Christmas Tree Fest - Saturday 17th December
We had over 70 amazing trees made by members of the churches and the community from everyday objects, and ranging from 2 inches to 2 metres tall! See photos of some of the trees below...
Friday 16th December
Tree made from grains of rice by Anjali Pandit
Jesus
Jesus’ name means ‘The Lord
Saves’. God was born as a man to save
his people from their sins and reunite us in relationship with God. The name of Jesus is therefore very
significant for Christians all over the world.
Thursday 15th December
3 dimensional Sierpinski triangle Christmas tree by Dan, Philippa, Finn & Evie Rogers and Dan's Year 6 class at Dovecote Primary School
Herod
Herod was the Roman ruler in
Judea when the Wise men arrived and told him a new King had been born in his
kingdom. Herod felt threatened and asked
them come back and tell him exactly where the baby was. The Wise Men were warned in a dream not to go
back to Herod so he ordered that every baby boy under two should be
killed! Joseph had also been warned in a
dream to take his family to live in Egypt until it was safe to return.
Wednesday 14th December
Meccano Tree by Michael Passmore
Wise Men – Myrrh
The third gift the wise men
brought was Myrrh. This was used to
embalm bodies after death to prepare them for burial. This was to show that Jesus would suffer and
die at the hands of his enemies. They
probably did not realise that it was only through his dying on the cross and
rising from the dead that he would become the Highest of High Priests and the
King of all Kings.
Tuesday 13th December
Pringle Crisp
s Tube Tree by Gill Hartley
Wise Men - Frankincense
The second gift brought by the
Wise Men was Frankincense. This was used to burn in the temple as part of
religious ceremonies. This was to show
that the baby Jesus would grow up to be the Highest Priest as well as the King
of Kings.
Monday 12th December
Toilet roll tube tree by Anna (6) & Abigail (3) Rushforth
Wise Men - Gold
The wise men were astrologers who
studied the stars. When they saw a new star appear, they believed it showed a
new King had been born. Following the star, they set off to find the new King,
bringing significant gifts. The wise men brought some Gold –
this showed that the child was to be a King of Kings.
Sunday 11th December
Paper Plate Tree by Rosalie Precious
Shepherds
We do not know any names for the
shepherds. They were ordinary people, doing ordinary jobs yet God chose them to
be the first to know about the birth of Jesus, the Son of God. Shepherds were often unpopular because they spent
so much time away from the village. So
the first people to visit Jesus were ordinary people – not those we might think
of as important.
Saturday 10th December
Fork Tree by Tom & Jenny Hartman
Innkeeper
Nobody knows what the innkeeper was called
– we just know that when Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem, there was no
room to stay. Little did he know that
offering his stable to them for the night would provide the Son of God with his
first resting place – a manger, an animal feeding trough – not the sort of crib
you might expect for the King of Kings and the Son of God!
Friday 9th December
Plastic milk bottle tree by Eileen Bingham
Caesar Augustus
Caesar Augustus was the Roman
Emperor who ordered that a census should take place throughout the whole Roman
Empire. As a result, Mary & Joseph
had to travel to Bethlehem, Joseph’s home town, to register. They had to travel 60 miles to Bethlehem just
when she was due to have a baby!
Thursday 8th December
Rubber Glove Tree by 1st Toton Brownies
Joseph
Joseph was engaged to Mary when
he heard from an angel in a dream that she was going to have a baby that was
not his! The angel told him that he
should stand by Mary and bring up the baby as his own – and that he should be
called Jesus, which means ‘The Lord saves’.
Wednesday 7th December
Badminton Shuttlecock Tree by one of Toton Churches Connect Groups
Mary
Mary was a young teenager when
she learnt from an angel that she was pregnant and had been chosen by God to
have the baby Jesus, the Son of God. She was obedient to God and pondered on
lots of things as she watched Jesus grow up and follow God’s plan for his life. She also watched as he died on the cross
about thirty years later.
Tuesday 6th December
Paperback Book Tree by Linda Moore
Gabriel
Gabriel was an angel who visited Mary to tell her she was going to have a very special baby – Jesus the Son of God. An angel also visited Joseph to reassure him that he should still marry Mary and bring the baby up in his family.
Monday 5th December
Plastic bag tree made by Audrey Hawksworth
Isaiah and the Prophets
Hundreds of years before the first Christmas, many prophets foresaw that Jesus would be born – they foretold what he would be like, where he would be born, how people would treat him and how he would die.
Hundreds of years before the first Christmas, many prophets foresaw that Jesus would be born – they foretold what he would be like, where he would be born, how people would treat him and how he would die.
Sunday 4th December
Jelly!
Mushy Peas!
Orange Slices!
John the Baptist
John was born just before Jesus. When he grew up, he began baptise people, encouraging them to say sorry to God and follow him more closely. Jesus was baptised by John who realised he was very special and was indeed God’s Son.
Jelly!
Mushy Peas!
Orange Slices!
John was born just before Jesus. When he grew up, he began baptise people, encouraging them to say sorry to God and follow him more closely. Jesus was baptised by John who realised he was very special and was indeed God’s Son.
Saturday 3rd December
Yarn Reels Christmas Tree by Eugenie Taylor
Zechariah
Zechariah was a priest working in the Temple. When an angel came to tell him that he and Elizabeth were going to have a baby, he did not believe it. After all she was very old and had never conceived. Because he refused to believe the angel, he was struck dumb until the baby was born!
Friday 2nd December
Newspaper Tree by the 'Faith & Friendship' group
Elizabeth
Elizabeth was a relative of Mary’s who was married to Zechariah. They were unable to have children and were now very old. Following a visit from the angel, she was told she would have a baby after all. Mary went to stay with her while she was expecting Jesus and their babies were born a few weeks apart.
Elizabeth was a relative of Mary’s who was married to Zechariah. They were unable to have children and were now very old. Following a visit from the angel, she was told she would have a baby after all. Mary went to stay with her while she was expecting Jesus and their babies were born a few weeks apart.
Thursday 1st December
Button Tree by Hilary Craik
Angels
There are lots of angels in the Christmas Story – they are messengers from God. The first one appeared to two old people and told them, to their surprise and delight, they were going to have a baby! The woman was a relative of Mary and the baby would grow up to be John, who baptised many adults, including Jesus himself.