CHILDREN’S MINISTER welcomes parents and introduces the play

[NARRATORS ENTER and take positions with microphones]

Background music begins

[Registrar will walk to stage right]

[Innkeeper will walk to stage left]

NARRATOR: In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be
taken of the entire Roman world. And everyone went to his own town to
register.

[Joseph and Mary walk on stage to the Registrar]

NARRATOR: So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to

Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line
of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be
married to him and was expecting a child.

[Joseph and Mary walk across the stage to the Innkeeper]

[Innkeeper shakes head “no”]

NARRATOR: While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born and she
gave birth to her firstborn, a son.
She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there
was no room for them in the inn.

[Joseph and Mary walk to center stage, sit in chairs, and pull out baby Jesus from
underneath one of the chairs]

“change background music”

[Main Angel comes in and stands stage left]
[Shepherds (and sheep) come in and stand (kneel) in front of angel]

NARRATOR: And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch
over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the
glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the
angel said to them,
Angel Speaks: Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all
people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is
Christ the Lord.”

[All children on stage will sing “Away in a Manger”]

Background music continues

[Angels will come in and stand with the Main Angel]

NARRATOR: Suddenly a great company of heavenly hosts appeared with the angel,
praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace
to men on whom his favor rests.”

[Shepherds go see Jesus]

NARRATOR: So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was
lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word
concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard
it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

[All on stage will sing “Joy to the World” with the help of background music]

[Angels, Registrar and Innkeeper will leave the stage while everyone sings and the King will
go where the Angels were]

[Wisemen and Star Holder will go to see the King]

NARRATOR: After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, Wise Men from the east
came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born the
king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship
him.” Jesus was a king for all people and one day every knee will bow
before him.

[Star holders will come on stage and will walk over and hold the star over Mary and Joseph.
Wisemen will walk slowly over to Mary and Joseph]
NARRATOR: After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they
had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place
where the child was.

[Wisemen bow down to baby Jesus and give their gifts]

NARRATOR: On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and
they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their
treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of
myrrh.
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call
him Immanuel” which means,…

[all children will say with narrator- “God with us.”]

Children will sing “we wish you a merry Christmas” to end the play