Book excerpt: Who said small churches cannot produce quality, thought provoking Christmas programs? If you are looking for Christmas programs with a real Christian message that are designed for small stages, then this book is for you. These plays truly fit all size churches and are written in such a way as to minimize rehearsals and memorization. The book contains five plays: - "The Nativity" utilizes a liturgical format and focuses on worshiping Christ. This play works well even in churches which do not normally use formal liturgy. - "What Child is This?" is humorous yet has a strong evangelistic message. - "It's the Gift that Counts" presents an emotional presentation of the Gospel. The Christmas story is told utilizing both traditional and non-traditional Bible passages focusing on finding God's greatest gift to us. - "An Interview with Scrooge" is a hilarious play that will not only cause your audience to laugh out loud, it will challenge the audience to examine the difference between true Christianity and rote religion. - "The Christmas Surprise" is even funnier than "An Interview with Scrooge." The beauty of this play is that you cannot rehearse it. The pastor should go out of his way to advertise this play and when people ask, "who is in it and when is the rehearsal," he just replies by saying, "it's a surprise." This play seems to be random, but it has a very poignant message challenging the audience to answer God's call (be it for salvation or Christian service). In addition to the five plays, there is an interactive Church Christmas Decoration Service that can become a new Christmas tradition for those churches who do not celebrate Advent services. Also included is a chapter with helps and hints for small churches which include: - Stage Directions - Hints for Working in Small Churches - Hints for Working with Amateur Actors - Hints for Keeping the Play Moving, and - Keeping Christ in Christmas. "Remember the Reason for the Season" is not an add on cliche for these plays; Christ and the Gospel are the foundation these plays are built upon.