Rev. Paul Klepees: Live Nativity Done Differently

By Rev. Paul Klepees, Pleasant Grove UMC (Hatton)

In recent years, we have done a live nativity complete with livestock at the park during the Christmas Tree lighting. It is one of our best attended events of the year. In 2020, however, we were asked not to come because of the crowd we draw. Not wanting to see this go, we moved the event to Christmas Eve and onto the church grounds. We set up a drive-through experience complete with music and communion and saw over 400 cars full of people during our two hours. We were able to use livestock to distance non-family members of our cast and still provide a nativity-like view. This event was a huge success, and I look for us to bring it back next year. A view can be found on our Pleasant Grove Hatton Facebook page.