Church hosts living nativity

A single star-shaped light above a makeshift stable shines like a beacon at Living Stones Community Church of the Nazarene these nights. Residents gathered in their winter attire Monday night as they watched in amazement of the living nativity.

Pastor Rusty Brian said the Clovis church has been hosting this event for four years straight. He said it's not only good to get people in the holiday spirit, but to be reminded of the reason for the holiday.

"Christmas is one of our biggest times of the year, where we celebrate the birth of Jesus. It's just an opportunity to do more than just to take a picture or sing a song, it's a chance to see a 3D version of the miracle," Brian said.

From baby sheep to snow-white donkeys, visitors interact with the scene by petting the animals and talking with performers about the birth of Jesus. Brian said this was his first year coordinating the event as pastor and he wanted to give something to residents that was more than just a drive-by show.

Along with the petting animals, attendees were invited to partake in some free hot cocoa and baked goods as they listened to carolers. In between songs, guests would listen to the story of how the three wisemen traveled to find baby Jesus.

The cold crisp air from the season was filled with children's laughter and families singing along to Christmas classics on Monday. For Hannah Mesman, who brought her three children and husband to the event, religion has always been a strong pillar in her life.

Mesman said events like this help introduce faith to children in an easy and understanding way. She said it makes the Scriptures more tangible when the kids can interact and see it with their own eyes.

"We are really trying to teach our children about Jesus now, while they're young, and Christmas is a really good time to make that message important," Mesman said.

Near the end of the event the church's preschool children's choir came out to sing holiday songs. Some of the animals showed their enthusiasm for the festivities by making their "hee-haws" and "ba-a-a-s" heard.

Brian said he expects about 3,000 people will have seen the living nativity before it wraps up tonight. He said there were about 500 attendees on Monday night.

"Every year this event gets a pretty good number of people to come out and with this year we're offering more things for them to enjoy," Brian said.

The living nativity is free and runs from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. tonight. Brian said there is also an optional donation box for residents to donate 50 cents to help fund future preschool events.