If the church’s seating arrangement allows, have all the children of the pre-school through the sixth grade sit together on one side of the chancel, with the junior choir on the other side.

As the program opens, the children of the pre-school through sixth grade face the congregation and sing Come and Hear the Grand Old Story. As they sing, the "family" characters enter and arrange themselves on the chancel or stage. The school children are seated, and the spotlight focuses on the chancel.

A mother and father with two or three young children start putting ornaments on the tree, arranging gifts underneath, setting up a creche, etc. They look happy and excited and talk about Christmas in an excited way. A teenage boy enters.

BOY: Boy, everybody’s so busy. Busy, busy, busy! All this stuff! Why d…