175 Nativities at Cole Lake Free Methodist Church

Dec 18, 2014

The fourth annual “101 Nativities” show and celebration took place at the Cole Lake Free Methodist Church from November 21-23 and was organized by Jean Freeman and Kristine Caird. The exhibit included approximately 175 nativities from all over the world, and were lent to the show by members of the church congregation and the local community. This year, Mary Murphy of St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Railton also lent a number of scenes. This year's standouts included one scene from Africa made from hammered tin, a Mexican scene carved from a single gourd, and a hand-knit nativity scene that was made by Kristine's aunt, Joan Fellow of Murvale. More than 150 guests attended over the three days and enjoyed holiday snacks and refreshments at a number of tables set up in the showroom. Caird said that this year's focus was on the youngsters, who were invited to make a number of shrink art holiday crafts. Each child also had a chance to colour and take home their very own nativity scene, which Caird said helps to demonstrate to them the true meaning of Christmas. The Cole Lake organizers paid back Mary Murphy's generosity by lending a number of nativities from their collection to her own church’s Nativity Sunday, which took place in Railton on Dec. 7. Both events are meant to connect members of the local community with the real meaning of Christmas, which Jean Freeman said “is the birth of Christ who came into the world to save us from our sins.”