Idea: Set up a station for each part of the story you want to share. Each station includes part of the Bible story and a message that it naturally shares. That message should be something clear in the story (e.g. Mary trusted God) and that people can apply or think about for themselves.
For example:
- Gabriel brings a message to Mary - Trust in God
- Joseph's dream - Faithfulness
- A long journey - God has a plan
- Finding a room - Helping others
- Jesus is born - Light of the world
- The shepherd's visit - Jesus came for all
- The wise men's visit - Jesus' future
You can do each station in different ways. Try not to add so much that it clutters people's reflection and thought. A simple idea would be having the Bible passage, a sentence with the message and a couple of questions to reflect on personally.
Each station can be decorated in a Christmas way and each given a different feel by the things you put onto it. You may have an object or character on each to help focus people's thoughts. E.g. a crown, a candle, a mirror.
Venue:
- Inside - Put the stations around the church.
- Outside - Put the stations outside in order so people can follow the story. You will need people to explain and direct visitors. You may still want a booking system. Or have one station somewhere visible that changes each week, so people can follow the story over Advent.
- At a farm - Is there a farm you visit where you can put the stations and include real sheep and a stable on your journey.
Making it missional:
- Be visible - A big sign outside and how to book, stations visible with a welcome from the road.
- Booking - make sure there are spaces or opportunities to fit people in who haven't booked.
- Over Advent - choose a station a week and have it by the road so people can see it and pause as they walk past. You may need to think differently about what you put outside for it to last a week.
- Accesible - use language that everyone can understand and consider what questions will help everyone to think wherever they are in their journey.
Different ages:
- Large writing so it is easily visible.
- Questions that are open ended and are not specific to an age. 'Who could you help?' can be answered by any aged person, in any circumstance. You could have multiple questions to include different levels.
- Include an activity at each. You could ask people to bring paper and pens or have a pack with everything they need. At the end they take away the bits they did and put the pens etc in a basket that is then left unused for at least 3 days.