Adult Christmas

13 pages

4 m.

A modern retelling of the Job story from the Bible. A fascinating discussion about the differences in modern religions. In the waiting room of an airport in the American Midwest, Joe Barnes, a prosperous businessman, is met by his doctor, Ed Tishman. Joe's wife and children were aboard a plane that crashed at the Tel Aviv airport, and he's waiting to hear what happened to them. Dr. Tishman offers pills to calm Joe's nerves, but he refuses them. Joe recounts his toughness in riding out business losses, but confesses his confidence and faith have now been shake...

8 pages

1 m, 2 flexible parts.

Hiriam, the innkeeper from Bethlehem, interrupts the modern day speaker's sermon. Hiriam has been desperately seeking the couple he turned away some 2,000 years ago to now make amends to them. The modern day speaker and assistant are amazed then outraged at his story. But their piousness fades as they see how Hiriam is truly seeking the Christ child. They tell what happened to that newborn Babe and explain that He is still alive and the only way to keep Him is to share Him. Then they do so by shaking hands with everyone. This program will make even visitors a...

20 pages

2-3 adults, 7 children

It’s Christmas Eve in the 1770s, and a father is depressed he cannot afford to buy his eight motherless children any gifts. Suddenly he thinks of a present that won’t break or wear out, one they can all enjoy together. He sings a beautiful round about the Savior’s birth and the children quickly join in. An old sea captain living upstairs offers them money for peace and quiet. But without singing, the family’s mood becomes somber once again. Father tells the oldest child to return the moneythe family is going to sing! Ultimately, the old captain still gives th...

18 pages

flexible cast

Tis' the season to be...busy! Here's a collection of five skits, ranging in length from five to seven minutes, that challenge Christians to take time throughout the Christmas holiday season to celebrate Jesus. These skits highlight the truth that even when circumstances are less than ideal, Christians always have something to celebrate. The skits can be performed independently or as a weekly series leading up to Christmas. With contemporary settings, they're easy to stage and produce.

12 pages

1 m, 1 w, extras, non speaking.

Here's an unusual and touching candelight service. Guardian angels Gabriel and Agnes are confused when they hear God is sending the Prince of Peace to earth as a baby. A baby?! No army, no muscle, no clout? Then the Child will certainly need the best home and education to succeed. As they argue over the details, they realize He has already been born. The two angels then help the only way they can. From one stable candle they start lighting candles of the congregation to "light the waiting hearts of all those who stand in the dark." Performance time: About 20 ...

11 pages

9 speaking parts (8 adults, 1 child).

An assorted group of people are more than a little tense when the elevator they're on gets stuck just as the mall is closing on Christmas Eve. But their forced confinement makes them think more seriously about the "mindless celebration" that they've been rushing through, often with some resentment. The more they discuss the real meaning of the season, the more their hearts change. As they are rescued, they realize that although they may never see each other again, they will remember this Christmas forever. Super simple to stage, yet very effective. Performanc...

15 pages

8 speakers.

Relive the nativity when each of 7 speakers tells about Jesus' birth from his or her point of view. Thoughts and emotions of that holy night come from Elizabeth, the Innkeeper, Joseph, Herod, a Wise man, a Shepherd, and Mary. Each insightful monologue is followed by a special prayer given by the leader or minister. This drama can be performed almost anywhere with little rehearsal.  Performance time: 15 minutes.

20 pages

4 m, 4 w, 4 teen g, 1 teen b, 2 b, 2 g, extras.

An old man, puzzled about Christianity and the purpose of Christmas, sets out to learn about it by looking in on four different families, all of whom call themselves Christians. At the end he discovers to look toward Christ as an example, not other Christians. About 40 minutes. 

14 pages

4 speakers

Add something special to your holiday service with one of these beautiful monologues. Titles include "Footprints in the Snow," about a lonely old lady whose Christmas guest left only footprints leading into her home; "Old Otto's Song," about a young boy who receives an old man's gift of song which saves his village; "Silent Night, Heavenly Light," about a new minister who helps a bitter old man find peace; and "Once Upon a Midnight Clear," about a little shepherd boy on the first Christmas Eve.

10 pages

4 speaking parts.

Let your congregation sing their way into the Christmas spirit or let your choir shine in this special "Hymn Sing." In a cantata framework, three heavenly angels are in awe as they watch the nativity unfold. At appropriate times in the story, a narrator reads scripture and well-known hymns are sung. Memorized or simply read, here is an easy yet meaningful and joyous celebration, perfect for any sized church.  Performance time: 60 minutes.

20 pages

3 m, 3 w.

What do you say when you see an angel? How do you say thank you when the child you've longed for is finally born? How do you let go of your daughter to her new husband and expected child? What are your first words to the tiny, newborn Son of God? Through Christ's birth, God entered and shared our humanity. In this monologue collection, Elizabeth, Zacharias, Mary, Mary's mother, Joseph and a shepherd tell their stories. They are stories of worship and stories of wonder at a God who would want to be such an intimate part of our lives. Each monologue tells its o...

6 pages

Six readers.

Nativity scene may be composed of statues or actors. In this moving and unusual reading you can show your congregation just how much they value Christmas by taking it away. Three Non-Believers explain away Christmas, eliminating first the shepherds and wise men from the manger scene and finally Joseph, Mary and the Christ Child. When they've eliminated everyone, all that's left is a void, an awful emptiness. The Believers, however, show how that night at the stable did happen. By accepting the miracle, they give us back that night! Easy to produce, yet unforg...

17 pages

5 m, 4 w, 2 flex, doubling possible.

Strangers meet at an inn in Bethlehem after the birth of Jesus. They all had things they wished to give Him but one by one, they gave their gifts to needy people. Finally, as a group, they decide to go to the stable and seek out the baby with the one thing they have left to give - their love. A symbolic story which shows that we are all strangers, in a way, until we meet through the person of Jesus Christ. An optional nativitiy scene creates a beautiful ending. Performance time: 25 minutes.

19 pages

4 m, 2 w, 1-2 flexible

A reader’s theatre play. Howard Sinclair is ready to direct the church’s outdoor manger pageant again, but since the previous one five years ago was a complete disaster, his wife Gladys wants everything to run smoothly. But of course that doesn’t happen! First the rented animals are delivered a week early, but instead of a camel, a goat is sent and it promptly starts eating the neighbor’s bushes. To appease their prickly neighbor, Howard agrees to let him play the part of a shepherd, even though another church member had been promised the role. Then there’s t...

15 pages

4 to 5 readers.

Enhance your Advent services with meaningful weekly worship skits. Each skit, centered around the traditional holiday Advent wreath, addresses one particular aspect of the Christmas story. Four candles represent a theme on the wreath and are discussed in turn each week: The Candle of Prophecy, The Candle of Bethlehem, The Candle of the Angels, and The Candle of the Shepherds. The fifth Candle of Christ, located in the center of the wreath, is lit on either Christmas eve or Christmas day. Speaking parts are minimal, allowing for the presentation of each skit t...