Lights! Camera! Action!

It's showtime!

At our church anyway!

We are hosting our first ever live drive thru Nativity.

It has been a year in the making.

Seriously.

 I thought about us doing this last December 20th while driving to our community cantata event and by Dec. 20th of this year we will have hosted it two nights, 

be finished until next year  and be preparing for Christmas Eve services.

When I changed jobs about 4 years ago I moved to a much smaller church.

 I was used to huge volunteer work forces and different sized budgets.

 But let me tell you, this congregation may be small in numbers

 but they are "go big or go home" 

when it comes to supporting our WCYouth and what they want to accomplish!!

We have planned and asked for volunteers.

The entire church donated strands of Christmas lights to light up the night.

They bought and wore t-shirts advertising the event.

Costumes have been sewn, a stable has been constructed, 

a refreshment team is in place (pizza $$ donated and cookies baked!),

 parking attendants are at the ready. 

Large signs with verses have been painted. 

One thousand candy canes have been tagged with an invitation to join us again 

on Christmas Eve

and animals have been rented!

 When you are in Atlanta your livestock has to come from afar just like the Wisemen did! They will arrive shortly before our Nativity begins each night.

 And again, when you are in Atlanta, an off duty policeman has been hired to direct traffic. Lots of details.

It has been amazing to see every generation in the church volunteer for this endeavor. Senior citizens have sewn, built 

and volunteered to be Wisemen 

(the men thought I said Wise guys!! so they volunteered right away!!) 

and we will have little tiny angels and shepherds in our scenes as well. 

Our college students have rolled in from schools all over and shown up at church as soon as they got home to paint signs and make props!!

And for those of you well versed in volunteering for events at your church -  there wasn't a budget for this. Not one penny!

 So our first ever live drive thru Nativity has humble beginnings but we are ready to celebrate because

 "For Unto Us a Savior is Born."

Here is the link if you are local and would like to bring family and friends 

to see the first ever

Wesley Chapel UMC Live Drive Thru Nativity.