Use the arrows to move between the reflections for each day.
Don't forget to share what you get up to with your local church and with us! We'd love to see your Posada journeys. Share with the Coventry Growing Faith Team on Facebook (Growing Faith Coventry), Twitter (@CoventryFaith) and #Posada2020.
Each day focusses on a different character or part of the Christmas story. There is a Bible reading, questions to think and talk about and different activities you might like to try. Each day ends with a very short prayer.
Each day focusses on a different character or part of the Christmas story. There is a Bible reading, questions to think and talk about and different activities you might like to try. Each day ends with a very short prayer.
The Annunication
Look at some of the contemporary art work on the theme of the annunciation. This is when Angel Gabriel first appeared to Mary to tell her she was going to have a baby and that He would be God’s son and she should name Him Jesus.
Spend some time quietly looking at the detail of the images. You can see how the icons below have Mary clutching at what looks like a spool of thread or wool, as if she has been caught doing her chores. The extraordinary interrupts the ordinary.
Spend some time quietly looking at the detail of the images. You can see how the icons below have Mary clutching at what looks like a spool of thread or wool, as if she has been caught doing her chores. The extraordinary interrupts the ordinary.
Reading: Luke 1:35-38 (ICB)
An angel appeared to Mary and told her she would have a baby.
The angel said to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you. The baby will be holy. He will be called the Son of God. Now listen! Elizabeth, your relative, is very old. But she is also pregnant with a son. Everyone thought she could not have a baby, but she has been pregnant for six months. God can do everything!”
Mary said, “I am the servant girl of the Lord. Let this happen to me as you say!” Then the angel went away.
God told Mary and Joseph his plan for them with an angel and a dream. God has a plan for each of us too.
I wonder...
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How do you think Mary felt when she heard the angel’s words? What might she have written in her diary that night if she kept one?
Click to download a diary page you can use for writing down her thoughts. ActivityPerhaps you would like to draw your own picture of the annunciation?
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Prayer
Loving father,
Thank you that you had a plan for the world and that you have a plan for me. Help me to see what you want me to do.
Amen.
Thank you that you had a plan for the world and that you have a plan for me. Help me to see what you want me to do.
Amen.
Venture out: Natural Mobile
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While you are out collect one or two strong sticks. Collect leaves, feathers and things that float. Use string or wool to tie things onto the stick and hang it from the ceiling as a reminder of the angel coming to Mary with God's plan.
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Setting off
Mary and Joseph had to set off on a long journey. If you have ever been on a long journey you will know there is a mixture of excitement and anticipation, with perhaps some dread about how long it will take and how tired or uncomfortable you may get along the way. Mary was heavily pregnant with Jesus at the time of the journey and was making the trip on a donkey - not the most comfortable of journeys!
Reading: Luke 2:1-4
At that time, Augustus Caesar sent an order to all people in the countries that were under Roman rule. The order said that they must list their names in a register. This was the first registration taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone went to their own towns to be registered. So Joseph left Nazareth, a town in Galilee. He went to the town of Bethlehem in Judea. This town was known as the town of David. Joseph went there because he was from the family of David.
Mary and Joseph weren't planning an big trip just before the baby was born. But sometimes God's plan includes surprises that we don't expect.
I wonder...Is there somewhere you would like to go? Or perhaps something you would like to achieve?
Spend some time thinking about it now. Say a prayer to ask God to help you to reach your hoped-for destination. ActivityDraw yourself a map showing how you will get there and the steps you will take. You could use paper and pens or chalk outside.
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Prayer
Loving father,
Thank you that you had a plan for the world and that you have a plan for me. Help me to see the way you are taking me.
Amen.
Thank you that you had a plan for the world and that you have a plan for me. Help me to see the way you are taking me.
Amen.
Venture out: Directions
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In your garden or an open space. Make arrows out of twigs on the ground. Take in turns to lay them out and then for the others to follow the directions. Can they find the end?
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The journey
Mary and Joseph had a long journey to Bethlehem. You might want to take your figures on a tour of your house so they can see what your family is like and where you live.
Reading: John 10:27-30
Jesus said
"My sheep listen to my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never die. And no person can steal them out of my hand. My Father gave my sheep to me. He is greater than all, and no person can steal my sheep out of my Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
Following God's plan doesn't mean doing it alone. God comes with us to guide us and help us, just like he did with Mary and Joseph.
I wonder...In what ways are your family similar to the Holy Family? In what ways is your family different?
ActivityCreate an image of the Holy Family (don’t forget baby Jesus!) and one of your own family.
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Play the Posada map game. Click here to download.
- You will need to print out Part 1 and Part 2 and place them side by side. You will also need a dice and some counters.
- Begin where it says ‘Start’. When you roll the dice, move forward by the number you roll. The writing in blue tells you what is happening in the journey of the Holy Family and there are some verses to read in your Bible. The stones with stars on have instructions. Have fun playing as a family!
Prayer
Loving father,
Thank you that you had a plan for the world and that you have a plan for me. Help me to ask you for help on the way.
Amen.
Thank you that you had a plan for the world and that you have a plan for me. Help me to ask you for help on the way.
Amen.
Venture out: Explore
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Go for a walk. As you walk talk about: What do you see? What do you hear? How would it feel to walk all day?
You could make a journey stick on the way. Here are two ideas to make them.
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Mary
Mary was just an ordinary young woman. She wasn’t expecting to be anyone special, but God had a different plan for her. She is the only person in the story who goes into the nativity with some understanding of what is happening- that God is coming to Earth as a human baby- because Gabriel told her this. In many ways she is like the first disciple, called to believe in Jesus and who He is and to leave the life she knows to follow Him. The first part of that journey is to lead her to Bethlehem for the birth.
Reading: Luke 1:38Mary said, “I am the servant girl of the Lord. Let this happen to me as you say!” Then the angel went away. Mary heard God's plan for her and was filled with courage...even though she knew it wasn't going to be easy.
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I wonder...
As Mary arrives in Bethlehem, how does she feel? The baby is ready to be born and she knows it is no ordinary child. The angel has hinted about who He will grow up to be and what He will do.
Listen to this song as you think about Mary and how she felt: Mary Did You Know? by Pentatonix
Listen to this song as you think about Mary and how she felt: Mary Did You Know? by Pentatonix
Activity
There are two ideas today. You can do both or choose the one you want to do:
- Draw some stars. What do you already know about Jesus? Write your answers in the stars.
- Take a picture of or draw a woman you think is full of courage. Tell them (or write to them) and explain why you think they are full of courage like Mary.
Prayer
Loving father,
Thank you for Mary's courage to follow you. Give me that courage to follow you too.
Amen
Thank you for Mary's courage to follow you. Give me that courage to follow you too.
Amen
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Venture out: Muddy fearDig out some mud and mix it with a little water until you can mould it. Shape the mud into something you fear, worry about or makes you anxious. Once you have made it pause to look at it but then jump or squish it to remind yourself that you can overcome anything with God.
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Joseph
Joseph is a faithful man. He is on this journey with Mary because an angel came to him in a dream and told him to stick with Mary, even though she is pregnant and they are not married. Joseph made a choice to choose Mary and God’s plan over the good opinions of other people. There would have been gossip. People would have thought him foolish. Perhaps they even told him he was doing the wrong thing. There may have been harsh words and horrible names for both him and Mary. But he took Mary and they made the journey to Bethlehem anyway, as husband and wife, even though he didn’t fully understand what was about to happen.
Reading: Isaiah 43:1
Now this is what the Lord says.
He created you, people of Jacob.
He formed you, people of Israel.
He says, “Don’t be afraid, because I have saved you.
I have called you by name, and you are mine.
Joseph did not have an easy task and he might not have understood why God had picked him. It might have felt like there was a long way to go! But he trusted God and was faithful to him.
I wonder...Have you ever done something you believe is the right thing but other people have thought you silly to do it, or even try to do it? Have you had people laugh at you and call you names? Have you ever been the only one to stand up for someone else?
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Activity
Joseph could have done with a friend. Think about the people in your life who have always been there for you and encouraged you, stuck up for you and supported you. Draw an outline of some friends and write prayers of thanks inside each one.
Prayer
Loving father,
Thank you for Joseph's faithfulness. Help me to keep going and not to give up.
Amen
Thank you for Joseph's faithfulness. Help me to keep going and not to give up.
Amen
Venture out: Rescue
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Gather a selection of sticks, nets, long things. Put a toy up high e.g. tree branch, top of a gate, shed roof.
The challenge is to get the toy down using the 'equipment' you've been given and without climbing. Part of the challenge is to get it down, the other part is to do it gently! |
Donkey
Well, Mary and Joseph would not have gone far without the donkey, would they? It is a 90 mile journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem and Mary, being very pregnant, would have found it almost impossible to walk all that way. The road was winding and through the hills. The donkey has a humble yet important part to play in this special journey. That’s why someone took the trouble to write a song about it!
Sing ‘Little Donkey’ together and think about the precious cargo the donkey was carrying- Mary with Jesus, God in human form, in her womb. Click here for a video where you can try signing the song as well.
A donkey is never mentioned in the story but they are used throughout the Bible but it reminds us that just before the Easter story we know Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem to show he was a king. We don't often think of Kings riding donkeys but God uses the ordinary for extraordinary things.
Sing ‘Little Donkey’ together and think about the precious cargo the donkey was carrying- Mary with Jesus, God in human form, in her womb. Click here for a video where you can try signing the song as well.
A donkey is never mentioned in the story but they are used throughout the Bible but it reminds us that just before the Easter story we know Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem to show he was a king. We don't often think of Kings riding donkeys but God uses the ordinary for extraordinary things.
Reading: Psalm 139:13-14
You made my whole being.
You formed me in my mother’s body.
I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way.
What you have done is wonderful.
I know this very well.
You might think you are very ordinary. Mary and Joseph probably felt the same. But you are incredible and made on purpose as you are by God. No wonder he has a plan for you!
I wonder...
What makes you extraordinary? What can you do to help other people or make them smile?
ActivitySometimes ordinary things can have a big impact. We do small things all the time that can actually mean a lot to someone else. A smile, a kind word, help with a difficult chore. Think about the small things you can do in a day that can mean something big to another person.
Write one of those small things down to remind you to do it. You might like to print this picture (download) and write it on the saddle bag. You could colour in the picture as you are thinking. |
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Prayer
Loving father,
Thank you for making me me!
Amen
Thank you for making me me!
Amen
Venture out
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Collect pine cones, acorns, sticks etc. By themselves they might look ordinary or plain. Can you make them into an extraordinary animal?
You might try and make a donkey, an animal you love or something that reminds you of Christmas. You could add clay, glue, paint to finish it off. |
No room
The tradition says that when Mary and Joseph finally arrived in Bethlehem they found a town packed to the brim full of people. Everyone had arrived in their home town ready for the census and finding somewhere to stay with so many people proved to be a very difficult task. They were tired and Jesus was almost ready to be born and all Mary needed was a place for her to shelter safely and in comfort ready for the birth.
No matter how many inn doors Joseph knocked on, the answer was always the same: ‘no room’. They were in real need and nobody would welcome them.
This can remind us of refugees today, who often arrive in our country in desperate need of shelter, food and warmth after crossing land and ocean to escape whatever harsh reality they have faced in their home towns. They don’t always receive a kind welcome.
No matter how many inn doors Joseph knocked on, the answer was always the same: ‘no room’. They were in real need and nobody would welcome them.
This can remind us of refugees today, who often arrive in our country in desperate need of shelter, food and warmth after crossing land and ocean to escape whatever harsh reality they have faced in their home towns. They don’t always receive a kind welcome.
Reading: Matthew 25: 33-40
The Son of Man will put the sheep, the good people, on his right and the goats, the bad people, on his left.
“Then the King will say to the good people on his right, ‘Come. My Father has given you his blessing. Come and receive the kingdom God has prepared for you since the world was made. I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was alone and away from home, and you invited me into your house. I was without clothes, and you gave me something to wear. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
“Then the good people will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food? When did we see you thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you alone and away from home and invite you into our house? When did we see you without clothes and give you something to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and care for you?’
“Then the King will answer, ‘I tell you the truth. Anything you did for any of my people here, you also did for me.’
We might think that no one notices the kind things we do for others. But Jesus notices and helping others he sees as helping him.
I wonder...What it would be like to have nowhere to go? Or if your house was a place you felt scared?
Ask your grown up if you can hold the key to your house. As you hold the key, give thanks for your place of shelter and safety and think about those who need that. Write a short prayer for those without shelter, warmth and food in the key below. |
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Activity
Think of the people who have welcomed you, make you feel safe and show you love. Make paperchains and write the names of all the people you want to include in your life and celebrate at this special time of the year. Put them up to decorate for Christmas.
You might want to do another diary entry after such a difficult journey. This time write about how you think Joseph is feeling. Click to download.
You might want to do another diary entry after such a difficult journey. This time write about how you think Joseph is feeling. Click to download.
Prayer
Loving father,
We pray for those who feel scared, hungry, cold or alone. Please protect them. Show us how we can make a difference and make them feel loved and welcomed.
Amen.
We pray for those who feel scared, hungry, cold or alone. Please protect them. Show us how we can make a difference and make them feel loved and welcomed.
Amen.
Venture out
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Whether you go to the shops, have food delivered or collect it. Add a few extras that you don't need and donate them to the Foodbank for people who are really struggling at the moment. You might donate something that people would really need and something that would be a real treat.
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Jesus' birth
Finally, after all the dust and sweat of the journey and all the noise and bustling of the crowds, the time came for Mary to have her baby. Jesus came into the world in a quiet, forgotten corner of Bethlehem. Something so significant happened with very little attention.
Reading John 1:5
It says in John's gospel,
‘And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it’. (New King James Translation)
'The Light shines in the darkness. And the darkness has not overpowered the Light.' (International Children's Bible)
Sometimes the world can feel dark, lonely and scary with all the bad things that happen. But Jesus came so that we have hope that Jesus is with us as we face the darkness.
This tiny baby grows up and teaches us how we should love God and others. Jesus came to show us how to live for God and love others like we should. But he also came to defeat evil and he died on a cross to do that. Jesus gives us all hope that there is a time coming where there will be no darkness because he has already deafeated it.
This tiny baby grows up and teaches us how we should love God and others. Jesus came to show us how to live for God and love others like we should. But he also came to defeat evil and he died on a cross to do that. Jesus gives us all hope that there is a time coming where there will be no darkness because he has already deafeated it.
I wonder...Light a candle (preferably in a dark room) with an adult. Spend some time gazing at it.
How far does the light reach? What does it mean for Jesus to be the light? Can I help show Jesus' light to others? |
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Activity
There are two ideas for today. Do both or choose the one you like best.
- Do a Christmas Carol lyrics search. (Online or using a booklet of songs) How many of the traditional Christmas hymns mention light? Why is it such an important symbol of Jesus coming to earth at Christmas?
- Take out your Holy Family figures and spend some time celebrating their safe arrival and the birth of Jesus. Can you make a card to welcome baby Jesus?
Prayer
Jesus,
Thank you for bring hope to the world. You bring hope because you are with us now and hope because one day all the sadness and pain that people have will be gone.
Amen
Thank you for bring hope to the world. You bring hope because you are with us now and hope because one day all the sadness and pain that people have will be gone.
Amen
Venture out
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Dig out your torches, wrap up warm and head out in the dark for a torchlit walk together. You might get up early to walk before breakfast or in the evening after the sun has set. How different does the world look in the dark?
Please walk in safe places and avoid exploring places you haven't seen in the daylight. |
The visitors
After a birth most families want to be quiet with their new little one for a while. But this was not the arrival of any ordinary baby. This is God in human form. This is the incarnation- that is a long word meaning ‘in the flesh’ (‘carni’ means ‘flesh’, like you see in the word carnivores who eat the flesh of other animals and the meal chilli con carne, which means ‘chilli flesh’ because of the mince meat in it). This is Emmanuelle- God with us.
Heaven could not be quiet about it! Soon after Jesus was born, angels appeared to shepherds on the hillside overlooking Bethlehem. They were proclaiming ‘Glory to God’ and they told the shepherds where to go to find the new born baby King. Imagine how the shepherds felt. They were watching their sheep one minute and hurrying down into Bethlehem on a divine mission the next, destined to be the first witnesses of this, the ‘main event’ in the story of Christianity.
Reading: Luke 2:8-12, 16-18 and Matthew 2:10-11
That night, some shepherds were in the fields nearby watching their sheep. An angel of the Lord stood before them. The glory of the Lord was shining around them, and suddenly they became very frightened. The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, because I am bringing you some good news. It will be a joy to all the people. Today your Savior was born in David’s town. He is Christ, the Lord. This is how you will know him: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a feeding box.” ... So the shepherds went quickly and found Mary and Joseph. And the shepherds saw the baby lying in a feeding box. Then they told what the angels had said about this child. Everyone was amazed when they heard what the shepherds said to them.
Many people would have thought shepherd's were unimportant and they might have felt that way too. But Jesus didn't come just for the rich and powerful he came for everyone, especially the people who think and feel unimportant.
When the wise men saw the star, they were filled with joy. They went to the house where the child was and saw him with his mother, Mary. They bowed down and worshiped the child. They opened the gifts they brought for him. They gave him treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
These wise men knew that the new star was the sign of a King and travelled a long way to meet Jesus. But even though they were very wise, they went to the palace first before finding Jesus!
Today is a little different. We have a section on each of the visitors (the angels, the shepherds and the wise men). You could do a slot on each throughout the day, you could pick bits from each or focus on one of the visitors)
Angels
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I wonder what it would be like if angels appeared today?
Activity: Write down the message you think they would bring from God today. You could write a script, you could act it out or you could record it to share with others. |
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Shepherds
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I wonder how the shepherds felt? They were seen as unimportant and now angels were telling them about a King before anyone else!
Activity: Make someone a card or Christmas tree decoration for someone who is important to you. |
Wise men
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The shepherds were not the only visitors. A while later some kings (or wise men) came to visit Jesus. They had been following a star and it had stopped above the place of his birth in Bethlehem. They were astrologers and their studies of the stars had led them on a long journey from the East to where they believed a new king had been born. They brought with them gifts. They were not typical baby gifts! They brought gold, frankincense and myrrh.
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The gold was a symbol of kingship. The frankincense was a symbol of his divinity (because he was God). The myrrh was a symbol of his death (it was an embalming oil used to anoint the bodies of those who have died). Their gifts were honouring Jesus’ whole life, it’s significance and importance, before he had lived it.
I wonder what present you would have brought to baby Jesus? I wonder why?
Activity: Draw the present you would give. Put it in an envelope and write 'Jesus' on it and then place it with the other presents that are wrapped and waiting.
I wonder what present you would have brought to baby Jesus? I wonder why?
Activity: Draw the present you would give. Put it in an envelope and write 'Jesus' on it and then place it with the other presents that are wrapped and waiting.
Prayer
Holy Spirit,
Fill us with love for Jesus this Christmas and always.
Amen.
Fill us with love for Jesus this Christmas and always.
Amen.
Venture out
With an adult choose some happy messages that you could share with your neighbours. Write them on the pavement in chalk for people to wake up to.
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Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- You are loved
- Happy birthday Jesus
- Merry Christmas
- Jesus is the light of the world
- Draw smiley faces, a crib, stars, nativity characters
Safeguarding
Children and adults deserve the best care that the Church can provide. Please call 999 if a child or adult is in immediate danger of significant or serious harm. To report any safeguarding concerns or allegations, please contact the Coventry Diocese Safeguarding Team on 024 7652 1345. Out of office hours, calls to this number will be diverted to our 24-hour helpline. For all other safeguarding matters, please contact our Diocesan Safeguarding Team.
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