Bible Story Day 1: The Shepherds Hear Good News

Resources: Christian Newsletter: December 2020, Story Props: The Shepherds Hear Good News

You Will Need:

Introduction: Locate a birth announcement or another happy story in a newspaper or magazine. Show the paper to the group and explain that you read some good news! Share the news story. Invite them to tell about any occasions when they have heard good news. Who told them? Explain that in today's story some shepherds will hear some good news, but they will not read it in a newspaper.

Tell the Story: Before telling the story, become familiar with it so you can tell it in your own words. Read Luke 2:8-14, along with the paraphrase below. Locate the Story Prop with the angels and the manger scene (see Resources). Cut along the dotted lines to separate the angel pieces. Attach those to the shepherd scene as flaps. Use the illustration for help. Show the pictures as you tell the story.

(Show Shepherd Scene.) The Bible tells us that one night shepherds were in the field watching their sheep. Suddenly an angel appeared! (Fold in the flap to show single angel.) The shepherds were very surprised!

The angel said, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people." Then the angel told them that a very special baby had been born. The baby was the Son of God, who would save the world! The angel said the shepherds could find the baby wrapped in cloth and lying in a manger.

Suddenly the sky filled with more angels. (Fold down the second flap.) The angels were singing "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men." When the angels finished singing and left, the shepherds decided to go and find the baby.
The shepherds traveled to Bethlehem and found the baby, just as the angels had said. (Show Manger Scene.) He was with his mother Mary and her husband Joseph. He was wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Usually a manger is used to hold hay for animals to eat. But the hay made a soft place for baby Jesus to rest. The shepherds worshiped the baby. Then they couldn't wait to tell everyone the good news!

You may want to explain that the Bible doesn't tell us exactly when Jesus was born. But what we do know is that it happened and it changed the world. Many people choose to celebrate this wonderful event on December 25, but we can also remember this event every day of the year.

Questions to Ask: After sharing the story, ask a few questions to review. Use the examples below or choose others.
1. Who spoke to the shepherds? (An angel)
2. What did the angel tell them? (God's Son had been born.)
3. What did the shepherds do? (They went to find the baby and then shared the good news.)

Story Treasure: Each month you will collect a Story Treasure to use as a reminder of the story. Be sure to decorate a box like a treasure chest in which to keep the Story Treasures. The Story Treasure for this month is a little lamb. Show the lamb to the children and remind them that the shepherds were taking care of sheep when they heard the good news about Jesus. Place the lamb in the Treasure Box. Continue to add treasures to the box throughout the year. From time to time bring them out to review the stories.


Related Activities:
The Shepherds Hear Good News - Introduction and Lesson Preparation This activity provides instructions for preparing to teach the story to children.