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United Methodist Children’s Home employees Blake Jones and Michelle Matthews perform as Joseph and Mary during the UMCH live nativity. Attendees walked or drove through a setting with various choirs from the community and scenes from the Christmas story. RORYE O’CONNOR/REGISTER-NEWS
UMCH live nativity celebrates season
By RORYE O’CONNOR
rorye.oconnor@register-news.com
MT. VERNON — Real people and animals posed in the chilly air Friday night to tell the Christmas story at the United Methodist Children's Home live nativity.
UMCH employees and residents volunteered to brave the December evening for the event, which is in its fifth year, said Kay Zibby, UMCH vice president of development.
“Over half of the kids who live here volunteered either to perform or to be behind the scenes,” Zibby said. “A good portion of our staff stayed behind tonight to help out.”
The live nativity took two months of planning time, Zibby said. There were three scenes from the Christmas story displayed, including Mary and Joseph in the manger and the three wise men with a live camel. The live nativity also featured choirs from various organizations, including Pavey Chapel CME Church and Girl Scout Troop 8871.
Organizers of the event decided to have it as a way to give back, Zibby said.
“It really started as an effort to share our Christian values and to give back to the community,” she said. “The community is very generous with us throughout the year, and this is a way to get the kids involved in giving back.”
One family has come back to the live nativity for several years. Jim Peak, Cathy Peak and sister Karol Brown of McLeansboro attended Friday’s event, listening to the choirs and sipping on steaming drinks from styrofoam cups.
“We came here last year,” Jim Peak said. “It’s just part of our Christmas celebration. It’s something to do together, and we enjoy it. It’s not every day you get to see a camel.”
Monica Akes, a UMCH employee, volunteered to hand out drinks from a slightly warmer tent. She said it was her third year attending the event.
“I think it’s a great event for the community, staff and our youth here to bring the true meaning of Christmas,” Akes said.
Jean Jones attended to see her husband, UMCH IT coordinator Blake Jones, perform as Joseph, she said.
“I like the nativity,” she said. “You don’t see people willing to do that very often.”
As attendees drove into the property, UMCH employees handed out fliers with the UMCH wish list for the facility. All Christmas gifts have been purchased, Zibby said, but UMCH still is looking for a variety of things, like twin size sheet sets for teenagers.
“It’s an ongoing wish list,” she said. “It’s just things that are helpful to our community.”
UMCH will have another event Saturday. They are hosting their first Festival of Trees holiday bazaar, featuring trees that have been decorated and donated by local and surrounding community school classrooms. Attendees will be able to buy raffle tickets to win trees. There will also be vendors in the gymnasium offering a variety of holiday items for sale, according to information from UMCH.
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