Submitted by
D. Thomas

Age Group
7-11

Aim
To teach the children about some of the meaning of the season of Advent

Faith Group
Christian

Resources
Musical instruments, simple props as suggested by children

Time of Year
Advent

Other Details
The theme is Preparations

Script
Hymn: When is he coming?

Introduction

1. Hello and welcome to our class assembly. In our RE lessons, we have been learning about Preparations.

Preparations

2. We need to prepare ourselves for things in lots of different ways. Here are some of the preparations that we need to make to be ready for school on time.

(responses from the children)

Wash my hands.
Get dressed.
Brush my teeth.
Pack my lunch box.
Brush my hair.
Get my bag ready.

3. Advent is a time of preparation for Christmas. It is a time to think about our lives and what we need to change about them to be ready to meet Jesus at Christmas.

4. Here is a short piece of drama that we have prepared that looks at the theme of Advent.

Play (developed with the children to include instruments, gestures etc.)

________

Dramatis personae:-

The narrator
A friend
Abraham
Isaac
Herald
King David
John the Baptist
A soldier
A tax collector

Friend (Enters singing and holding a Christmas Tree):
We wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a merry Christmas and  a happy new year

(They literally bump into each other)

Narrator: Hello Fred. What are you doing?

Friend: Getting ready to celebrate Christmas of course. What do you think?

Narrator: But it's not Christmas yet!

Friend: Not Christmas! Of course it's Christmas! Haven't you seen all of the cards and decorations in the shops. They've been there since at least August.

Narrator: It's not Christmas until the 25th of December. It's the season of Advent at the moment.

Friend: Advent! What's that?

Narrator: Let me tell you. It all began many, many years ago with a man called Abraham.

Abraham: Here I am an old, old man. God has been very good to me. He promised my wife and I that we would have a child and we did, even though she was very old!
Then, when the boy, grew up, he asked me to kill him!
I'm glad that he changed his mind and let him live.
Whatever will He ask me to do next I wonder?

Isaac: Father, Father, we've loaded all of the animals with your possessions. The slaves are ready, the sheep, the goats, the food, our possessions and all of our relations.

Abraham: What do you mean ready?

Isaac: God wants us to go to another land and start a new life.

Abraham: I'm far too old for this. I think I need a lie down! 

Friend: So Abraham trusted God and did as he was told. That's all very interesting, but what's that got to do with Advent?

Narrator: Well after Abraham agreed to follow God, He stayed with the Jewish people and made them into a great nation. He then made a special promise to their greatest ruler: King David.

Herald: Make way, make way for the great King David of Israel.
(to the king) How did you become such a great king, Sire?

King David: A great king I am now, but it wasn't always so. As a boy, I was a lowly shepherd who was called by God to kill the giant Goliath who was threatening our people.

Herald: God has been very good to you then.

King David: He has indeed but that is not all. He has promised to make one of my descendants king after me but this king will be very special.

Herald: Why is that, Your Majesty?

King David: Well, my boy, this king will rule forever.

Herald: How can that be?

King David: I don't know, but we must always trust God.

Friend: So God promised King David that one of his descendants would rule after him?

Narrator: Yes, but the Jewish people had to wait a great many years before Jesus, the Messiah, would come. Have you heard of a man called John the Baptist?

Friend: Wasn't he the one who dressed in animal skins, ate wild honey and frightened people?

Narrator: Well he didn't really frighten people, he just wanted to prepare the way for Jesus by making people think about the wrong things that they were doing and change their ways.

John: Repent! Repent! Repent I say! Come to the water and be baptised.

Tax collector: Who's he?

Soldier: Search me. Looks a bit odd though. Look at his clothes and as for the honey stuck in his beard. I bet he hasn't got many friends.

Tax collector: Or a washing machine!

John: You, tax collector.

Tax collector: Who, me?

John: Stop stealing money from the poor and change your ways or God will be angry with you.
Soldier!

Soldier: Who, me?

John: Stop bullying people and taking their property or God will punish you.

Tax collector (to soldier): Do you think he's right?

Soldier: Perhaps he is. Let's change our ways and be baptised.

Friend: So Advent is a time for getting ready.

Narrator: That's right. Advent is a time when we wait for the coming of Jesus, just like the Jewish people of old. It's also a time when we should think about the parts of our lives that we need to change so that we can be ready to greet Him when he comes.

Friend: Thanks for that. I suppose that I had better get going

Narrator: And sing a different song.

Friend (departs with tree, singing, leaving the tree behind):
When is He coming? When oh when is He coming, the Redeemer?

________

Prayers

Lord,
Bless everyone in the world. We hope that they will have a good Christmas and that you will look after everyone. Please forgive us for what we have done wrong and spread peace and happiness around the world.

Lord,
Advent is a time for forgiveness. So let us forgive people who have done wrong to us and hope that we may be forgiven by those who we have done wrong to. Let the people in Afghanistan be safe this Christmas and let them be happy. May the war end soon and let people and families around the world be happy and safe.
                               
Lord,
Please look after my friends and other people. We ask you especially to take care of those who are without money or food.

Lord,
Help us not to think that Christmas is a time for presents and a time to fill ourselves up with food, but to remember that it is a time to be with your family and to celebrate Christ's birthday.
                                   
Let us now spend a few moments in silent prayer for our own needs and for the needs of the world.

Let us now say the Our Father together. 

5. Let us now close our eyes and put our hands together as we say our prayers this morning.

6. Thank you for listening to our assembly this morning. We hope that you have enjoyed it.
Let us now sing the final hymn 'Winter Time, Advent Time' together

Hymn: Winter Time, Advent Time