Youngchurch
Giving talents & gifts I
t can be hard to find directors for the Christmas pageant. But Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Laco- nia, N.H., found two eager volun- teers in Mykala Bazzell and Krystal Nelson. Now ninth-graders, the two decided to use their experiences in school and community perfor- mances to tackle the 2010 pageant. “For the past few years we
haven’t had an organized Christmas pageant,” Bazzell said. “I wanted us to do something to get all the chil- dren and youth involved.” Nelson added, “We also really wanted to make it personal to fit our church.”
And the congregation did enjoy
watching so many of the kids par- ticipate in the pageant, said Dave Dalzell, pastor of Good Shepherd (
www.goodshepherdnh.org). He said they also enjoyed participat- ing—they sang Christmas hymns to help tell the story.
The friends wrote a script with
Send stories of your youth group (pre- school-confirmation age) to: Andrea Pohlmann Kulik , 8765 W. Higgins Rd., Chicago IL 60631; andrea.pohlmann@
thelutheran.org.
eight scenes. It included the usual characters: Mary, Joseph, shepherds, sheep, wise men and angels. But King Herod and Caesar Augustus also made appearances. “I thought the ‘bad guys’ were important to the story, and keeping it traditional was one of my goals,” Bazzell said. The play ends with the adoration of Jesus. “Everyone needs to look at Jesus lovingly,” Bazzell told the cast during rehearsal. “Even though you aren’t facing the con- gregation and they won’t see it, you need to do it. That’s what this play is all about.”
Try this!
At First Lutheran Church, Alexandria,
40 The Lutheran •
www.thelutheran.org
Krystal Nelson (left) and adviser Dot
Steuer discuss the pageant at
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church,
Laconia, N.H. Nelson and
Mykala Bazzell (inset) wrote, directed and produced the pageant.
Bazzell’s family has moved, but Nelson is help- ing plan this
year’s pageant.
Minn., children learn to give at the Christmas Store. For 13 years, children ages 3 through sixth grade have come to church—usually the first weekend in Decem- ber—to shop for family members at prices they can afford ($1 for items and $5 for gift baskets). In October, the congrega- tion begins collecting gently used or new items (they’ve collected in May, too, to encourage spring clean- ing). The day before the event, a group takes about four hours to set up the store, which includes a gift-wrapping area. Member Karen Brazel said the store is a win-win situation:
• Parishioners recycle items. • The children feel good about shopping for family members and giving. • The proceeds help struggling families who have come to the church seek- ing assistance. Last year, First raised $1,164. • The congregation’s youth sign up to help the little shoppers. • The adult volunteers love seeing the children’s faces, and new people sign up to help each year.
“This is fun, easy to do and it warms your heart to see those kids with
their smiles and bags full of gifts for their family,” Brazel said. For more information, email Brazel (use “First Christmas Store” in the subject line) at
karenbrazel@yahoo.com. M
Ashley Frame from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Laconia, N.H., contributed to this report.
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