Christingle: Much More than an Orange

Who can tell me a word that rhymes with orange? Begin the assembly by asking if anyone can think of a word that rhymes with ‘orange’. (Hint: only sporange, a very rare alternative form of sporangium, a botanical term for a part of a fern or similar plant rhymes with orange). Invite whoever has the closest guess or says that nothing rhymes with orange to come to the front. Give them the orange to hold.

Who can tell me what’s happening in x days/Who can tell me what happened x days ago? Before your assembly takes place, you’ll need to find out how many days there are until Christmas and then edit slide 3 of the presentation appropriately. You can use http://days.to/christmas/2015 to find out how many days it is until Christmas. If your assembly is taking place after Christmas, you’ll need to work out how many days it has been since Christmas instead. Ask the pupils what is happening in x number of days. Invite whoever guesses correctly to come to the front and hold some red tape or ribbon. Next, ask the pupils who is looking forward to Christmas and why.(If your assembly is taking place after Christmas, ask who enjoyed Christmas). Invite one of the pupils who answers to come to the front and hold the four cocktail sticks without eating the sweets.

Why do Christians celebrate Christmas?’ The pictures on this slide should hopefully capture a lot of the answers given to your previous question. Ask the pupils why Christians celebrate Christmas. Invite whoever is the first to provide an answer which mentions celebrating the birth of Jesus to come to the front and hold the candle. Ask the four volunteers at the front to work together to build one item with the objects that they have each been given, and to give the item a name once it has been built. Once they have finished building, ask them to explain what their object is and what they have called it. Thank them and ask them to sit back down. Now produce your pre prepared Christingle. Compare the two objects and explain that your object is called a Christingle.

http://www. istockphoto http://www.istockphoto.com/photo/after-all-these-years-i-m-still-happy-i-chose-him-38174304?st=255b9b3 For this section, you will need to click on a slide each time you say the word ‘great’. You can use the text below verbatim, or explain the history of Christingle in your own words using the information on the history of Christingle from our website. When listing the different things that are associated with Christmas, perhaps include some of the things that pupils mentioned in their answers to why they are looking forward to Christmas. Christingle started in Germany in 1747, probably when your great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandparents were around. A Bishop called John noticed that people like your great grandparents were forgetting the reason that Christian families come together to celebrate Christmas. The presents, chocolate, holidays, Father Christmas, and list off anything else they mentioned to the fourth question... are great. But they aren’t the real reason we celebrate Christmas. 31 July 2019

The real meaning of Christmas   Explain to the pupils that the real meaning of Christmas is to celebrate Jesus’ birthday. To celebrate that Jesus, God’s Son, was born in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago. God sent Jesus to us, to show us how much God loves each and every single one of us. No matter how we are feeling or the situation we are in. To show this Bishop John used: The orange to represent the world, [put together your Christingle as you explain] He then took the red tape/ribbon and wrapped it round the whole world to show that God loves the whole world, nothing is missed out. The four sticks represent spring, summer, autumn and winter. With the sweets representing God’s creation, that includes you and me! Finally the candle [pause to light it] is to remind us that Jesus said that he ‘is the light of the world’. Even in the darkest places, when we are really upset about something. God still wants us to know that he loves us and is there for us. Start lighting your tea lights/candles as you talk through this next section. Explain that Jesus said that Christians are also ‘the light of the world’ (Matthew 5.14-16) and that they should love the world like God does. Christians are called to be a shining light for those in dark places and to love everyone particularly if they are having a bad time. 31 July 2019

Dear Lord, Thank you that you love the world. Thank you that you love me. Thank you for those who love me. Please help me to show your love to everyone I meet. That I may shine like Jesus, for those in need. Amen.