19 Fantastic Christmas & Advent Videos for 2016

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19 Fantastic Christmas & Advent Videos for 2016

So, we’re well into Advent, but just like a good Christmas dinner, I hope this tinsel-fest is worth the wait. I’m giving thanks to God for the creativity, technical wizardry, and gospel heart that has led to these fab seventeen. Perfect for sharing online or playing at carol events & assemblies, etc.

1) He Came Down – Glen Scrivener

One of the most memorable things I’ve seen on TV this year was Sally Philips’ moving BBC documentary, A World Without Downs. I think it powerfully exposed the way our culture expects people to have to earn a right even to life itself. But in his 2016 Christmas video Glen Scrivener has shown that the Christmas story is all about a God who comes all the way down to the manger, who entered into our helplessness and humanity – showing both the goodness of human life and the wonder of his grace.

2) The Holy Office – Dai Wooldridge

In the year of Trump & Brexit, Dai asks, “who’s really in charge?” before seeking to persuade us that the baby in the manger may have everything to do with it.

3) The Characters of Christmas – Go Chatter
Cute video of children re-enacting and narrating the nativity story. Solid. And there’s an accompanying book.

4) The Well Good News of Christmas – Bible Society

Dai Woolridge & Emma Randall team up for the Bible Society to create this short, poetic animation exploring how the nativity story fits with the Bible’s big story. Get the accompanying book here.

5) Are You Ready for Christmas? – Go Chatter

Roger Carswell warmly narrates this graphic and asks the question, “are you ready for what God wants to give you this Christmas?” You pick up an accompanying book and free downloads of posters, invites and the high definition version of this video here.

6) Who Would Have Dreamed?

Who Would Have Dreamed? from Sovereign Grace Music’s stunning Prepare Him Room album is fast becoming one of my favourite Christmas songs. Here the song’s beautiful arrangement and lyrics are set to a thought-provoking animation of the Christmas narrative.

7) A Great Light – Moving Works

Contemporary re-telling of the promised events of Isaiah 9, ‘for to us a child is born’.

More information here.

8) Christmas According to Kids – Southland Christian Church

Mostest Cutest?!

9) “Away in a What?” – Tiger Finch Creatives

In essence, a fun Bible overview in everyday language…

10) Miracles can’t happen (and an exception) – Plungepool Media

Jonathan Greenaway gets under the surface of the response that God becoming human ‘just couldn’t happen’.

11) Jesus: Truth or Fairytale – Youthscape

I reckon this is particularly apt for secondary-school age. Meg Cannon particularly highlights how there’s much in the nativity story for young people to relate to, whilst asking whether it’s fact or fiction.

12) Four Kinds of Christmas – Glen Scrivener

Fabulous one-shot video from 2015, and so well thought-out. I love the way it get us to consider which of the ‘four kinds’ we are, after all everyone loves working out their ‘type’. Again, there’s an interactive website and book, which could be a great conversation starter.

13) What’s in the Box? – The Good Book Company

Clever animation designed to get people re-thinking about Christmas. Comes with accompanying book by Rice Tice & Nate Morgan-Locke.

14) The Beggar – Mike Hood

A simple, moving and refreshing piece of story-telling that gives Soren Kierkegaard’s musings on the wonder of Incarnation a contemporary feel.

15) An Unexpected Christmas

The story of Christmas told by the kids of St Paul’s Church, Auckland, New Zealand. The cute level is going up…

16) InstaChristmas – Discovery Church

I still love this, and Instagram doesn’t seem to be slowing down in its popularity. Simple but clever re-telling of the Christmas story through shared images.

17) Away in a Mangy Manger – Christmas Carols Radio

Ben Vane from the excellent Christmas Carols Radio unpicks the lyrics of that popular carol, and poetically exposes something of the shock that God would come to that ‘mangy manger’.