Category Archives: Videos

Christmas Stories for Candlelight Communion Services

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I have written and illustrated three Christmas stories that are perfect for Pastors, Ministers, Teachers, or Administrators who need a multimedia Christmas story to tell for a class, service, ceremony, gathering or assembly. I wrote them for use during my church’s annual candlelight and communion service.

These stories are available for $20-25 each. You’ll receive a zip file containing a PDF of the story text, a PowerPoint presentation containing all of the illustrations, and individual jpg image files of each slide (in case you don’t do PowerPoint).

The Very Last Room

What would you do if your family had taken the very last room in Bethlehem… just before Mary & Joseph arrived? This story follows a young boy and his family on their way to Bethlehem to be taxed. They end up taking the very last room available in the city forcing Mary and Joseph to take the stable out back. You’ll love how this story comes together and the strong evangelistic message it shares. The story is fully illustrated and stylized to fit the time period, but with a modern twist.

Purchase The Very Last Room on my Etsy page.

The Birthday Story

“The Birthday Story” is the Nativity Christmas Story as told by Mary to her young son, Jesus. Based on Luke 2:19 (“But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart”) The story comes from the perspective of Mary recalling the events that led to her son Jesus’ birth day.

The audience thinks they’re hearing a modern day story… until various details reveal that this is a retelling of the Nativity from a different perspective. Children and adults will enjoy hearing about the trials of making a journey to Bethlehem on a donkey with a child on the way… and the hope a mother has for her son, the Messiah. Helps all ages remember that Jesus’ birth was real… and so is our reason for celebrating Jesus, not only on Christmas, but every day of the year.

Purchase The Birthday Story on my Etsy page.

 

The Christmas Repair Service

A magical Christian Christmas parable that will help children with selfishness, anger, obedience and the reason we celebrate Christ’s birth in the first place. Told with a bit of magic and a lot of fun. Every child will go away realizing that our beliefs should affect our actions… and that we need Christ to change our hearts because we can’t fix ourselves. 

Purchase The Christmas Repair Service on my Etsy page.

Christmas Stories That I Have Written And Illustrated

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Between 2009 and 2011 I wrote three different Christmas stories for an annual Christmas Eve service.

The Very Last Room, by James Kennison

The first one, The Very Last Room was (and is) by far the most popular. It’s the Nativity story told from the viewpoint of a child in the family who happened to take the very last room in Bethlehem. The theme of the story is simple: Jesus must be welcomed into our lives. We must make room.

 

The Birthday Story, by James Kennison

The second story is another alternate perspective take on the Nativity. This time we’re hearing about Jesus’ very first birthday from Mary herself, as told from mother to her 6 year-old son. The Birthday Story is apparently an annual ritual that little Jesus looks forward to each year. It’s cute and has some humor but the end is bittersweet as Mary unknowingly refers to Jesus’ future Crucifixion, believing that he would be made a great King one day(as many did). The concept is based on Luke 2:19 where it is mentioned that Mary kept the things that happen to her little son close to her heart… as any mother would.

The Christmas Repair Service, by James Kennison

The third and last story I’ve written is what I’ll call a Christmas Fable. The story revolves around a young man with several bad attitudes that many children have around Christmas time. He is self-centered, jealous, angry, disobedient and has a lack of self-control. All of these attitudes lead to actions that threaten to not only ruin Christmas for Billy… but for his entire family. Thankfully The Christmas Repair Service shows up at the doorstep to save the day. With each repair one of Billy’s character flaws is also corrected. Children who hear this story will be reminded to put others first, parents make rules to protect us, and that we must let Jesus change us because you can’t fix yourself!

Though I have not published any of these stories, I have made them available via PDF and PowerPoint. Folks use them for Christmas Eve church services. High quality video downloads along with the PDF and PowerPoint are available on my Etsy page.

People have mentioned that I should get these published into books. This is not possible at this time due to the cost, but if anyone is interested in making something like that happen… feel free to contact me.