Churches feature Nativity scenes

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December 3, 2009

BY DENNIS BARTLOW The Commercial-News Thu Dec 03, 2009, 08:24 PM CST

COVINGTON, Ind. — Two Covington, Ind., area churches who provide live Nativities on the first weekend of December every year always seem to face inclement weather.

Organizers have faced snow, freezing rain and blowing wind for the past several years, and this year may be no exception.

But, the congregations of Benson Chapel United Methodist Church west of Covington and Stringtown Church of God south of Covington enjoy the opportunity to provide an outreach to the area.

This is the 12th year for the Stringtown church and the fifth year for Benson Chapel.

“We love it,” said Jared Brothers, youth minister at Stringtown. “It is a way to reach out to the community.”

The two congregations are not in competition with one another and often hear people say that they go to both in one night.

“I get a lot of joy putting it together,” said Joe Gritten, director of the live Nativity at Benson Chapel.

Benson Chapel is expanding its animal collection.

“We bought a donkey last year, and she had a baby donkey,” Gritten said. “We also had the birth of new sheep. We are trying to build a herd.”

Ladonna Spicer cares for the animals, which the church hopes to form a petting zoo.

We’ve got the perfect place (for the live Nativity),” Gritten said. “The driveway is perfect. We hope we can reach out to someone.”

Enter from the east drive and exit on the west drive. You will receive a CD when you enter; turn it in at the end.

The Stringtown church will feature llamas for the first time. Their setup features the village of Bethlehem as it might have been when Jesus was born.

“We focus on the Nativity,” Brothers said. Motorists can either drive through the scene or you can park and walk through the village.

The majority of the church is working on this,” he said. He estimated the number at 80 to 100.

“It is something we just love to do,” Brothers said. The congregation invites you inside after viewing the Nativity for soup, sandwiches and cookies.

Most of Benson Chapel’s congregation is involved too.

“We have opened it to other churches, and the Church of the Nazarene in Covington will play most of the characters,” Gritten said.

This year’s luminaries — which maybe not as many — will be more permanent.

Gritten said it so rewarding to go into the fellowship hall and see joy on people’s face as they help and visit.

“We want to make this a real outreach,” he said.

COMING UP

The Stringtown Church of God will have a live Nativity and Bethlehem scene from 6-8:30 p.m. EST Saturday and Sunday at the church. Take Stringtown Road from the Covington exit off Interstate 74 about 7 miles. Follow the luminaries.

The Benson Chapel United Methodist Church will have its live Nativity from 6-9 p.m. EST Saturday and Sunday at the church on U.S. Route 136 about 2 miles west of Covington. Enter the east driveway.

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