Christmas comes to life

A Spring Hill church has added a village and even Santa to its nativity scene this year.

By GAIL HOLLENBECK, Times Correspondent
Published December 15, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [Handout] Erica Cross, Travis Allison and baby David Seymour portray the nativity for the Spring Hill Calvary Church of the Nazarene.

SPRING HILL - Last year, Calvary Church of the Nazarene gave something special to the community - a live, outdoor nativity scene.

This year, the church has added to its gift.

"We were excited to see how many people (last year) stopped their cars for a second look," said Alicia Thompson, children's pastor at the church. "Parents brought their children back and took pictures of them with Joseph and Mary and the baby Jesus. The idea came (to us) to add to the community gift by making it a Christmas village."

This year's "gift" will be offered from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday. As with all gifts, the event is free, and the public is encouraged to come and stroll through the live scene.

Along with the nativity setting, the village will have traditional lights, Christmas trees and Santa Claus. There will be Christmas carolers, a petting zoo and a replica of Bethlehem.

"That was the very first Christmas village," Thompson said, "where our savior was born."

Complimentary photos of children with Santa and Mrs. Claus will be taken, and each child will receive a candy cane treat. The Calvary teen group will offer cookies and hot chocolate, while live Christmas music fills the campus.

"The hot chocolate will warm everyone's heart as they discover the true meaning of Christmas," said the church's pastor, the Rev. Dr. Wes Harris. "The climax will be the tour of Bethlehem. It will be complete with live miniature donkeys, ponies and other animals to set the surroundings for Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus."

The Magi and the shepherds will also be on site, paying homage to the Christ child.

Michael and Cindy Ekstrom created the scene using members from Michael's Sunday school class and others from the church congregation. Art Pepin added the Christmas village. Longtime church members Joe and Linda Piano provided their animals, while many other members made costumes, set up the sound system and erected props, such as the manger.

Thompson thinks the evening will provide parents with a unique opportunity.

"It is a safe place where parents can take a break from the rapid pace of life and share hope and promise with their children," she said.

"While it may be true that the first announcement of Christ's arrival came via an angel, parents can still share the story with their children that 'Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord,' " said Harris, quoting from Luke 2:11 in the Bible.

The church will continue its celebration by showing The Nativity Story as its film for the regularly scheduled monthly Family Movie Night, from 7 to 9 p.m. inside the Family Center.

At 6 p.m. Dec. 22 and at 10:30 a.m. Dec. 23, the church will host a Christmas musical, "Christmas Presence."

"The children, youth and adult choirs will sing, and the drama team will present this special event for all to share the greatest gift of all," Thompson said.

"We hope people who come to the Friday event will come back for the musical. There will be two opportunities for them to come and share this Christmas experience. It's a musical with narration and skits, and it has a great variety of music, from Southern gospel to contemporary, so it should appeal to everyone. There are times you will want to shout 'Hallelujah!' and other times you will want to laugh or cry. It will waken your senses."

Thompson believes it's her church's mission to "bring both laughter and joy to our neighbors and the community."

"Between the Christmas village, the live Nativity and the movie, the whole story will be available that night. It will give people more opportunities for the Holy Spirit to prick their hearts and give them a bit more of the truth. It's going to be awesome."

If you go: Calvary Church of the Nazarene's Live Nativity and Christmas Village Light Extravaganza will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday. The film "The Nativity Story" will be shown from 7 to 9 p.m. All events are free. The church is at 235 Cobblestone Drive, Spring Hill. Call 683-0587.

If you go

Night of Nativity

Calvary Church of the Nazarene's Live Nativity and Christmas Village Light Extravaganza will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday. The film The Nativity Story will be shown from 7 to 9 p.m. All events are free. The church is at 235 Cobblestone Drive, Spring Hill. Call (352) 683-0587.

[Last modified December 14, 2007, 20:05:13]