Live nativities shine light on Christmas season

In the skies above Honey Creek Church last year, a blue light beamed upward, illuminating the clouds as Greenwood-area residents drove to a Nativity scene on the ground below it.

The donated beam lights are a new part of a tradition spanning almost 15 years. Each December, church members help play the role of Jesus, Mary, the Wise Men, shepherds and an angel as part of one of a handful of live Nativities throughout the Johnson County area. The drive-thru Nativity at Honey Creek includes not only congregation members playing the roles of the Holy Family and the Wise Men, but live animals to make the scene more authentic, said Doug Bohall, pastor.

“Children like to get out and pet the sheep and the pony and it seems more often than not people will stop and get out (of their cars),” he said. “I think children are drawn, when they see the illuminated almost-still life of what the Nativity scene might have been. Kids have open eyes and mouths, and the characters, parents are explaining who and what they are.”

Honey Creek Church has 40 to 50 people volunteering not only to be part of the Nativity but also to pass out cookies and candy to people in attendance, Bohall said.

Preparation for the Nativity is an eight-week process that includes finding volunteers, but organizing shifts to work the two evenings the Nativity is up: this Saturday and Dec. 17 from 6 to 9 p.m. The buildup to the event also includes putting the manger together, and making costumes. Despite the beam, the goal of the Nativity is not to be flashy or complex, Bohall said.

“Elaborate is not the goal. It’s not polished with flashing lights or neon,” he said. “It’s a piece that does take a fair amount of effort to put together and make authentic. It’s a chance to provide one more Nativity to the community that’s a nice, simple representation of what the Nativity might have been like.”

First Baptist Church of Greenwood will hold its live Nativity in the 99 W. Main St. parking lot of its former building on Dec. 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. After selling their former site to Bethel Chin Baptist Church, the First Baptist Church congregation has relocated to a rental property while they wait to move into their new permanent location at the intersection of Averitt and Stop 18 roads.

The Nativity tradition is put on by about 25 young volunteers, said church administrator Carrie Richardson, who was unsure just how long the church has been hosting the nativity.

“It’s a long tradition put on by our youth. It’s all kids and it’s a fundraising opportunity for our youth as they take a live offering,” Richardson said. “It’s a great time of year to spend with the family. It’s a drive-thru, so you can stop and check out the Nativity on the way to your next Christmas shopping destination.”

The Nativity will be a simple one, including Joseph, Mary, the Wise Men, a shepherd and an angel in a wooden manger. Church volunteers will give away hot cocoa, treat bags and Christmas ornaments to people who pass through in their vehicles, she said.

Franklin Church of the Nazarene has one of the longest-running live nativities in Johnson County, as it’s been around since at least the 1990s, said Sheila Hines, a member of the church.

The live Nativity, which will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 17, is unique in that it includes several displays in addition to the traditional manger scene, which includes human actors and live animals.

“It’s not just the stable or the Nativity itself, but it leads up to the stable where Jesus was born. We have the first scene with the shepherd, a scene with the Wise Men, a scene with Mary and Joseph and then the Nativity itself,” Hines said. “We have Bible verses all the way through, telling the story.”

More than 20 people helped put the display together. The preparation for the Nativity starts in October, with the church distributing fliers and coordinating bus transportation to and from the Nativity with Franklin retirement communities, Hines said.

Kelsay Farms in rural Whiteland debuted its Holiday Stroll last year and includes a live Nativity with its holiday attractions. Holiday Stroll also features a Little Christmas Village, scavenger hunts and holiday decorations. The nativity, however, is calmer and simpler, said Amy Kelsay, whose family owns Kelsay farms.

Although it will include live animals, such as donkeys, sheep and cattle, it won’t have any people staffing it, instead, there are blow mold figures of the Holy Family and the Wise Men, Kelsay said.

“We created a scene that would be more realistic with a baby and a barn, animals, music, a star and a manger. It’s a solemn, reflective area,” she said. “There are no adult figures. I think Christmas always has so much hustle and bustle, even with some of the exhibits we have with Santa and the (sleigh). The true meaning of Christmas is in that Nativity area. We wanted it to be special and different from the rest of the farm.”

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IF YOU GO

Live nativities in Johnson County

Kelsay Farms, 6848 N. 250 E., Whiteland

6 to 9 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 19 to 23.

*$8 admission required as part of Holiday Stroll

Honey Creek Church, 2722 S. Honey Creek Rd., Greenwood

6 to 9 p.m. Saturday and Dec. 17

First Baptist Church of Greenwood, 99 W. Main St., Greenwood

6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 16

Franklin Church of the Nazarene, 140 Branigin Rd., Franklin

6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 17