Christmas is an exciting time, but how well do youngsters really know the story behind their advent calendar?

Church of England churches in Luton, Dunstable and the surrounding area are taking part in a project called Wait Look Listen, which is providing Bible stories on the internet to download and read to children in the run-up to Christmas.

The stories are available online now, and church leaders hope parents will spend 10 minutes a day reading them with their children.

Put together by the Diocese of St Albans, which covers Bedfordshire, the stories tell the whole background to the birth of Jesus, starting with Adam and Eve.

The 21 easy-to-read stories are accompanied by specially-designed pictures of Bible characters, which can be printed out for children to colour in.

The Rt Rev Richard Inwood, the Bishop of Bedford said: "Parents and children always look forward to Christmas through the weeks before. 'Wait Look Listen' enables adults and children together to remember the meaning of the celebration.

"I hope this beautiful publication will be widely used by the public at large and by regular church attenders."

To download the stories, visit www.stalbans.anglican.org