bringing home your own Nativity Craft and I will be giving you a copy of The True Story of Christmas Word Search.
- I hope that with these, you will be able to tell your family and friends the real reason why we celebrate Christmas!
Give each child a copy of The Birth of Jesus Take it Home Handout and The True Story of Christmas Word Search. (Prepare extra copies and encourage kids to take them and give to their friends who may not know the true story of Christmas.)
Discuss: Do you know of anyone why may not know the real reason why we celebrate Christmas?
Say:
- Write down their names on the first page of the Live it Out section.
- You can tell them the true story of Christmas using your Nativity Craft and The True Story of Christmas Word Search!
- Spend some time praying that God will help you tell them the true story of Christmas.
- The other pages are for you to do at home. Tell me next week about what you did at home!
Give everyone some time to write down their Live it Out action plan before ending the lesson with this closing prayer:
Pray: Dear God, thank you for today’s Bible lesson on The Birth of Jesus. Thank you that we can celebrate Christmas because you have given us your Son, Jesus, so that we can be with you forever! Thank you for Jesus! Please help tell others the true story of Christmas! In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Lesson Preparation and Supplies
Here’s a summary of all the preparation, supplies and free printables required for this lesson.1
Get Them Curious
Prepare kids for an exciting
learning journey.
No More Room
Find creative ways to squeeze as many people as possible on a piece of newspaper that gets smaller with each round.
You will need some newspapers.
2
Screen Time
Show kids a video on the
Bible story.
The Birth of Jesus
The Story of Christmas: Mary and Joseph; and Jesus is Born. By Saddleback Kids
Ensure that you can play these 2 YouTube videos:
The Story of Christmas (Mary and Joseph) by Saddleback Kids (Video URL: https://youtu.be/XkEypzmHwCI)
The Story of Christmas (Jesus is Born) by Saddleback Kids (Video URL: https://youtu.be/v3656G6tWuI)
3
Make it Stick
Help kids remember the
Bible story.
The Birth of Jesus Comic Strip
Kids create an 8-frame comic strip to re-tell the story of the Birth of Jesus.
Download and print 1 copy of The Birth of Jesus Comic Strip Printable:
(This printable has 8 pages; each page describes 1 scene.)
For this activity, you will need to divide your class into 8 small groups (3-5 kids per group).
For each group, you will need:
- 1 page of The Birth of Jesus Comic Strip Printable
- Some markers
(If you have too few kids in your class, assign more than 1 scene to some groups.)
Download Slide 1 (Sunday School Lesson Title & Bible Reference):
4
Dig Deeper
Help kids grasp
the big idea.
Nativity Craft
Kids make a Nativity Scene to display at home to share the story of the birth of Jesus.
Download Nativity Craft Printable:
Make 1 Nativity Scene in advance.
(Follow the instructions in “Dig Deeper” section above.)
You will need to show kids your sample Nativity Scene.
You will need for each child:
- 1 set of Nativity Craft Printable (printed on cardstock)
- Scissors
- Sticky Tape or glue
- Toilet paper roll (optional)
- Tissue box or shoe box (optional)
Download Slide 2 (Big Idea):
Download Slide 3 (Key Verse):
5
Walk the Talk
Help kids live out
the big idea.
Candy Cane Slide
Players must manipulate a string stretched across a room to move a candy cane from one end of the room to the other.
Divide into teams of roughly equal numbers.
For each group, you will need:
- 1 string (long enough to stretch from one end of the room to the other)
- 1 candy cane (you may need extra candy canes in case some break during the game
Download Slide 4 (Live it Out):
6
Take it Home
Send kids home with a concrete action plan and fun midweek activities.
The True Story of Christmas
Tell the True Story of Christmas using the Nativity Craft and The True Story of Christmas Word Search.
Download The Birth of Jesus Take it Home Handout. You will need to print 1 copy for each child.
Download The True Story of Christmas Word Search. You will need to print at least 1 copy for each child. Print extra copies and encourage kids to take extra copies to give to their friends who may not know the true story of Christmas.
It would be good to tell parents about the Take it Home Handout. Encourage them to do the suggested family activity with their child.
