Resources

3 pages

By Roy Wiegand.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, feels the pain only a mother can feel when she sees Jesus carrying his own cross. Blood from His torture, blood dripping into His eyes from a crown of thorns. She recalls his birth, his special childhood, and the miracles he's accomplished in his adulthood. Suddenly the noise of the crowds, soldiers and other prisoners fades as she looks into His eyes one last time and knows. He is the one. He is the Messiah. And though He belongs to another world, He yet suffers and bleeds in this one in order to fulfill a thousand-year prophesy. And she, the mother of the So...

3 pages

By Roy Wiegand.

Caiaphas, the regal high priest of the temple, is ready to have this madman named Jesus arrested. He has just made a deal with a grimy little man claiming to be a disciple who, for 30 pieces of silver, will identify Jesus with a kiss. Caiaphas plans for the arrest to take place before dawn in adherence with the law which forbids the taking of prisoners during the daylight hours of Passover. Caiaphas says, "He must be found, he must be arrested, he must be sentenced, and he must be put to death."

3 pages

By Roy Wiegand.

Easter comes alive with this dramatic reading, a monologue portraying John at midnight after the Last Supper. He relates how the Master invited him to sit next to Him for the meal, how he wanted to remember seeing Jesus pray in the moonlight, and finally how He stopped the bleeding from the guard's severed ear. But now the soldiers have taken Him, and in his heart John is afraid. He is a weak man, and he fears for Jesus.

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.

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.

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...

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...

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...

3 pages

By Roy Wiegand.

The disciple Peter describes how he failed Jesus the last night, how he fell asleep when Jesus asked him to stay awake and ultimately, denied knowing Jesus three separate times. Peter says, "As I passed through that gate ... a cock crowed. It was at that instant that I realized how badly I had failed Him." Would Jesus forgive him and still have faith in him? Can Peter find peace?

23 pages

2 storytellers, any number of children as animals and townspeople

Various animals in the stable aren't happy when two strangers intrude upon their quiet night. The sparrows, cows, and sheep, along with mice and doves are upset and wish the humans would find another place to stay. They don't want to share their grain or warm hay. And after walking for miles, even the poor donkey is too tired to help Joseph and Mary. But then God fulfills his most glorious promise: Baby Jesus is born. Everything changes as each group of animals gives a special gift to comfort the Baby and his parents. At last, as all finally sleep, the tired ...

14 pages

2-3 puppet masters, 2-3 voices, 2 narrators, 1 stagehand

How can an angel do an important job when he can’t fly? This heartwarming and delightful story, told by narrators and shown with puppets, takes us back to the journey Mary and Joseph made to Bethlehem. Complete with a donkey seller, innkeepers, an innkeeper’s wife, shepherds, and a wise guy, the angel must deliver important messages, often after crashing from the sky! Ultimately the angel and the visitors come to worship the baby, the king, and someday, the Savior of the world. With gentle humor, “The Stable Story” shows us that Christmas is filled with mirac...

22 pages

3 m, 6 w

 

The children of the Bucklesbury Bible Church have done a production of a Christmas nativity play for the last 80 years. It is the hottest ticket in town and a huge outreach for the church. When the “Mistletoe Flu,” a contagious virus, locks down the entire county, the Christmas program is in jeopardy. The committee of all church committees holds an online meeting to decide whether to cancel the program. The pastor states the church must still fulfill its mission of spreading the gospel. The decision is made to live feed the program so everyone can...

19 pages

This collection of skits offers your church a fresh look at the theme of missions. "Listen for Your Name" demonstrates the nature of obedie

This collection of skits offers your church a fresh look at the theme of missions. "Listen for Your Name" demonstrates the nature of obedience in responding to God's call in the midst of everyday situations. "Beyond the Silent Borders" offers a five-minute "snapshot" of what it is like to be a part of a church in a country where it is illegal to be a Christian. "Polycarp" is a reader's theatre piece that retells the story of this early Christian martyr through the eyes of three witnesses. This collection will challenge your congregation to both count the cost of following Jesus and to rea...

26 pages

5 skits

Here are five Bible story skits that will captivate hearts, and because they are written in rhyme, it is super easy for young children to memorize their parts. Laughter will fill the air when your children perform "Noah's Zoo." At just the right moment, the narrator, perplexed and bewildered, recites, "By the time he was through, Noah had himself a zoo!" In "Daniel and the Friendly Lions," one of the lions stands and declares, "I'm certainly no dummy...This man, Daniel, doesn't belong in my tummy!" They will delight any audience - any day of the year.