Supplies needed for this series:

Shoebox
Construction paper
Clip art printed and ready to be colored
Playlist of songs to listen to while creating a “shoebox nativity”

This series is designed for either an in-person worship experience or a virtual online experience. The shoebox nativity will be built throughout the Advent season, with additions added each week as we prepare for Christmas.

Each week, a playlist song will be recommended to accompany the child and family as they create the artwork to place in the shoebox. These songs will reinforce each week’s scripture text.

If providing in-person worship, the children’s message leader can build a shoebox nativity in front of the children and encourage them to continue this at home during the weeks of Advent. The in-person leader should prepare each week’s item in advance and present it during the weekly children’s message. The leader should encourage the children to work on their own box at home during the week.

Isaiah 40:9-11

⁹Zion, you are bringing good news to your people.
Go up on a high mountain and announce it.
Jerusalem, you are bringing good news to them.
Shout the message loudly.
Shout it out loud. Don’t be afraid.
Say to the towns of Judah,
“Your God is coming!”
¹⁰The Lord and King is coming with power.
He rules with a powerful arm.
He has set his people free.
He is bringing them back as his reward.
He has won the battle over their enemies.
¹¹He takes care of his flock like a shepherd.
He gathers the lambs in his arms.
He carries them close to his heart.
He gently leads those that have little ones.

Supplies: This week, you will clean up the nativity with the addition of animals and a stable scene.

Free clip art to print and color can be found here:

Playlist song: “The Friendly Beasts.”

Children’s message

Today is the second Sunday in Advent. We are getting closer and closer to the birth of Jesus at Christmas. Sometimes it feels like we must wait a long time. If you ever have waited for your parents to come home, you might feel sad while they are away. When they return, you may want to be comforted. When you fall and scrape your knee and need to make the hurt go away, you want to feel comforted. What do you do when you need some comfort and care from someone you love? (Allow children to respond.) That’s right, we may get a hug from that person that loves and cares for us. Hugs can make us feel safe. Hugs can make us feel better. Do you think even our pets feel better when we hug them?

There’s a verse in the Old Testament book of Isaiah that says, “Comfort, comfort my people . . . The Lord takes care of his flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in his arms.
He carries them close to his heart. He gently leads those that have little ones.”

What do you think of when Isaiah says, “He will gather the lambs in his arms”? A shepherd hugging his sheep? Did you know that when Jesus spoke of his followers, he called them lambs or sheep? You are one of God’s lambs, and God is your shepherd. When you are scared or hurt, God wants to take care of you.

Last week, we created a stable with some grass and hay in a shoebox. This week, let’s add an image of the stable with a manger and some animals to our shoebox nativity. These animals will remind us that God loves and comforts us just like a shepherd comforts the animals.

Prayer: Loving and gracious God, we thank you that you care about us and want to hold us close. Remind us of your comfort for each of us as we look at the animals in our nativity. Help us to show others your love as well. Amen.