In 2023, Bible Society New Zealand published a beautiful children’s Christmas Story booklet, called “Amazing Days.” With Christmas becoming increasingly secular with little or no mention of Jesus Christ, there was keen interest shown from Christian organisations, churches, community groups and individuals, to secure quantities of the “Amazing Days” booklets. Close to 74,000 booklets were sent out so children could learn about Jesus and the special miracles that happened in Israel at that time.
It is great to hear how these children’s booklets are being used to share the truth about the Christmas celebration to whānau and tamariki – like the Christmas Parade in Oamaru where the booklets will be handed out to families; a church in Gisborne is including “Amazing Days” booklets with food parcels that will be provided to needy families in a local park; and a Chinese Church in East Auckland is preparing Christmas packages to the Auckland Women’s Refuge with the Christmas booklet.
Delivering a Christmas storytime in libraries is an opportunity that Bible Society New Zealand’s Missions Partner, Sonia Munro, has been fortunate to arrange with five Libraries based in South Auckland. The first “Amazing Days” delivery to three preschool groups took place at Manukau Library on 6 December, and a special guest also turned up, “Clifford – the Big Red Dog!” This year the Christmas Storytime programme has expanded to include 5 Plunket Groups and a rural pre-school in Kawakawa Bay.
The great blessing of this type of programme is that children and families who are not connected to a church, or from a different religious world-view, will get to read this beautiful, eye-catching booklet, and discover the truth about Christmas – that Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, came to earth as a baby more than 2,000 years ago, to show us the Father, and to teach us how we should live – AMAZING!
If you or your church ordered some “Amazing Days” booklets, we would love to hear your stories too!
Please email us at smunro@biblesociety.org.nz
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THIS ARTICLE IS WRITTEN BY Sonia Munro, MISSION PARTNER Volunteer & Community Services, BIBLE SOCIETY NZ
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