Christmas Crescendo implementation...

Christmas Crescendo
Here are some pics., taken during set up Friday evening and Saturday morning.

Curtains Closed

Worship Set 1 (sung in front of the curtain w/ only acoustic guitar)
Joy to the World

Welcome & Greet

Creative Element: “Christmas Crescendo”
Designed to show how often the true of meaning of Christmas is lost in the hustle and bustle of what Christmas has become to society.

Curtain opens to a blue spot on Mary and baby Jesus.
She is quietly singing to baby:
O, Come, O Come Emmanuel (one verse)

She remains center stage as: Start: Electronic wav file of Carol of the Bells, entire band joined in layers on top of the track. The song gets louder and more hectic as the following scenes unfold:
Lights: Leg of curtains, lights up on each side of stage.
Stage left: Husband and wife bring in Christmas tree, set it up and decorate (plug in lights), they also bring in gifts. Their young children enter (in p.j.’s), shake packages and play around tree. Read book.
Stage right: shoppers enter with rolling rack of clothes.
Stage right: Santa comes in, seated on a rolling platform with elves. Photographer enters and sets up his lighting and camera on a tripod. Families with children line up to get their picture taken with Santa.
More Lights: Icicle lights on back curtain light up.
Another rolling rack with clothes enters into the auditorium with another shopper and retail sales person.

ALL ACTION STOPS: Music ends abruptly, actors freeze in place, all lights black out except the blue spot again on Mary & Jesus
(short intro of) O, Come, O Come Emmanuel, which transitioned into:
Mary’s Child (amazing song written by April Eads, who also played Mary)

Worship Set 2 (done completely with an acoustic guitar only)
What Child is This? (Actors exited stage during intro. Mary and Jesus exited after the first verse)
O Holy Night

Message: The Real Meaning of Christmas (and giving a gift of ourselves to Him)

Worship set 3 (the full band was back: w/communion and interactive family element)
There were several gifts boxes on each row. Everyone was asked to write or draw on a piece of paper, a gift they wanted to give to baby Jesus. (Families were asked to work with their children, which was really cool to see). Then place the note in a small gift bag and tie a ribbon around it. Then go as a family or with friends to the communion stations. And give the gift to Jesus (a manger was set up at each station).
Glory in the Highest
We Three Kings
O, Come, O Come Emmanuel (the percussionist used a really nifty Samba beat to this, totally cool!)

It was one of those amazing moments in time, where everything combined to share the true meaning with Christmas with all those who entered in today.
Interesting notes today:My husband (not a Christian) came today. He only comes to church once every couple of years.
My son and his family visited again (four weeks now). It is so cool to be able to worship together.
I particularly love how my three year old grandson loves to stand in the aisle to worship. He sways back and forth, claps his hands. My two year grand daughter also joined us.
Someone (a friend I have made at Starbucks, currently dechurched) I had invited, came and texted me afterwards that he thought the worship was awesome!
And two people came up afterwards. One person wants to join the pPod team (that implements the interactive experiential worship elements) and another wants to join the lighting team.
What an amazing day!

How was your Sunday today?

This is being submitted to Sunday Set list blog carnival at Fred McKinnon's blog. Be sure to check how other churches are glorifying God through worship each Sunday.