Welcome to our Countdown to Christmas. Each week as we approach Christmas, we’ll add a new part of the Christmas story along with ideas for decorations you can make.
We’ll be making decorations too and adding them to the tree on the verandah at the Church building. We’d love you to add your decorations to our tree and share photos of your decorations on our Facebook page. We’ve included the link to the page below.

If you’re new to the countdown, scroll to the bottom of the page to see the story so far.

Joy to the World!

“Joy to the world! The Lord is come Let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare Him room.”
Jesus, the Son of God, came as a baby to shake the world. It was so momentous that heaven itself could not contain its joy. A new King for a new Kingdom. Every person from every nation is welcome. There is salvation for everyone in Jesus.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

As we get close to Christmas Day, we’re making “Joy” decorations. We’ve put some ideas below or you can come up with your own decoration!

Don’t forget to hang them on the tree on the verandah at the church.

You will find the inspiration to make an ornament like this one here.

1 week to go – Nativity

And so, in the most unlikeliest of places in the most unusual of circumstances promises were kept and a baby was born. Not just any baby, but the Son of God, the Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, King and Saviour. It’s no wonder we still celebrate Christmas.

Luke 2:7 “And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”

This week we’re making nativity scenes. We’ve put some ideas below or you can come up with your own decoration!
Click here for instructions to make this stained glass nativity scene.

You will find the instructions for how to make this ornament here.

2 weeks to go – Wise men

The Magi from the East actually came to see Jesus a while after he was born, but they are often shown in traditional nativity scenes. We are actually not sure if there were three of them either! But they are an important part of what happened when Jesus was born. Just like the shepherds were an unusual choice for the first announcement of a king’s birth, the wise men from another country turning up to worship him was also unusual. This King is King of more than Israel – he is the King of all.

Matthew 2: 1-2 “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

This week we’re making wise men. We’ve put some ideas below, or we’d love to see what you come up with!

3 weeks to go – Shepherds

When a King is to visit, you don’t usually expect it to be announced first of all to shepherds. But that’s what happened when Jesus was born. Shepherds were not important people but it was to them that a host of angels proclaimed Jesus birth. Jesus is no ordinary King – a servant King, who came for everyone, not just the rich, famous or religious people.

Luke 2: 8-12 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, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

This week we’re making shepherds. We’ve included a few ideas here. Or you can come up with your own decoration!

You can find a template to make a this simple shepherd decoration here.

4 weeks to go – Angels

We don’t really know what angels look like, but we do know that quite often when people see them they have to say “Don’t be afraid!” They must be really amazing! An angel came to Mary, the mother of Jesus, to tell her that she would have a child who would be the son of God. An amazing message too!

An angel came to Mary and said, “Don’t be afraid, Mary; God has shown you his grace. Listen! You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High… his kingdom will never end.” Luke 1:30-33

This week’s decoration is angels. You could use one of the ideas below or come up with your own angel decoration!

You can find instructions to make a paper strip angel here.

We’re starting with a Promise

God promised a long time before Jesus was born that he would send a king to save his people because he loved them. The promise is made right down to some tiny details… like the fact that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem and that the story would involve shepherds and foreign kings.
Psalm 72:9,10: “May the Kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring tribute to him. May the Kings of Sheba and Seba present him gifts. May all Kings bow down to him and all nations serve him.”

This week we’re making hearts. We’ve included a few ideas here. Or you can come up with your own heart decoration!

You can find instructions to make a paper strip heart here.