In the first week of December Fusion engaged with around 600 students and helped them to relive the Christmas story through two Advent Pageants and a school Assembly.  These were our third Advent Pageants in Wheatley and Headington, the students really enjoyed dressing up as wise people, shepherds, inn keepers and angels and following Mary, Joseph and Heidi (the miniature donkey) through the village/town to find room for Mary to have her baby.

In Wheatley, Herod (the town clerk of Wheatley) caught up with the wise men (around 6 of the kids) and cunningly wanted to know more about this ‘new King’ to which the children boo’d and hiss’d.  Around 10 young angels danced around the shepherds telling them of the good news.  Two different Pubs had to turn the kids away, but one inn-keeper (the Local Lay Reader for St Mary’s) said he might have a stable down the road, but it was really for animals, not pregnant ladies.  However, we found the stable (remarkably on the stage at the primary school hall where the whole school met us for some carols and fruit mince pies).  It was a fantastic event and we’ve really enjoyed helping the kids relive the story and hopefully engage a little more with the characters involved in the story.  The Wheatley Advent Pageant was covered by the Oxford BBC news.

In Headington, the reporter from the Daily Miracle News helped us find Mary.  Some very crazy shepherds told us of a message they heard from an angel, (and a host of over a Zillion other Angels) and helped us look for a place for Mary.  Two real estate Agents, Barclays and a couple of cafe’s later we still hadn’t found anywhere.  A wise Courier turned up with some Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh for the baby.  We finally found a stable where Mary had her baby and we all celebrated with some carols and a story.  We’re so thankful for the three schools that got involved.

At Sandhills Primary we took Heidi the donkey into the assembly hall.  I hadn’t realised how timid a Donkey could be – she was nervous of everything and so wouldn’t come in to the hall.  In the end, the owner picked up her back legs and gave her a wheelbarrow walk in to the hall where she settled immediately.  The kids couldn’t believe there was a real donkey in their assembly.  Nick told about the angels and I shared about the journey of Mary and Joseph.  The kids all got to pat Heidi – they won’t forget that assembly in a hurry.