Panggung Boneka sebagai Katalis Internalisasi Makna Natal pada Siswa Kristen Sekolah Dasar Negeri Batursari 5 Mranggen

Abstract

The meaning of Christmas among school children, particularly at the elementary school level, is often limited to celebration and material gift-giving. As a result, the essence of Christmas as an event of faith and the surrender of oneself to God as the most beautiful gift is not properly understood. Stemming from this issue, this Community Service activity was designed with the aim of internalizing the true meaning of Christmas as the best gift for God by strengthening the spiritual values of Christian and Catholic students at SD Negeri Batursari 5 Mranggen. The implementation method involved combining students from grades 1 to 6 into one session, using a storytelling method through a puppet stage as the medium. This approach was tailored to the children's needs and developmental stages to ensure effective execution and foster interactive discussions. The results of the activity indicated an improvement in students' understanding of the meaning of Christmas as an expression of love, gratitude, and surrender of the heart to God. This improvement was reflected in the students' responses, attitudes, behaviors, and simple reflective actions during and after the activity. In conclusion, this activity made a positive contribution to shaping the religious character and instilling spiritual values in students, enabling Christian and Catholic students at SD Negeri Batursari 5 Mranggen to understand in its true meaning.