Angels Appeared (Visual Aid)

This is a visual aid to help talk about the angels as you tell the Christmas story.

Supplies: blacklight, Tonic Water with Quinine in the ingredients, and a paper plate angel (see how to make below)

Preparation: place tonic water in a clear bottle if it is not already in one. Remove the label. Make Paper Plate Angel and then set it on top of the bottle.

As you tell the Christmas story, every time an “angel” appears bring out or point to your Tonic Water Angel. You may want to draw the students into the angel by asking them if they believe in angels? Do they believe angels appear to regular people like Mary, Joseph and the Shepherds? Then add, “I believe in angels, and I believe that they can appear to regular people just like Mary and just like you and me.” Then turn the black light on behind the angle. The quinine in the tonic water will glow a blue-ish glow. If you decorated the angel with fluorescent yellow highlighter, then the highlighter will really glow a bright yellow.

Paper Plate Angel Craft
Adapted from: "Paper Plate Angel," Big Book of Bible Crafts, Gospel Light, © 2000

Supplies: a paper plate, scissors, stapler or clear tape and things to decorate with such as glitter, yarn, stickers, pipe cleaners (for halo) and markers.

Optional Supplies: a hole punch and 6”-8” yarn strips (to make angel a hanging ornament) and yellow fluorescent Highlighter (really glows bright yellow when put under a black light)

Instructions:

1. Cut out angel – Fold paper in half. Draw a line straight across. At the center of the line draw a circle to be the head. Cut along the straight line to about ¼” from the head on both sides. Cut out the head. (DO NOT CUT paper plate in half by cutting all the way to the head.)
   
2. Fold arms and wings – on the bottom half (the part without the circle for the head). Fold the outer tips forward until they touch together and staple or tape together. Fold the top half down behind the angel to become the wings and secure with tape or a staple.
   
3. Decorate – decorate as desired.

Christmas Traditions Today and Yesterday

Christmas is coming! As we wear ourselves out getting ready, we may wonder why we bother. Why? Why because, it is the biggest birthday party of the year. It is one of the biggest celebrations to give thanks for the greatest gift ever given, God's only Son, the Savior of the World.

When you feel yourself ready to throw in the towel and give up, take a deep breath and remember the Christmas story, the true meaning of Christmas. All of this started with the birth of a baby in a manger in Bethlehem some 2000 years ago.

When you wonder why? Consider the presentation below. I did this for my Sunday School class of 4-5 year olds. They loved it.

Supplies: poster sizes paper (either cut out or draw on it the outline of a Christmas tree), coffee filters, scissors, yellow fluorescent highlighter, black light.

Prep: cut coffee filters into the shape of ornaments, draw on them with the highlighter things that represent Christmas: 1) candy cane/shepherd’s staff, 2) manger, 3) star, 4) camel, 5) sheep, 6) angel, 7) cross)

Presentation:
(tape Christmas tree up where everybody can see it) About now everybody is getting ready for Christmas.
1. We are decorating the tree (tape a coffee filter to the tree)
2. We may be decorating the house with lights and wreaths. (tape another ornament),
3. We may be baking cookies (tape another ornament)
4. We may be shopping for gifts (tape another ornament)
5. We may be going to parties (tape another ornament)
6. We may be going to see Christmas movies or Christmas plays (Tape another ornament)
7. We may even go caroling and sing Christmas songs (tape another ornament)
But is that what Christmas is all about? Is that why we celebrate Christmas? No (get black light ready)
1. We celebrate Christmas to honor the Son of God (turn black light on and point to the cross. The yellow will shine bright.)
2. We celebrate Christmas to remember the story of the King of Kings as just a babe born in a manger (point to manger)
3. We go to watch Christmas movies like the shepherds had to go watch their flocks at night (point to sheep)
4. We sing Christmas songs like the angels did when they told the shepherds the good news (point to angel)
5. We go to parties like the shepherds did when they went to the manger and then told everybody they could find to come and see and celebrate the new born king (point to candy cane/shepherds staff)
6. We buy gifts like the wise men did (point to camel)
7. We decorate our homes like the star above Bethlehem did so many years ago. (point to star)
Christmas is not about toys and food and decorations. It is about God’s love for you and for me. It is the about the greatest gift ever given, God’s only son. It is about Jesus Christ’s birthday. Jesus Christ, the savior of all the world, has given us a gift, a chance for everlasting life.

Enjoy your Christmas and all it’s traditions, but don’t forget where it all started in a manger in Bethlehem. Don’t forget why it started, to celebrate the birth of God’s only Son, Jesus Christ.