The First Christmas a Wonderful Program

This is a really lovely presentation by the children of Glen Avon Presbyterian Church!  Every bit of it is creative and so sweet.  I'm sure you'll love it! Thanks to everyone involved!

Here is a note to me from Erin one of the developers of the Christmas program.

• I took far too long searching for the perfect book for this project. Yours stood out above the rest! I was looking for a book to tell the traditional story with Mary and Joseph and angels and shepherds that would resonate with all ages. I was also looking for diversity in the character's illustrations -and oh, your illustrations are beautiful. I'm. so glad to own a copy!

 A letter to the congregation:

• As we began to think about what a Christmas program could look like in a global pandemic we were sad because we have so many fond (and sometimes funny) memories of the Christmas programs we’ve performed at Glen Avon Church. Those memories bring such warm feelings and even though they draw awareness to the absence of those feelings this year, we also realized that we had a rare opportunity to try something new.  An idea was born, a brainstorming session happened, and many grown-ups rose to the challenge of putting together a new type of Christmas program! Step one was book selection. We chose The First Christmas, written and illustrated by Carol Heyer.

• Next, we purchased and shipped a copy of the book to each of the families on our Sunday School roster between birth and grade 8. Each family was assigned a scene and given ideas for making a recording for us to string together into one reading of the story from beginning to end. We did not assign specific parts this year, each child could choose (if they wanted a costume, some did not) to be anyone or anything they wanted to be, knowing that could mean there was potential to end up with 27 donkeys and no Mary.
• We would like to say thank you, first and foremost, to Carol Heyer. If you’re looking for a beautifully illustrated telling of Jesus’ birth, get a copy of her book for your collection! We are so happy that she gave us permission to use her words and art as our script and inspiration.
• Second, thank you to the Sunday School youth at Glen Avon for being brave enough to try something new this year, you are truly the stars of the show! Third, a giant thank you to the grown-ups that prioritized their time to help their children find costumes, and sets, and props, and then record each scene (you know it took more than one take!).
• Last, thank you to the CE Committee for the idea, the brainstorming, the willingness to tackle an extra project, and the desire to keep our families connected even when we can’t be together.
• We wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and the Happiest New Year!
• Feel free to share with family and friends.