NATIVITY: `OUTSIDE THE CHURCH WALLS'

Three years ago, Mike Rouggly attempted to find a way to bring a gospel message back into a commercialized Christmas holiday.

He found the answer to his quest by building a simple manger constructed from slab wood.

Rouggly and members from Mount Auburn Christian Church will present the third annual Living Nativity Friday and Saturday from 5-9 p.m. at the church, 930 Mount Auburn Road.

Other churches in the area presenting living nativities include Hanover Lutheran Church, Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim and First Baptist Church in Tamms, Ill.

Living nativity scenes are an easy way to communicate the gospel message, said the Rev. Jeff Sippy, pastor of Hanover Lutheran Church.

The church will present its living nativity pageant Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. each night, at 2949 Perryville Road.

The choir will perform Saturday night with participants in costume. Animals will be part of the manger scene, but exactly which ones hasn't been decided, Sippy said.

"It's not what we bring, but what the story is itself," he said. "We don't want the production to supersede the proclamation."

Rouggly built the manger scene to show the Christmas story as he sees it -- the beauty of Christ's birth.

It takes a large crew to transform a church parking lot into the manger scene in Bethlehem.

About 40 church members joined in the project acting as angels, shepherds and the wise men. Several people from Procter & Gamble, where Rouggly works, volunteered their livestock for the performances.

"Of all the gifts you could give the community, I wanted them to know that Jesus is really the reason for the season," Rouggly said.

"We hope it helps people visualize what took place that first Christmas," Sippy said.

While the number of visitors varies from 10 to 150 people at Hanover's nativity, at least 2,000 people stopped at the Christian church last year.

Lacquita Johnson, whose husband Kenneth is pastor of First Baptist Church in Tamms, Ill., said presenting the Christmas story is a way of providing a Christian witness in the community.

The church will present its nativity scene Dec. 18-19 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The church is at the corner of Third and Russell streets.

"We wanted to do something that would be a witness of the season -- we have a story to tell at Christmas," she said. "It's something that's outside the church walls."

In Friedheim, visitors can stop at Trinity Lutheran Church for a Christmas Open House and live nativity Dec. 19 to 21.

The church has been decorated and carols will be sung. The program will be held from 6-8 p.m. Dec. 19, from 6-9 p.m. Dec. 20 and from 3-8 p.m. Dec. 21. The church is at 3642 County Road 415.