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Walkabout Nativity

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Saturday 19th December 11:00 am – 3:00 pm

Saturday 19th December 11:00 am – 3:00 pm

Visit St Michael’s, St Mary’s, Trinity and London Street URC and meet:

  • Some innkeepers who have been struggling with the crowds in Bethlehem and are so full they have even to send one young couple expecting a baby to their animal stable.
  • Some wise men who have been, and still are, travelling from lands afar following an unusual star.
  • Some shepherds who have had a surprising and rather shocking visitation whilst out on the hillside tending the flock.
  • Mary and Joseph who will be in a tatty outbuilding tired from their journey but also delighted at the arrival of Baby Jesus safely laid in a manger.

Christmas in Bits

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‘Christmas in Bits’ puzzle challenge for Advent and Christmas a free resource available for all to use.

There will be a story (Bible passage and thought for the week) with some wondering questions for the children to explore and craft worksheet to accompany each piece of the puzzle (2 sides of A4 photocopied in B&W). we are printing 750 puzzles on card & they need to be cut up & placed in envelopes to hand out/post out or send out in food distribution boxes. You are welcome to use this puzzle pattern to make your own A3 copies to distribute with the worksheets in your church or local schools. These will be linked into a Basingstoke Christmas puzzle Facebook page (now live) so the children can get their grownups to post online what they have made each week and see what others have created. 

In the town centre, there will be a live outdoor event on Sat 19th Dec 11am-3pm – a ‘walk about nativity’  at which we will have 250 Bob Hartman Christmas books to give away when they finally reach Mary & Joseph in the stable at URC.Other stations will be at other churches within the town centre (the stations will be on Facebook but currently include Trinity Methodist Church and St. Mary’s Eastrop). At these stations on the walkabout they could meet the Roman Centurion who gave out the decree, the shepherds, the innkeeper, the wise men, the more stations we have, the more characters the children can meet. At this event we will advertise the Doug Horley on line event Sat evening 19th December 6pm-6.30pm. Other online family events can also be advertised.  If you are outside of town centre why not adapt the idea to your locality or just tap into what is already on offer? 

Advent Puzzle 1CB Christmas Event Dec 2020Download
Christmas in Bits – Cover SheetDownload
Christmas in Bits – Week 1Download
Christmas in Bits – Week 2Download
Christmas in Bits – Week 3Download
Christmas in Bits – Week 4Download

Trypraying Next Steps: Keep Going!

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If you’ve tried prayer, what happened? If you’ve discovered something this week, then keep going and get to know God better.

prayer to know god better

What’s Happened?

It’s good to think what has happened as you have read this series. You might like to answer these questions for yourself:

  • What has changed during the days I have been praying?
  • Has my attitude changed?
  • Have my circumstances changed?
  • Has my “big issue” changed?
  • Am I getting a new understanding of God?

Above anything else Jesus wants us to believe in him (John Chapter 3 Verse 16). Would you say you now believe in Jesus?

You could look at this again in a week or a month. Let us know how you got on with this series and what has happened. Send an email to [email protected].

Go Wild

Share this series with a friend. Explain that you found it helpful and simply say, “Why don’t you try praying for a week and see what happens?” Ask them how they got on when you next see them.

Next Steps

If you have discovered something during this week then keep going! You’ve just started and it gets better. The main thing is to get to know more and more of God. You might like to:

  • Tell a friend about your experiences. If they are not interested find a friend that is!
  • Get more of the story. Read the Bible. It’s full of wisdom for living
    and hope for the next life. Begin with the accounts of the life of Jesus. You’ll be impressed.
  • Check out some good web sites. Several are listed on www.trypraying.co.uk which also gives access to the trypraying app and other useful articles.
  • Go on a course. There are many good introductory courses like Alpha, Christianity Explored, Journeys etc. See what is on offer locally.
  • Check out a good church. You may need to try a few before you find one that’s right for you. Find one that helps you connect with Jesus.

© There is Hope 2015.

Read the Other Posts in the Trypraying Series

You can read the other posts in our trypraying series as they are published here:

Find out more

You can find out more about trypraying basingstoke 2019 by reading this post.

You can also follow us on social media, where we will be posting about trypraying every day between 1-18 June 2019:

You can visit the website trypraying.co.uk which also gives access to the trypraying app and other useful articles.

You could attend the trypraying basingstoke prayer event being held at London Street URC on Sunday 9 June 2019 from 6:30-8:30pm. You’d be most welcome.

Or you can contact OneChurch Basingstoke direct, using the form on our Contact page.

What have you got to lose?

Pick up your free booklet from the train station or a church near you. God wants to hear from you!

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About OneChurch Basingstoke

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OneChurch Basingstoke supports local churches through Fellowship, Communication, Mission and Prayer. Learn more here.

Networking & Nurturing Fellowship

We build friendship, encourage fellowship and work together among the churches and their leaders.

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Resourcing & Facilitating Communication

We provide information about what is going on among local churches and Christian projects within the town.

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Motivating & Mapping Mission

We are strategic in making Jesus known; we support Christian ministries in the town; building relationships with the Local Authority and other agencies.

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Initiating & Coordinating Prayer

Praying across the town, expressing our complete reliance on God and seeking His will in all that we do.

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