Planning Ahead
Christmas Program
Walk with Christ 2006 Timeline
January – March: Make costumes
Make invitations and flyers
Discuss with youth leaders the Live Nativity. Calendar it and place
a leader in charge.
April – June: Call a music coordinator to assist. Invite
musicians to perform Christ centered music. If not Christmas
related, hymn-style is appropriate. (Suggestions: Small groups for
Primary chorus, youth musical talents like piano or violin, adults
from the ward and throughout the surrounding area.)
August: As soon as school starts – Requests made to
HS/Middle School music departments for choral and instrumental
music.
August: Wk 1 Make a list of candidates for various assignments:
Room Coordinators – The mastermind for the room…What
deco needed, scripts, etc.
Actors – for the scripts… in each room
Sets – Either a team for sets or an assistant for each room to help
with sets
Guides –Need approx 8 Consider when to talk with newspaper staff about an article and/or ad.
Sept: Wk 1 Make assignments: Team leaders – Parking,Refreshments, Children’s area in cultural hall, Decoration in
Cultural hall, hallways and chapel, Children’s care (for ward members participating)
Make a handout for ward members so they know the plan and get excited about it and consider missionary opportunities.
Meet with Room coordinators and set crew. “How is everything going? Do you know what supplies you need? Are you borrowing what
you can and buying what you must?”
Wk 4 Continue working on sets and submit scripts for review.
Have scripts translated into Spanish if applicable.
Actors/narrators can meet with their room coordinator and get a copy
of the script. Review the plan/format. Memorize script.
October: Wk 1 Meet with all participants to answer any
questions and motivate.
Send out a handout to ward members to answer
questions and give more specific information.
Verify all musical participants. Make adjustments
as necessary.
WK 4 Room sets completed. If anything needs to be
ordered from the distribution center, send in the order.
Nov: Wk 1 Follow up with room coordinators. Are the room
designs completed? All items purchased? If not, need to
have it done before Thanksgiving. Actors…are scripts being
memorized?
Need Sign-ups for Greenery, Refreshments, Pictures, Nativity Sets,
Parking, Serving food, Set-up, Clean-up, etc.
Time to start handing out invitations throughout the ward and
community! Take invitations to all members, especially the less
active and part member families. Remember investigators, neighbors,
teachers, coworkers, etc.
Wk 2 Review musical assignments…make a schedule…a poster
will be needed.
Submit advertising requests to TV/Radio
Wk 3 Children’s area team leader to have prep completed.
(Copies for coloring, etc.)
Wk 4 TWO Weeks left!
Poster for schedule of music
Start collecting decorations, greenery, Nativities, etc. as applicable.
Get sound system for outdoor nativity…try it out beforehand!
Check with all coordinators for questions.
Discuss with room coordinators and Actors/narrators…
Is everyone on the “same page”?
Dec: Wk 1 Meet with guides to discuss plan of action
Youth dress rehearsal
Remind friends/neighbors
Check with all coordinators for questions
Wk 2 Wednesday – Start decorating rooms. Set up sound system for testing.
Thursday – Decorate the rest of the building. Clean building. Get and place straw for the Nativity.
Friday – Last minute details…. “Just do it!”
This timeline will allow for a smaller number of people to do more work because it is spread out throughout the year. (This is especially important if only one ward is doing the WWC Program.)It’s easy to adjust for your needs…just cut and past into your own program.