The Nativity scene created by Montrose UMC kids and volunteers (photo from Connie Smith)

The Christmas story took on special significance this year at the Montrose United Methodist Church in Montrose, South Dakota. Since the first Sunday of Advent, people driving by or coming into the church have been greeted by the Holy Family huddled inside a make-shift stable, surrounded by kings, shepherds, a cow, a donkey, sheep, a camel, and an angel.

The 15 colorful characters may have just been made of plywood, but the wooden figures–and how they got there–have warmed the hearts of those who stopped to take a look.

The story involves a dedicated group of adult volunteers, a supportive church, and the kids from the community who attend the church’s weekly WOW (Worship on Wednesdays) program. Could the energy these kids bring to WOW be channeled into a hands-on project that would help them better understand the true meaning of Christmas?

Fellowship hall transformed into workshop

“We wanted a project that had significance and would test their limits,” said church member Bill Smith, who ordered the figure patterns online and cut out the figures in his farm shed. “If you’re creating something, you take a greater interest in the story.”

Everyone worked together to create the nativity (photo from Connie Smith

Over the several weeks leading up to Advent, approximately 25 third through ninth-grade WOW kids turned the fellowship hall into a workshop. They were assigned specific pieces to work on with either an adult helper or an older WOW youth. In the first week, they could be found on the floor or around tables, tracing the figures onto plywood boards. Each week following, they spent part of their WOW time painting and detailing their figures.

“The kids came together to create something that will last–and created relationships with each other and the adults,” said Stephanie Smith, children’s ministry chair.

The work was left out on the tables each week, allowing others in the church to observe the ongoing process. “It was fun to watch as the figures took shape,” said Stephanie. Bill added that people were genuinely surprised at the kids’ proficiency and their ownership in the project.

A labor of love

The figures were carried outside and into place on the first Sunday of Advent. Following the WOW Christmas program, the children, youth, parents, and church members gathered around in the cold and dark while Pastor Valerie Hummel-LaBounty offered a blessing for their labor of love.

“I hope that when these youth and kids bring their future children ‘home’ for Christmas,” said Pastor Valerie, “they can drive by Montrose UMC and proudly say, ‘I remember working on that Nativity when I was a kid.” A special Christmas story indeed.