In preparation for the Christmas Eve service you're going to need to have a few things on hand.

Prepare the following:

• A loaf of bread
• Wine or grape juice
• Colored paper
• Scissors
• Crayons

Download and print the following:

• Christmas carol lyrics
• Story about Santa Claus
• Seasonal Coloring Pages
• Origami Ornament
• Scripture reading from Luke
• Holiday trivia game
• Scripture reading from Matthew
• Service for communion

Joy To The World

Away In A Manger

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Click here to download the lyrics so you can sing along!

Click here to download the songs so you can put them on your MP3 player or computer

*** SPOILER ALERT: Please read this through before sharing with your family!***

Click here to download this story so can you print it out.

Choose someone in your family to read the following story by Jack Hayford.

Father Christmas

What an ancient tradition can teach us about the heart of God.

The expression "Father Christmas" is commonly used in Commonwealth Nations of the British empire. That's how they refer to Santa Claus. Santa Claus goes by many different names in different parts of the world, and he's often a point of contention for some people. As sincere as they may be, there are believers who take an antagonistic attitude toward celebrating Christmas, especially toward Santa Claus. Oftentimes, we're negatively orientated to things because we've never been faced with a living counterpart. The only counterpart we know is a dead thing of the past. If you are a person who grew up believing in Santa Claus but never having any understanding about Father God, then your transformation as a believer may have included accepting the view that says you shouldn't celebrate Christmas, or that the idea of Santa Claus is evil.

There are some things that have to do with celebrating Christmas and with Santa Claus that really are soured by carnality in the world, but there's another side to that. If you were told you shouldn't celebrate Christmas because it's an extension of an ancient, pagan holiday, consider this: It's also an ancient Christian take-over of a pagan holiday. Many of the things we associate with Christmas, like the yule log and the tree, have to do with things Christians did to sanctify the holiday with a living counterpart. They took the best of what was and reinterpreted it with life.

The Father of Christmas isn't Santa Claus; it's the living God who gave His Son. I came to understand the heart of the Father of Christmas because of the father that was closest to me in my first experiences of ChristmasÑmy own dad. I was one year old when my mamma and daddy received Christ, and, so, I was raised by people who knew and loved Jesus Christ. Their fidelity to Him was unlimited and unqualified. They absolutely were committed to the truth of the Word of God, and the glory of the Son of God.

When it came time for Christmas, the Hayford family had Christmas. We weren't wealthy; my father was a switchman for the Southern Pacific Railroad. But our Christmases were full of splendor. We had some presents, and it seemed my parents went out of their way to make it as lavish as our budget could afford.

But what really made Christmas special was what was in my parents' hearts, especially my dad's. He fathered Christmas to me before I understood the eternal Father. The reason it's important to me to offer this illustration is because it all centered around my dad's being Santa Claus, though I didn't know that was what he was doing at the time. Let me share with you the story.

I can see the picture right now: it was before my brother Jim, who is 10 years younger than me, was born. My sister, mamma and daddy and I would be sitting at the table having dinner. It was about three weeks before Christmas. All of a sudden, my dad would say, "What was that?"

Everybody stopped. Then he'd say, "I thought I heard bells." Right now, my sister's and my eyes are lighting up. My father says: "Listen kids, you stay right here. I'm going to go outside and see if I can find it."

We were naive children. It never entered my mind that my father's going out to find Santa Claus was to do all the things that began to happen in the next few minutes. We'd be there waiting, and then we'd hear bellsÑlittle jingle bells down at the other end of the house. My sister and I would jump up from the table and go running to the window, but there was no one there. Then we'd hear bells at the other end of the house and go running down the hall. Remember, it never entered my mind that my dad was doing this!

Then, I don't know how he did it, but my father would get on top of the house. Talk about the ultimate evidence of Santa Claus! We'd hear the sound of somebody thumping around on the roof. Finally, my dad would come back inside the house, and tell us he'd just seen Santa Claus outside, and Santa wanted us to know that he'd be coming back in a couple of days. Several days would go by, and we'd be at the table having dinner again when my dad would say, "Did you hear anything?" By now, all anyone needed to do was say that and even if I never heard anything at all, I heard bells. My dad would say: "You know, Santa said he was going to come back in a couple of days. I think this is it. Wait just a minute; I'm going to go check it out. You stay right here."

He'd go to the front room and step outside, and then call us excitedly: "Kids! Come here!" Now he must have either done it before dinner, or when he went into the front room he fixed it so that when he opened the door, there would be presents on the porch! There might be an ironing board for my sister or a tricycle for me. Remember, it's still 2-1/2 weeks before Christmas!

I came to understand that my father was himself so excited that he wanted to share his heart of love toward us kids not just in a moment on Christmas morning, but for as long as he could stretch it out before then.

Coming in from outdoors with the presents in tow, my dad would say, "Kids, I just saw Santa Claus out there, and he said that he's going to have to take these things back until Christmas, but that it would be OK for you to play with them for a few minutes tonight." And it was really just a very few minutesÑlike two or three. I later learned that one of the things my dad was doing in these pre-Christmas previews was seeing if the tricycle was the right size and making sure my sister liked the kind of ironing board he'd picked out. He could check out our gifts in advance and exchange them if he needed to before they were really ours. There really was a practical method to the madness!

Then he'd say, "Now you kids go in the other room because I've got to get these back out on the porch." I can see my dad at the door right now. He's talking to the other end of the porch, but from where I'm standing inside, I'm certain that Santa is right there, just around the corner!

My dad would say: "OK kids, you go to your room. We have to give these things back but they'll be here for Christmas." And that was it.

This story is only a sample of things that were thrilling and fun about celebrating Christmas when I was a child, but what's important for you to understand is that it never once entered into our home, into my mind or into any of our value system as to what Christmas was about. Christmas ALWAYS was about Jesus. But it wasn't a stiff, stern Jesus forced on us in lieu of anything joyous. It was the celebration of Jesus' birth as nothing less than real and happy.

Before I ever came to know Father God per se, to understand the heart of the living God, I learned something about the heart of God through a father who loved us wholeheartedly, and who was happy and fun to be around. When I got old enough to know there was no Santa Claus, it never entered once into my mind to doubt the trustworthiness of my father when he talked about the living God.

The atmosphere whenever we would talk about the living God and His Son Jesus Christ wasn't the same as Santa Claus on the porch. We knew the difference. We had an in-built value system. No one even needed to even say to us, "We were just playing fun when we talked about Santa Claus, Jack, but when we talk about God, we really mean it." You just knew those things.

There are people who make a case against parents pursuing anything of the fun of Christmas with their kids either because they are afraid the child will misconstrue what Christmas is about, or because if you let kids celebrate all the myths of the season, they'll somehow get Jesus mixed in as a myth and grow up faithless because they don't know the difference between truth and legend.

There never came a time when I needed to retreat to something less that orthodoxy because my faith had been shattered on the discovery that Santa Claus wasn't real. Never even broached the question. I'll tell you why: because perfect love not only keeps out fear but all kinds of confusion.

God is the Author of the spirit of celebration and joy when, at the center of it, there are people that know that He is the Father of Christmas and His Son is the Gift we unwrap with a special sense of re-celebration each year.

Jack W. Hayford, Litt.D., is the founder of The Church on the Way in Van Nuys, California; chancellor of The King's College and Seminary and the president of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel.

Here's some fun stuff to do! We have coloring pages for the little ones in your family, and an origami ornament for all ages to enjoy!

Click here to download some seasonal coloring pages. (You will need some crayons)

Click here to download the Christmas Origami Ornament. (You will need scissors, and colored paper works the best)

Click here to download this Bible reading so you print it out.

Luke 2:1-20

The Birth Of Jesus

1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.

4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds And The Angels

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14"Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Click here to download the Christmas Trivia page to print out.

Test your Christmas knowledge with 115 questions covering the nativity story, carols, lyrics, movie quotes, and more!

Click here to download this Bible reading so you print it out.

Matthew 2:1-12

The Visit of the Magi

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

3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5"In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:

6" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for out of you will come a ruler

who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"

7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."

9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Click here to download the Communion instructions to print out.

For communion you will need some bread and some wine or juice. Break up the loaf in to enough bite sized pieces for everyone in your group, and pour the wine/juice in to a cup that you will share (unless you're squeamish and want individual cups!) Choose somebody in your family to lead communion. You can share the readings and prayers

Say: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "this is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."

Pray: Heavenly Father, we thank you for sending your Son and allowing His body to be broken for us. We eat this bread in remembrance of His act of sacrifice. In Jesus name.

Everyone eats the bread. After they everyone has eaten the bread...

Say: In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."

Pray: Heavenly Father, thank for you sending your Son Jesus to shed His blood for us so that we may have a relationship with you. A relationship signified by the forgiveness of sins. We drink this cup in remembrance of Him. In Jesus name.

Everyone drinks the cup.

Pray: Thank you Jesus for blessing our family this Christmas. We honor you, in your name, amen.