Home Community Events St. Paul UMC in Lakeland: Free Living Nativity next week

St. Paul UMC in Lakeland: Free Living Nativity next week

November 28, 2018

For the first time, St. Paul United Methodist Church in Lakeland will produce and offer to the community a Living Nativity.

The Gwen Augustine Memorial Living Nativity will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 7-8 and is free to the community. The Church is located at 2949 Davies Plantation Rd. near U. S. Highway 64.

Deborah Thomas, church member and Lakeland resident, said, “We have never done this before. One of our longtime members, Gwen Augustine, had the idea and was going to spend the next year working on sets and costumes. She was a talented artist herself and wanted to do it right. But in late September, she suffered a stroke, and we lost her. Several church members desperately wanted to make it happen this year in her honor and memory.”

So under the guidance of Terry and Bill Cummings of Davies Plantation and Amy Emerson of Lakeland, the show will go on.

Co-chairs, from left, Amy Emerson, Bill and Terry Cummings.

Mrs. Emerson said the walk-through Nativity will begin with the Angel Gabriel visiting Mary and culminate with the traditional nativity scene. Of the 250 church members, 75 to 100 will participate in the production as actors, set designers, artists, narrators, guides and hosts.

And the Living Nativity would not be complete without animals, so Mrs. Emerson expects they will have a donkey, sheep and some goats.

Mrs. Thomas added, “Many participants live in Lakeland. See if you can spot them in busy Bethlehem or kneeling in a stable.

“Visitors can follow the thousands of lights into the main parking lot by the gym and then wait to be ushered to the first station.”

Mrs. Thomas said there will be hot chocolate at the end of the walk.

Mr. Cummings is known for his elaborate Christmas decorations in his Bartlett neighborhood. But this year he transferred his Christmas supplies and skills to the Living Nativity. The Church is festooned with Christmas lights from buildings to shrubs to trees, compliments of Mr. Cummings.

The trio has spent Wednesday evenings with other Church members, preparing for the event, gathering supplies from garage sales and donations from other churches. Mrs. Cummings said some of the costumes were donated, others were sewn by Church members.