Introduction to the Christmas Pageant

This is only an introduction to the Christmas pageant, not the pageant itself...but it also gives a very brief explanation of why Christ Church, Heiloo is so family oriented...

Welcome, everyone, to this special celebration of Christmas! 

Before I introduce this very special Christmas Pageant, I’d like to thank everyone who has worked so hard to make this nativity play possible…and this includes people from the past who made costumes and taught in the Sunday School…some are still here and some are not. You know who you are and we all thank you this evening. To those who worked behind the scenes to create backdrops, props, more costumes, advertisement flyers, the beveridges and snacks, and all the other wonderful things, thank you. To our Sound and Visuals Team, thank you! To those who have worked diligently with our children, teaching them to love Jesus and to serve him and helping to make Bible learning fun, thank you. 

To our parents…thank you for teaching your children the truth. I believe in the priesthood of all believers and especially when it comes to the home where parents play the primary role in bringing up their children in the fear of the Lord. You are super heroes in my book…it is not easy to raise children in a world that is constantly seeking to undermine you, but God has blessed you all…and we thank you all.

But then, my thanks go to our very special children, from the youngest to the oldest. You provide us all with such joy. Thank you for being such a source of blessing to everyone. And thank you for working so hard to make this pageant such a special time…thank you for teaching us what faith is all about…Jesus said that we ought to be more like children because you believe with such purity and humility. So, before we go any further, would you please give the stars of this evening’s pageant a great big round of applause.

So, this evening, we are not only rejoicing in the birth of Jesus, our Saviour, but we are also rejoicing in his blessing us with so many precious children.  From the very beginning, God’s love and promises have included our children, making them a vital part of His story of redemption.

In the Old Testament, we see children woven into the fabric of covenant life. At least from Abraham onward, children of believers were considered holy, set apart by God for God, and were included in all aspects of the the covenant. Not only were the signs of covenant inclusion applied to them and not only did they participate in all the festivals and rituals and sacrifices, but they also played leading roles at times, most notably in the Passover celebration, as families retold the story of God’s deliverance from Egypt in question and answer form, ensuring that His mighty deeds were remembered by every generation. (cf. Exodus 12:26ff)

So, as we watch this pageant unfold, told to us this evening mostly by our children, let’s remember that God’s covenant is centred in and around families. Just as children were included in all aspects of the Old Covenant, so too are they an integral part of the New. God’s love and promises remain unchangeable, and children, like all of us, are invited to be part of His great story of salvation.

Narrator, over to you…