One Rehearsal Christmas Plays is the answer to gaining an extra hour or two, feeling less harried and focusing on Christ while directing the church Christmas program! With One Rehearsal Christmas Plays, your Sunday school department will encourage, entertain, and enlighten the congregation as they follow the "Footsteps to the Manager" or as they present a slightly altered version of "T'was the Night before Christmas." One Rehearsal Christmas Plays features these productions and ten others with a Scriptural message and minimal preparation! Completely Reproducible!

Here's a collection of humorous, down-to-earth plays that bring a fresh perspective to the Christmas story through such creative devices as imagining the thoughts and feelings of fringe characters (like an innkeeper or a servant to one of the magi) or by updating the story with contemporary settings and characters. No Stable Too Small offers a variety of practical material for any situation, ranging from shorter plays with small casts and lines that can be easily mastered by younger children to more elaborate pieces with sophisticated themes for older children and adults. And they're ideal for use with today's young people -- the dialogue reflects the way they really talk, yet never detracts from the biblical message. These flexible scenes offer a mix of speaking parts for all age groups, from preschool through adult, and are especially valuable for small congregations that lack the resources to mount large-scale productions. No sets are required, and only simple costumes and minimal props are needed. The plays can be performed by smaller churches with as few as 8-10 cast members, or parts can be easily divided to accommodate groups as large as 25-30. And with a running time of approximately 20-25 minutes each, it's easy to fit them within a Christmas Eve or Advent Sunday worship service. Some of the charming presentations include: * Love Finds a Way * It Wasn't the Hilton, You Know * Christmas Eve at Angel School * Because God Said So, That's Why * No Small Parts * "Unto Us a Child Is Born..". Next on Omar * Miracles? No Problem! ...and eight more! Lois Anne DeLong is currently a freelance writer and editor in Bay Shore, New York. She previously served 25 years in public relations, publishing, and marketing for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. A graduate of New York University, DeLong is an active member of Brentwood Presbyterian Church in Brentwood, New York. Barbara Anne Antonucci was born and raised in Brentwood, New York, and is a lifelong member of Brentwood Presbyterian Church. A graduate of St. Joseph's College, Antonucci now resides in Monroe, North Carolina.

Who said small churches cannot produce quality, thought provoking Christmas programs? If you are looking for Christmas programs with a real Christian message that are designed for small stages, then this book is for you. These plays truly fit all size churches and are written in such a way as to minimize rehearsals and memorization. The book contains five plays: - "The Nativity" utilizes a liturgical format and focuses on worshiping Christ. This play works well even in churches which do not normally use formal liturgy. - "What Child is This?" is humorous yet has a strong evangelistic message. - "It's the Gift that Counts" presents an emotional presentation of the Gospel. The Christmas story is told utilizing both traditional and non-traditional Bible passages focusing on finding God's greatest gift to us. - "An Interview with Scrooge" is a hilarious play that will not only cause your audience to laugh out loud, it will challenge the audience to examine the difference between true Christianity and rote religion. - "The Christmas Surprise" is even funnier than "An Interview with Scrooge." The beauty of this play is that you cannot rehearse it. The pastor should go out of his way to advertise this play and when people ask, "who is in it and when is the rehearsal," he just replies by saying, "it's a surprise." This play seems to be random, but it has a very poignant message challenging the audience to answer God's call (be it for salvation or Christian service). In addition to the five plays, there is an interactive Church Christmas Decoration Service that can become a new Christmas tradition for those churches who do not celebrate Advent services. Also included is a chapter with helps and hints for small churches which include: - Stage Directions - Hints for Working in Small Churches - Hints for Working with Amateur Actors - Hints for Keeping the Play Moving, and - Keeping Christ in Christmas. "Remember the Reason for the Season" is not an add on cliche for these plays; Christ and the Gospel are the foundation these plays are built upon.

In today's "hurry-up" world, it seems we rarely take the time to think of other people and "walk a mile in the other man's shoes." If we did, what would we see? They Worshiped Him revisits the nativity story from the perspective of the people who were actually there. In this dramatic retelling, we glimpse the innermost thoughts and feelings of some of the very common people whose lives were forever changed by a most extraordinary event. What did the shepherds feel? What did others think of them? Were they perceived as "eccentric"? And what about the wise men who followed the star? Did they have an entire entourage, or did people treat them like three dottering old men? And what about Mary and Joseph; how did this unusual pregnancy affect them? They Worshiped Him answers many of these questions while reminding us of the biblical characters' humanity. The singing of favorite seasonal carols is woven into the drama, encouraging audience participation. And it's an adaptable work that can be staged as elaborately or simply as you wish. While there are speaking parts for 12 angels, 5 animals, 6 shepherds, 3 magi, the innkeeper, Mary, Joseph, and a narrator, roles can easily be combined for use with any size congregation. Staging instructions are included. Far too many plays being marketed to churches today are not well written, place unreasonable requirements on the space and talent available in the average local church, and contain biblically inaccurate statements and characterizations. Gail Keffer's play They Worshiped Him doesn't present any of those problems. It is written in a flexible manner that makes it easy to adapt to a worship service, dinner theater, or a feature-length play for an annual Christmas production. It also does a magnificent job of presenting a biblically accurate version of the nativity story that can be heard, understood, and remembered by all of God's children.... We used this play two years ago, and people are still talking about it. One comment I heard was that the play "made Mary seem like a real person and not a stained-glass Madonna who's out of touch with the realities people like us face." Kari Turner McClellan Senior Pastor, First Presbyterian Church Levittown, Pennsylvania Gail K. Keffer is a graduate of Slippery Rock University (B.S. and M.Ed.). An active member of Clen-Moore Presbyterian Church in New Castle, Pennsylvania, Keffer is a former schoolteacher who has run a needlework design business and is currently the proprietor of The Amish Peddler, a business specializing in the sale of fine Amish-made furniture.

Centering around the theme of the familiar song "The Friendly Beasts," this intriguing program depicts what the animals who witnessed Jesus' birth might really have been thinking -- if they had human minds. There's humorous interplay among camels, sheep, cows, and the donkey that carried the pregnant Mary as they share their unique perspective on the nativity. This complete presentation allows many different parts of the congregation to participate; speaking roles can be performed in a readers' theater format by adults or youth, young children can portray the humans at the manger in a silent tableau, and musical selections allow the choir to be involved, as well. This adaptable drama can be used not only in church settings, but also in schools or for children's programs. As an added feature, customers with PowerPoint and broadband capability may obtain access to a downloadable PowerPoint presentation to accompany the drama at (http: //www.csspub.com/BeastlyChristmas/). A companion coloring book for young children, based on the imagery in the PowerPoint file, is also available in packages of five. John O. Eby has been an ordained pastor for four decades, serving several Baptist congregations in California. He is currently the pastor of First Baptist Church in Porterville, California. A graduate of the University of LaVerne and American Baptist Seminary of the West, Eby is the author of more than 30 skits and plays. Natividad Briones is a member of the worship team at First Baptist Church in Porterville, California. A veteran of the U.S. Navy and merchant marine, Briones began drawing caricatures of fellow sailors. He subsequently did freelance cartooning, and he had prepared composite sketches for the Los Angeles Police Department and the Tulare County Sheriff's Department.

Will Maudine ever stop being so bossy? Should Aunt Vera get a hearing aid for Christmas? Does Richard really miss his pink flamingo? Can John say anything other than uh-huh and huh-uh? Find the answers to these questions when you join Aunt Vera and her friends as they prepare for their Christmas pageants. Follow them as they find themselves in various situations involving lighthearted rivalry, mystery, and good-natured humor.

PJ and his friends are learning that Christmas can be busy. But what happens when they get too busy to celebrate the real reason for the season? Find out in this fun, easy-to-produce play for any size church!Approx. 25 minutes running time.