The Pauline book center in Moscow launched a series of children’s story hours which culminated with a Baby Jesus Party on 10 December. The initiative offered children an opportunity to learn life values through stories, dialogue and craft activities. Those who participated in this special event were able to experience the birthday of Jesus in a concrete way by dressing up as angels, Mary, Joseph and shepherds and having their picture taken with Baby Jesus. They also listened to a re-telling of the nativity story, created Christmas crafts, and sang “Happy Birthday” to Baby Jesus, accompanied by birthday cupcapkes. The joy-filled event kept the book center filled throughout the afternoon with about 50 children and their families.
The “Baby Jesus Christmas Party” is based on a long tradition of holding such events in our Pauline book centers in the USA. Celebrating this initiative in Russia with mostly Russian children and a few foreigners was a beautiful testimony to sharing ideas across cultures and communicating the Gospel in a special way to children and their parents. The FSPs in Moscow thank all the lay people who collaborated with them to make this special project possible.