Christmas can be complicated. Parties, gifts, and family tensions dominate the season. So maybe it's time we explore what Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany are really about. The Messy Church series provides resources to help your church bring together people of all ages and stages of faith, allowing them to experience a creative and fun-filled Christian community. Messy Christmas offers your church a tool to create a unique, come-as-you-are experience built on creativity—allowing space for all to play and create celebration—worshiping God and his redeeming work in Jesus hospitality—sharing a meal where all are welcome These three once-a-month sessions include Christmas prayers, global action suggestions, games and competitions, Christmas food crafts, and many other ideas to experience joy during this time of the year. This season, give your community the gift of a messy church!

IVP Readers' Choice Award We like the idea of community, but where do we start? The Messy Church series provides resources to help your church bring together people of all ages and stages of faith, allowing them to experience a creative and fun-filled Christian community. Messy Church, the first book in the series, offers your church a tool to create a unique, come-as-you-are experience built on creativity—allowing space for all to play and create celebration—worshiping God and his redeeming work in Jesus hospitality—sharing a meal where all are welcome This complete resource helps you share the love of God and his people with families in your community, creating an opportunity for connection and learning in a fun and welcoming environment. With instructions for starting a program at your church, Messy Church includes fifteen sessions for use throughout the year. Let's get messy!

Chocolate bunnies, marshmallow chicks, colored eggs, and baskets are a lot of fun, but is that really what this season is all about? The new resource Messy Easter offers your church a tool to bring together people of all ages and stages of faith for a unique come-as-you-are experience of creativity—allowing space for all to play and create celebration—worshiping God and his redeeming work in Jesus hospitality—sharing a meal where all are welcome These three once-a-month sessions include ideas for activities, games, crafts, food, and much more to help us learn about Lent, Holy Week, and Easter in an excitedly messy way! This season, give your community the gift of a Messy Church! The Messy Church series provides resources to help your church bring together people of all ages and stages of faith, allowing them to experience a creative and fun-filled Christian community.

A Guide to British television programmes shown at Christmas time, throughout the years.

The Single Most Comprehensive Resource for Preaching and Worship "Students, teachers, Bible study leaders, but especially preachers, will discover a treasure trove here. Search and mine it for new perspectives on old stories, fresh Biblical insights into current issues, ways of seeing outside the box. You'll find yourself nourished and strengthened!" —Rev. Dr. James W. Crawford, minister emeritus, The Old South Church, Boston, Massachusetts "No other compilation offers more comprehensive resources to assist the parish minister in planning every aspect of weekly worship." —William E. Hull, research professor, Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama For more than eighty years, The Minister's Manual has been the standard by which all other preaching annuals are measured. The book's research-based content and searchable CD-ROM make this non-denominational resource even more helpful to today's busy pastor. The 2010 Minister's Manual is the comprehensive and traditional resource pastors have come to rely on. Filled with practical features, this new edition is designed to be user-friendly and the handy CD-ROM makes the book's material easily accessible. Turn to The Minister's Manual for: Complete sermons for the entire year Lectionary messages and worship aids to expand Sunday services Feature articles on preaching parables, faithful worship, and the creative art of homiletics that speak to the hearts and minds of ministers A treasury of practical, contemporary, and relevant sermons A diverse group of contributors, a broad and contemporary range of illustrations, and new and expanded preaching resources Children's sermons, based on the lectionary texts, for engaging young minds Musical suggestions, based on the lectionary texts, for each week of the year Calendars of important historical, cultural, and religious anniversaries Eloquent and useful messages for holidays, funerals and bereavement, communions, and missions A free, searchable CD-ROM of the entire contents can be used to extract, edit, and print selections for sermons, bulletins, and other messages

Since the early 20th century, animated Christmas cartoons have brightened the holiday season around the world--first in theaters, then on television. From devotional portrayals of the Nativity to Santa battling villains and monsters, this encyclopedia catalogs more than 1,800 international Christmas-themed cartoons and others with year-end themes of Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and the New Year. Explore beloved television specials such as A Charlie Brown Christmas, theatrical shorts such as Santa's Workshop, holiday episodes from animated television series like American Dad! and The Simpsons, feature films like The Nutcracker Prince and obscure productions such as The Insects' Christmas, along with numerous adaptations and parodies of such classics as A Christmas Carol and Twas the Night before Christmas.