In his short time as a member of Reddington Christian Church, Alex Cazares has seen how much the congregation gives back.
He and his wife and their young child attended a Halloween event in October, and the church recently collected items for those affected by the wildfires in Sevier County, Tennessee.
Then recently, members had an opportunity to sign up to participate in the church’s living Nativity.
Cazares said he signed up because it was another way to get involved.
“My wife and I, one of the things that we enjoy doing is driving by these kind of things, but to get involved and actually see what’s going on, we haven’t ever experienced that,” he said Sunday night while portraying one of the Three Wise Men.
“One of the things that we like about this church is everybody is very involved, so of course, being new and baptized, everybody’s like, ‘Sign up for this. Get as involved as possible,'” he said. “So I was like, ‘Why not?’ This is something to meet new people and to be able to enjoy the experience. I was really excited to sign up for this. I didn’t even know this was here, but I’m glad I know that it is now and to be a part of it.”
For more than 15 years, the church along U.S. 31 five miles north of Seymour has conducted the living Nativity, giving the public a chance to step back in time and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
If you missed the first night Sunday, the living Nativity will be available for viewing again from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
In the shelter house outside the church, members portray the Three Wise Men standing near Mary and Joseph as they look over baby Jesus. Angels also are a part of the manger scene.
There also are several shepherds with livestock, including Jacob sheep, calves and chickens.
The Star of Bethlehem is lit up on the shelter house, and a fire flickers nearby.
After visiting the living Nativity, visitors can head inside the church to warm up with cookies, cocoa and apple cider.
More than 40 members of the church participate in the three nights of the living Nativity.
Read the full story in Thursday’s Tribune and online at tribtown.com.