Kids Alive! Christmas Special 2023

Kids Alive! – formerly The Young Soldier – Issue No 7388

christmas special

The world's longest-running publication for children!

salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive

50P/60c

Illustrated by Philippa Martin

Kids Alive! is available online – go to salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive KA - p1 - 2 December.indd 1

24/11/2023 12:58

What’s Inside?

Puzzle Answers Turn this page upside down to read the answers

O Tidings of Comfort and Joy and Ed’s Bit

4–5

Nativity Story

6

Advent Prayers

7

Kiddo!

8–9

Giggle in the Middle

10

Family Games

Kids Alive! – formerly The Young Soldier – Issue No 7388

christmas special

The world's longest-running publication for children!

salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive

50P/60c

Illustrated by Philippa Martin

DOWN: 1 Mass. 2 Run. 4 Robin. 5 Wade.

6 Raisins. 10 Rings. 11 Milk. 12 Stop. 15 Gel. CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1 Mary. 3 Crow. 7 Santa. 8 Bed. 9 Present. 13 Inn. 14 Night. 16 Kiss. 17 Clap.

PICTURE PUZZLE: 1B. 2G. 3D. 4H. 5F. 6C. 7A. 8J. 9E. Odd tile out: I. GIGGLE IN THE MIDDLE SNOWFLAKE: 1–2 Holly. 3–4 Altar. 5–6 David.

7–8 Light. 9–10 Three. 11–12 Herod.

CHRISTMAS BIBLE BRAINTEASERS 1A. 2C. 3A. PICK OUT PATCH: Page 6.

Love our comic? Check out Morning Praise with Kids Alive! on Salvationist Radio every Sunday at 9–9.30am

3

Competition 11

Colouring Corner

12–13

KA! World

14–15

Nativity Story

16

Patch’s Pals Olive Forruthers

Subscribe* to

Kids Alive! is available online – go to salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive

for £4.33 a month

Hey there, readers! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this issue of Kids Alive!

If you would like to get your own copy delivered to your home every week, why not add a Kids Alive! to your Christmas list and ask your parents or guardians to take out a subscription* for you? Every week, Kids Alive! includes a cartoon Bible story, a competition, puzzles, jokes, comic strips and topical activities and articles for you to enjoy.

Ask your parents or carers to go to sps-shop.com/kids-alive, call 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email subscriptions@satcol.org to set up a subscription.

Go to salvationist.org.uk/radio to get your Sunday started with half an hour of music, prayer, a thought and lots of giggles

e Availabl online!

*A subscription costs just £4.33 a month (or a one-off payment of £52). This subscription offer applies in the UK and Republic of Ireland, with 51 copies delivered over 12 months. Please note that different prices apply to Europe and international orders.

EDITOR Justin Reeves DEPUTY EDITOR Cara Mott GRAPHIC DESIGNER Philippa Martin KA! JAM CO-ORDINATOR Ibukun Baku PROOFREADER Chris Horne CONTACT US Phone Office – 020 7367 4910 Territorial Headquarters Switchboard – 0845 634 0101 Email kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk Post 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ FOUNDERS William and Catherine Booth GENERAL Lyndon Buckingham TERRITORIAL COMMANDER Commissioner Anthony Cotterill EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Major Julian Watchorn Published weekly by The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory.

salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive

The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity.

The charity number in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 214779, in Scotland SC009359 and in the Republic of Ireland CHY6399. ISSN 1363-5662.

2 KA - p2 - 2 December.indd 1

24/11/2023 13:11

Illustrated by Philippa Martin

Welcome to our Christmas Special! We hope you find somewhere comfortable to enjoy flicking through the pages; reading the cartoons; giggling at jokes; working out the puzzles and quiz questions; colouring; and thinking about what Christmas means to you.

So, what do you think of when you read ‘Comfort and Joy’? It could be curling up on the sofa with a hot chocolate while watching your fave film. Maybe an extra-long lie in. Perhaps it’s a huge hug from the right person just when you need it. What about joy? A stoppage time winner for your football team? Dancing to a playlist of top tunes?

Receiving the perfect prezzie? Your birthday? Christmas?

It’s easy to see the joy in the Nativity story – a new-born baby, singing angels, praising shepherds and worshipping wise men. But comfort is trickier to spot. A baby sleeping in an animals’ feeding trough, shepherds on a cold hillside at night and wise men travelling for miles on foot (or maybe on camels) don’t sound too comfy.

The real comfort and joy of Christmas is the everlasting love that Jesus’ birth brought to the world. Jesus lived on Earth, so he gets what life is like for you. That’s why you can turn to him when life gets tough and celebrate with him when things are good. Accepting Jesus’ love and doing your best to live his way doesn’t mean life will always be perfect, but it does offer a lasting comfort and joy only he can give.

When I was a kid, the countdown to Christmas started almost the second the Christmas I’d just celebrated was over.

Can you imagine a 365-day Advent calendar?

Thankfully, there hasn’t been much Christmas chat in our house yet. Don’t get me wrong, I’m looking forward to Christmas, I just don’t want it to start too soon. I’d prefer to hold out till Christmas Eve then celebrate for as long as I can from Christmas Day onwards.

Most of you will read this during Advent – a time of waiting and preparation for a big event or someone’s arrival. Of course, the event we’re preparing for is Christmas when we celebrate the arrival of someone very special – Jesus. It’s easy to get caught up in the festive fun, the carols, decorations, food and prezzies, and forget what we’re really celebrating. I hope and pray that you’re ready to meet and celebrate Jesus this Christmas.

3 KA - p3 - 2 Decemberr.indd 1

24/11/2023 12:36

y r o t S The Nativity Part 1

4 KA - p4-5 - 2 December.indd 1

24/11/2023 12:19

Part 2

Continued on pages 14 and 15

Steve English

KA - p4-5 - 2 December.indd 2

5

24/11/2023 12:19

Advent Prayers

‘God Rest You Merry, Gentleman’ is a Christmas carol that celebrates the comfort and joy that Jesus’ birth brought to the world. Each verse reminds us of God’s promise that he’s always with us. Through Jesus, God poured out his love and set the world right again. As we look forward to Christmas this Advent, let’s use this carol as a prayer and thank God for the comfort and joy he offers.

Dear God, Thank you for sending your son, Jesus.

Thank you that because of him, evil has been beaten, so we don’t have to be afraid or worried.

Thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit and for the new life of joy and peace that he gives us.

Thank you, Holy Spirit, for always being with us.

Thank you for being our comforter and for helping us to feel better when we’re sad or anxious.

Thank you, Jesus, for saving us and being our friend.

Amen

KA! JAM is the coolest Bible activity club around. As a member you’ll go on amazing adventures through th e Bible learning about Jesus. Each activity sh eet is filled with lots of great stuff about be ing a Christian. You’ll also receive our mini-m ag, Chatterbox, which is filled with jokes , games and much more. And to top it off, there are loads of awesome prize s to be won!

To join KA! JAM and complete the Bible activity courses online, go to salvationist.org.uk/ kajam.

Or if you would like to receive the postal vers ion, simply fill in the coup on below.

To join KA! JAM just fill in the application form and send it – along with KA! JAM, 1 Champion two first-class stamps Park, London SE5 8FJ. – to: Applicants must be be tween 7 and 17 years old Name: to join.

Date of birth: Address:

Boy or girl: I, (signature)

6 KA - p6 - 2 December.indd 1

Postcode: Do you attend a church,

and if so, which one?

apply for membership of Kids Alive! Jesus And Me . I understand that joining KA! JAM doesn’t mean I have joined The Salvat ion Army and that it is not free subscription to Kid a s Alive!

PLEASE USE BLOCK CAPITALS.

24/11/2023 12:17

irthday Happy Bir to You!

Pick Out Patch

ure issue birthday printed in a fut d an me na ur yo e se To of birth me, address and date of KA! email your full na y.org.uk. Remember to type arm to kidsalive@salvation ct box. u!’ in the email’s subje Yo to ay thd Bir py ‘Hap

I’m one of the three kings in my church nativity this year. Do you like my costume?

See if you can spot this version of me on ANOTHER PAGE IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE.

3 December 2 ams – age 1 Samuel Willi 5 December Esther – age 13 Andrew Rigg – age 12

7 December ham – age 9 Chesney Gra

8 December

Finley Grosvenor – age 10

?

? ? CHRISTMAS ? ? ?

BIBLE BRAINTEASERS

?

?

?

Would you consider yourself to be a Bible buff? Do you know how many fish and loaves Jesus used to feed 5,000 people? Which teenager defeated a giant and who was swallowed by a huge fish? From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is full of incredible stories and interesting information. Test your Bible knowledge by having a go at the questions below.

?

1 Where did Mary

and Jospeh live before Jesus was born?

A Nazareth B Bethlehem C Jerusalem

?

CLUE: Luke 2:4

2 What was the name

3 Where did the

A Daniel B Elijah C Gabriel

A East B West C North

of the angel who visited Mary?

CLUE: Luke 1:26–28

?

?

wise men travel from?

?

CLUE: Matthew 2:1

ANSWERS ON PAGE 2

7 KA - p7 - 2 December.indd 1

24/11/2023 12:22

Snowflake

Ho ho, ha ha, he he!

He he, he he! rs

Enter the five-letter answers to the clues between the given numbe

1–2 3–4 5–6

Carol, ‘Deck the Hall With Boughs of _ _ _ _ _’.

Church communion table.

Carol, ‘Once in Royal

_ _ _ _ _’s City’.

7–8 Christmas tree decoration, fairy _ _ _ _ _.

9–10 Number of wise men at the Nativity.

11–12 Wicked king at the time Jesus was born.

Knock, knock!

Who’s there?

Snow!

Snow who?

Snow time to waste.

It’s almost Christmas!

by Neil Locker

What are a Christmas tree’s favourite sweet?

Orna-mints!

What Christmas carol is popular in the desert?

‘O Camel Ye Faithful!’

Picture Puzzle Match the muddled-up lettered tiles with the correctly arranged numbered tiles to find the odd one out

D

C

F

wge 2 s n a

A nP o

8

A

B

E

G

s er

How much did Father Christmas pay for his sleigh?

Nothing, it was on the house!

I

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

H

J

o, Ho h ! o ho h

a, Ha h at,do Santa’s a Wh ha h ! h a pers learn litthlea hel

at school?

The elf-abet!

What did Adam say the day before Christmas?

‘It’s Christmas, Eve!’ e, He h ! e he h

What did the stamp sa y to the Christmas card ?

‘Stick with me and we’ll go places!’

How do sheep greet each other at Christmas? o, H o h ew , e!’

‘Happy Christmas to a ha h e! he h

What is a bird’s favourite Christmas story?

The Finch Who Stole Christmas!

across: 1 Mother of Jesus. 3 Black bird. 7 Another name for Father Christmas: _ _ _ _ _ Claus. 8 Away in a manger no crib for a _ _ _. 9 Something under the Christmas tree, for example. 13 In Nativity plays, there was no room at the _ _ _. 14 Christmas carol: ‘Silent _ _ _ _ _’. 16 What people do beneath the mistletoe. 17 Applaud.

down:

by Neil Locker

1 Christmas church service often at midnight.

2 Sprint. 4 Bird seen on Christmas cards. 5 Walk through water. 6 Dried fruits used in Christmas pudding. 10 ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ gift: five gold _ _ _ _ _. 11 Product of dairy farm. 12 Halt.

15 Hair-fixing product.

COMFORT AND QF WC P Y T F J Z B W N E O M F O R T O L S C JOY WORDSEARCH NA J U K S C S R M H A A Find the comfort and joy-related words in the grid

joy carols comfort good news jesus shepherds saviour nativity angels god world peace

G O D T L L V E J V E T M P S Z D O P Y U I P I A C W F L H R G C O B V N X E Z E Y B A Z U J I D H N R J M K N C R L T P Q D T Y Z W A D X V Y U S O B E S L E G N A F K J O L R I Q M P H C X O W G T N V S U S E J

9

y l i m a F s e m a G WIN! n

o i t i t e p m Co

might be ith Christmas just around the corner, you this year. planning what games your family will play you the opportunity In this week’s competition we’re giving The best-selling to win a bundle of new family games. a new family game, What Do You Meme?, now has es (an image or mem s edition! Create your own hilariou caption and photo video with a funny message) using the judge and all the family cards. Everyone takes turns to be the the world of memes. will be laughing as they compete to rule ws squad with the Or how about growing your Squishmallo turing an exclusive Fea e? new Squishmallows Take 4 card gam this quick-thinking, Benny the Bigfoot Squishmallow plush, ishmallow fans. fast-paced family game is perfect for Squ Benny?

Who will be the first to get their hand on mentioned above, For your opportunity to win both games your full name, age, answer the question below and email onarmy.org.uk. address and answer to kidsalive@salvati petition’ in the subject Remember to put ‘Family Games Com ay 19 January when box. Your entry needs to reach us by Frid enter by filling in the the winners will be chosen. You can also it to: Family Games details on the coupon below and posting , London SE5 8FJ. Competition, Kids Alive! 1 Champion Park

W

What is the name of the exclusive plush that comes with Squishmallows Take 4?

Lenny

Benny

Kenny

Name: Address: ____________ Postcode:

10 KA - p10 - 2 December.indd 1

Age:

_

Remember, the best way to enter is to email your entry to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk

24/11/2023 12:28

COMFORT AND JOY COLOURING What do you think of this week’s front cover? It’s beautiful, isn’t it? It’s also an important reminder of the true meaning of Christmas – the birth of Jesus. Celebrate this special time by creating your own colourful Christmas scene using the design below. If you’d like to share your artwork with other readers, email your colourings to: kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk. Make sure you write ‘Comfort and Joy Colouring’ in the subject box and give us your full name, age and address. Alternatively you can post your colourings to: Your Space, Kids Alive! 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ. One last reminder, if you’re sending by post remember to fill in the details below so we know who you are.

We send a gift to everyone whose colouring we publish, so don’t miss out!

Name:

Age:

Address: Postcode: Go to salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive to download a printable PDF of this page

KA - p11 - 2 December.indd 1

11 24/11/2023 12:42

lifestyle and caring ve ti ac an d an y th al he Living a tual well-being. iri sp d an l ta en m , al ic ys for your ph

Comfort and Joy Aren’t Christmas carols lovely? The words are often so beautiful and the tunes can make you feel all happy inside. They can really put you in the festive mood. Have you heard of ‘God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen’? It’s one of the oldest Christmas carols and one of the most famous lines is ‘O tidings of comfort and joy’, which reminds us of the joy of Jesus being born at Christmas.

Jesus is Born ‘God rest ye merry, gentlemen Let nothing you dismay Remember Christ our Saviour Was born on Christmas Day’ That’s the first four lines of the carol and they basically mean you don’t need to feel anxious or sad because Jesus has come to bring joy to our world. Obviously, there are a lot of things happening in our lives and world that can be scary, sad or worrying, but Jesus can comfort us and help us cope with anything. We know this because in the Bible Jesus says, ‘If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28 Contemporary English Version).

Show the Love As well as receiving comfort from Jesus ourselves, we can also share comfort with others. In the Bible it tells us ‘He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share this same comfort with others in trouble’ (2 Corinthians 1:3–4 CEV). Isn’t that a nice idea?

We can share the love Jesus gives us with others who need it.

12

There are lots of ways to do that. It can be as simple as smiling at others as you’re going about your day or remembering to hug your family and tell them how much you appreciate them. If you see someone at school who’s looking lonely or sad, ask them if they’re OK and see if you can help them. You could also pray for anyone you know who is poorly or for those affected by conflicts around the world.

KA - p12-13 - 2 December.indd 1

24/11/2023 12:50

The Real Reason If you’ve read the Nativity story in the Bible you’ll know that when the shepherds heard the news of Jesus’ birth they were filled with joy (check out Luke 2:8–20). Is that how you feel when you think about Christmas and Jesus’ birth?

It’s easy to get excited about gifts at Christmas! The Christmas lights, food and music are fabulous too and so much fun.

However, it’s important not to let them distract us from the real reason we celebrate Christmas – Jesus. He should be the reason we’re filled with joy at Christmas and throughout the year too!

Joy to the World One of the best things about Christmas is that we can share the good news of Jesus’ birth with others. That means they can be filled with joy too! You could tell a friend why you’re a Christian, organise a Nativity play to teach your classmates the Christmas story or give away copies of Kids Alive! to your neighbours so they can learn more about Jesus. Then you can be just like the praising shepherds from the Nativity story – they spread the news about Jesus’ birth and praised God for all they’d seen (Luke 2:17–20).

There are lots of ways to show the love of Jesus with others through our actions too. Making Christmas cards for someone you know who lives on their own will bring them some joy. Or you could donate clothes or toiletries to help people experiencing homelessness. How about making a food parcel to donate to a food bank or buying an extra gift when shopping to donate to The Salvation Army? They’ll give it to a family that needs it.

After all, Paul says in Acts 20:35 that Jesus once said, ‘More blessings come from giving than receiving’ (CEV).

Have fun finding and sharing comfort and joy this Christmas!

13 KA - p12-13 - 2 December.indd 2

24/11/2023 12:50

y r o t S The Nativity Part 3

14 KA - p14-15 - 2 December.indd 1

24/11/2023 12:28

Part 4

Steve English

KA - p14-15 - 2 December.indd 2

15

24/11/2023 12:28

Patch has put me in charge of making crackers for our ‘Kids Alive!’

Christmas party.

LATER...

It wouldn’t be Christmas without crackers and Olive has made them especially for the occasion.

NOT four feet …

WITH A forfeit!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!

I’m surprised that he wanted them so big.

They’re a bit big, Olive.

I know.

You said you wanted them to be four feet.

oops!

THE SALVATION ARMY – A CHRISTIAN CHURCH AND REGISTERED CHARITY

LOCAL INFO LOCAL INFO LOCAL INFO

Published by The Salvation Army. © The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory, 2023.

Printed by CKN Print, Northampton.

KA - p16 - 2 December.indd 1

Please Recycle Me! 24/11/2023 12:30