3 Creative Ways to Teach the Christmas Story in your Disability Ministry

The most magical time of the year is here! There’s just something about planning Christmas lessons for our disability ministry that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And does anyone else start to tear up when they’re prepping their Christmas lessons? It’s such a privilege to share the story of Jesus’ birth in a way that’s accessible to our students and friends. 

Wondering how to share the story of Christmas with students with special needs in church? Today, I’m sharing three ways to make the story of Christmas really stick with your students. Let’s dive in!

1. Keep the Main Idea the Main Idea

What does this mean? Whether you’re doing a month-long series to teach the story of Jesus’ birth or teaching it all in one lesson, it is vital to stick to one main idea throughout. Are you focusing on the Savior being born? Stick to that. Are you emphasizing "God with us"? Keep going back to that point during the lesson.

While it can be tempting to include multiple main points, students in your disability ministry may struggle to connect the dots if too much information is presented. Instead, choose one point you want them to walk away remembering. For example, if the focus is “Jesus is our Savior,” every activity, song, or prop should circle back to that truth. Simplifying the message is one of the best ways to ensure that your students are walking away with a truth that sticks!

2. Turn Your Lesson Into a Song

This is a hit, especially with elementary-aged students. Research has shown that students recall information more easily when it’s paired with a familiar melody (Purnell, Webb, & Speelman, 2008). Music helps our students learn in a fun and engaging way, particularly in a disability ministry setting.

Try adapting nursery rhyme melodies to teach the main idea. For example, if your main idea is “Jesus Came to Earth to Save Us,” you could use the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:

Down, down, down to earth
Jesus came down to earth,
He’s my Savior and my King,
Jesus came down to earth.

Songs like this are simple, repetitive, and easy for students to sing along with, making the message stick!

3. Include Props and Sensory Strategies

Have you heard of non-linguistic representation? It’s a fancy way of saying: represent words and ideas with something other than words! Research shows this approach can increase comprehension by 17%. That’s a win for students in our disability ministry, especially when using creative props to tell the story of Christmas.

For example, you could turn your lesson into a sensory-rich experience by incorporating items like:

• A star-shaped light to represent the star of Bethlehem.
• Baby doll props to represent Jesus in the manger.
• A miniature nativity set for students to explore.

And here’s a bonus idea: throw a birthday party for Jesus after you read the story of His birth! Balloons, cake, and singing “Happy Birthday, Jesus” are simple, fun ways to make the lesson memorable.

This Christmas season, let’s embrace the opportunity to create accessible and meaningful lessons for our disability ministry. With thoughtful planning, creativity, and the right special needs ministry resources, we can help every child in our care celebrate the greatest story ever told.

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