On Monday of this week, LOL, the 7th and 8th grade juggling team that I teach, did a service for their elementary school mates.  Being Christmas time, we changed our show up a bit from what we typically have been doing this year.

We opened with our best attempt at an old, circus style parade.  Kids entered the sanctuary tumbling, stilt walking, dancing, carry birds and our rabbit, baton twirling, etc.  It was a new entrance and different from anything we've ever tried before.  It was well received and a good opportunity to spotlight each student individually.  Their music was "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy".  My aide, Amanda, did a great job picking Christmas music for each juggling routine, including one juggling piece to "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer". 

We also included a Christmas routine I've only used once before, probably eight years ago.  We had a choir singing "Silent Night", pausing occasionally, for scenes of a less than silent household at Christmas time.  One child clearly had too much sugar, one was begging for hundreds of new toys for Christmas, one was trying to lead her boyfriend to the mistletoe.  The contrast between the hymn and the all too familiar behaviors of the kids in the skit was funny and effective.

One of the big benefits of doing elementary chapel is that it allows the younger students, especially the sixth grade, to see what they'll be involved in for a class ministry when they're in middle school.  It was a fun way to share Christmas with the younger students.