Posted: 12/17/04
| Children listen intently to lessons during a one-day Christmas Bible School at Faith Baptist Church in Princeton. |
Christmas Bible School teaches
true meaning of the season
By George Henson
Staff Writer
PRINCETON–No star above a stable guided them, but the story of the Christ-child still drew people to worship as a North Texas church reminded area families about the true meaning of Christmas.
Each year since 1998, Faith Baptist Church in Princeton has held Christmas Bible School. It began when some members of the church decided to set aside one Saturday in early December to celebrate and teach children about Christ. This year, the event fell on Dec. 4, with 69 children and 39 volunteers attending.
Beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at 2 p.m., Christmas Bible School has many elements of Vacation Bible School, a mainstay of summer children's ministries in Baptist churches. Like VBS, children at Christmas Bible School are divided into age-graded classrooms and led by volunteers in Bible study, crafts, music and recreation.
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| Teenagers help teach children a craft activity during a one-day Christmas Bible School at Faith Baptist Church in Princeton. |
The last couple of years, the children's choir has performed its Christmas musical during the assembly time, Pastor Stan Fike said.
Everything, whether the games or the Bible story, is meant to illuminate the true meaning of Christmas, he explained.
Over the years, Faith has chosen a variety of memorable methods to teach the Christmas story. One year, a family set up a pen full of sheep and dressed as shepherds to tell the children about the night the angels shared the message of Jesus' birth.
This year, for recreation, they opted to use Collin Baptist Association's new ministry trailer. The trailer includes a bounce house, a cotton candy machine and other equipment to entertain and excite the children during their recreation and snack time.
While individual activities have changed to keep things fresh for children who return year after year, the day always concludes with a special birthday party for Jesus. The party includes the children singing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus before enjoying cupcakes and games. The party reminds the children that behind the fun and games, Jesus is the focus of the day–and Christmas.
Three children made professions of faith in Jesus Christ through this year's event, and about 30 of the children who participated don't usually attend church at Faith Baptist, Fike said.
While everything is planned to share God's love with children, it also is an effective outreach to parents as well, he added.
“We have many unchurched families who take advantage of the opportunity for free babysitting while they go Christmas shopping,” he said. “We don't mind that at all, because it gives us the opportunity to tell their children about the true meaning of Christmas–the birth of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
And it doesn't stop with the children, Fike added.
“We have a couple of families whose first contact with our church came through Christmas Bible School,” he said. “The children had such a good time, they made their parents bring them to church the following Sunday, and they've been here ever since. I got to baptize three children and their mother and father as a result of the gospel being shared through Christmas Bible School.”
This year yielded similar results, with three families without a church home visiting the day after their children attended Christmas Bible School, he said.
Other churches are beginning to contact Faith Baptist Church after sharing their curriculum, all of which is designed by members.
The amount of preparation and time spent by volunteers is not lost on Fike.
“It's amazing to me how many of our members, youth and adults, will take a Saturday out of this busy holiday season to serve the Lord by ministering to children,” he said.
Many members who cannot participate on Saturday help by baking cupcakes, donating craft supplies and praying for the children and their families, he said.
“It ends up being a fantastic blessing for everyone involved, whether it's the kids and their families or our teachers and helpers,” Fike asserted.
“Not only has Christmas Bible School been a great opportunity for us as a church to reach the community with Christ's love, but it has been a special time to honor the real reason behind the holidays, the birth of Jesus Christ.”
For more information on Christmas Bible School, contact Faith Baptist Church at (972) 736-3733 or faithbaptistprinceton@juno.com.
Jennifer Fike, a junior at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, contributed to this article.
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