Summary

The Christmas Tree Committee follows a group of teens and kids tasked with decorating the church Christmas tree the night before the Christmas service. What should be a simple job quickly turns into a tug-of-war between different styles: Ben’s love for classic church tradition, Zoe’s North Pole dream, and Lucas’s big “Christmas movie” vision. As they argue over ornaments, colors, and themes, the half-decorated tree starts to look as tangled as their feelings. Underneath the joking and frustration, each of them is quietly hoping the perfect tree will fix something—loneliness, grief, disappointment, or the longing for a “better” Christmas.

Everything changes when Ben accidentally drops the nativity set while trying to move it closer to the tree. The figures scatter across the floor, and the group is forced to stop and kneel around the broken scene. In picking up each piece and rebuilding the nativity together, they begin to open up about what they’re really carrying and realize that Christmas isn’t about flawless decorations, but about a Savior who came into their messy, ordinary lives. By the end, the tree becomes a shared expression of love instead of a competition, and the committee decides their true gift to the church will be telling the story of Jesus—“a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord”—with their hearts, not just their decorations.

Theme

Keeping Christ at the center of Christmas instead of getting lost in decorations and expectations.

Characters

(8–14 actors plus optional extra helpers if desired)

• Mia – Older teen, gentle, responsible leader of the group; tries to keep the peace.

• Ben – Likes tradition and order; wants the tree to look “classic church Christmas.”

• Zoe – Creative and energetic; loves North Pole, snow, and “magical” decorations.

• Lucas – Dramatic and imaginative; wants the tree to look like a spectacular Christmas movie scene.

• Ava – Organized, carries a clipboard; practical and a bit sarcastic, but caring.

• Ethan – Tech-savvy; in charge of lights and anything electric, cautious but good-natured.

• Noah – Class clown; cracks jokes, but often says honest things without meaning to.

• Lily – Younger child, sweet and thoughtful; notices small things others miss.

• Narrator – Can be onstage or offstage; guides the audience through the story.

When

In modern times, a few days before the church’s Christmas service.

Props & Costumes

• Christmas tree (real or artificial, can be slightly crooked)

• Boxes or tubs of ornaments, tinsel, ribbons, tree skirt

• Strings of Christmas lights (can be partly tangled)

• Paper snowflakes, candy-cane props, simple “movie-style” ribbon or bows

• Small table with a nativity set (Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, shepherds, wise men, animals, angel)

• Extension cords (safe, stage-friendly)

• Clipboard and pen for Ava

• Simple modern casual clothing with festive touches (scarves, Christmas sweaters, etc.)

Why

The skit points to the truth that Christmas is about Jesus, not just decorations, feelings, or traditions. The guiding verse for the story is:

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” (Luke 2:11, NIV)

This verse reminds us that the real center of Christmas is the birth of Jesus—the Savior— not the tree, the lights, or how “perfect” everything looks.

How

The stage can be a simple church fellowship hall or a side area of a sanctuary.

• Center: one large Christmas tree that starts undecorated and gradually gets decorated.

• One side: a table holding the nativity set.

• Front or side: boxes of decorations where the kids rummage, sit, and talk.

Keep movement natural and casual, like a real group of kids hanging out and working together (or trying to).

Time

20 minutes