Football in a Nativity Box

With the Men’s World Cup starting on 22nd November 2022 and the Final being on the 18th December, there's an opportunity for churches to connect with football fans, particularly children and young people, and share the Christmas story at the same time. 

The national Church of England Advent and Christmas resources will help you to personally invite your Baptism families and children in your community to your Christmas services. The invites can be put in envelopes along with some Word Cup themed activities for families to do together.

This A4 activity sheet produced by Ambassadors Football is ideal

You can also invite Baptism families to host a Football in a Nativity Box which can make its way around the community, returning to church for a Football Themed Nativity service, (see Church Support Hub | Football Nativity services for use on World Cup Final Day), which could be on the World Cup Final Day (18th Dec, before or after the game which is at 3pm) or on Christmas Eve.

Suggested Ingredients for your Football in a Nativity Box

  1. Instructions on how to pass the box around the community. It follows a similar process to the tradition of Posada. 
  2. A football
  3. Football Themed Activities (see Download above from Ambassadors Football), preferably laminated - particularly if you are just having one box rather than making a box per family
  4. A Christian Christmas Story for families to read together
  5. An invitation to an event where you offer a hot meal/food - see the Scripture Union's other ideas for including activity and food: Reaching children that other mission doesn’t reach
  6. Invitation to Christmas Service/Football themed Nativity/World Cup final or a Community Football Outreach event which could grow into something similar this Community Football Outreach - Inspire Church London - YouTube

For more ideas about how to use the world cup missionally see here Church Support Hub | Making the most of the World Cup Final 18th Dec 2022