Summary: This an alternative version of my 2010 children’s talk for visiting school children and parents at the Church. This worked well with 240 8 and 9 year olds plus parents and teachers.

First of all, there are a few people who would like to send their Christmas greetings to you …

[Note to the reader: I showed a short film clip of various film stars saying Merry Christmas - you can watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xKzkAo09Q0 ]

I love Christmas and I love birthdays. So I really, really, really, love celebrating the birth-day of Jesus-the-Christ at Christmas.

But why did God send Jesus to the earth? What was he thinking about? Why did he do it?

When he grew up Jesus told the best stories that have ever been told. He was the best there has ever been at telling stories to help us know God better, so I love thinking about stories that teach us about God.

Now I hope it won’t snow until tomorrow morning at the earliest – but I would love a white Christmas!

Ok - a few questions for you all:

1: If a car gets stuck in snow or if a car breaks down on the road, who or what comes to rescue us? AA or RAC

2: If someone is swimming and they start to struggle, what might be thrown in to help rescue them? A Big Rubber Ring

3: Can you think of an animal that’s a good swimmer that could also help with a rescue in water? A rescue dog.

4: If you were stuck on a mountain and the weather was turning bad, what might come to rescue you? Helicopter

5: If your cat gets stuck up a tree who rescues it? Dad???

6: What if it was too high for a person to climb? The Fire Brigade!

7: How does God plan to rescue his world?

Christians believe it is all about Jesus – a life and death rescue mission to rescue the world; and it is a rescue mission that is still going on today.

Christians believe that the birth of Jesus the Christ in Bethlehem about 2010 years ago was all part of God’s way of rescuing the earth and rescuing the people he loves – all of us. That’s why Christians say that Jesus is our Saviour – because we believe that Jesus saves us – he rescues us.

In the Bible we read this "For He is the living God ...He rescues and he saves ...." (Daniel 6: 26-27).

So I would like to sing a song about Jesus – the one that God sent to rescue the world.

[Note to the reader: I ended my talk by singing the Matt Redman song ’You Alone Can Rescue’]