"The real Christmas Story is huge," said Pastor Richard Jorgensen of the Nevis Church of Christ. "That God would choose to visit planet Earth in the human form of His only Son to rescue people from their self-chosen sins, rises above any story imaginable."
The church youth wanted to recreate this unique story in a live way, and the whole church caught the vision. Thus a live Drive-Thru Nativity with real people and real animals telling the real Christmas story afresh, was born.
For two and one-half hours each night Dec. 14-15, two teams of youth and adults rotated every 20 minutes, acting out the amazing Christmas story on the church campus with a snow backdrop.
Youth minister Tay Odor, with the help of a team of more than 40 youth and adults, planned three scenes in front of the church building complete with real people, real costumes, real animals and real sets with lights, music and a campfire to dramatize the real Christmas story.
And the people came; 305 of them. They came in cars, trucks, buses and on foot. They drove through, walked through and talked through. They came through twice and three times.
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They got out of warm vehicles to brave cold temperatures for a closer look. They took pictures and came back the second night for more.
They came from Walker, Park Rapids, Nevis, and the surrounding area.
They saw goat, sheep, llama and donkey. They saw angels, shepherds, kings, Mary and Joseph.
But most of all they saw Jesus. Of whom, C.S. Lewis said, "The Son of God became the Son of Man so the sons of men could become sons of God."
The real Christmas story is so huge.
