Memories at the Manger
MARS — The members of St. John Lutheran Church, 420 Beaver St., are trying to drive the Christmas message home to children. That's why the church has come up with a way children can physically take that message home with them.
Called “Keepsake Christmas: Making Memories at the Manger,” the two-part effort consists of a Dec. 2 Christmas play whose acts are separated by a chance for their young audience to build its own manger scenes.
Denise Hager of Mars, the church council president and Sunday school teacher, said, “It's a play. There will be a stage. There will be scenery. There will be two viewings at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.”
St. John Pastor Bob Zimmerman said, “It's a play and it's an activity.”
“They will make a manger scene between scenes of the play,” said Hager.
“Once Joseph comes on and does his spiel, they will make a Joseph.
“Once Mary does her lines, they will build a Mary,” said Hager.
The manger kits, which include wooden Mary, Joseph, Jesus and angel figures allow the young audience members to decorate and dress the figures between the play's acts.
“They will dress them pretty much. But we took permanent markers and drew eyes on them already, so they don't look so much like a piece of wood,” said Hager.
The manger scene also contains paper lambs.
Zimmerman said, “It's four figures and a creche. They can dress them up and decorate them. It's a little diorama or a play set. Most likely for the younger children it will be a play set.”
The accompanying play has a cast of four: Mary, Joseph and angel and “a keepsake coordinator which is basically like the master of ceremonies,” said Hager.
St. John members Matt Claus will play Joseph, Madison Cardinal will play Mary, Keith Cardinal will play the angel and Hager will fill the keepsake coordinator role.
Hager said, “We are going to practice the Sunday after Thanksgiving. We are going to give it a dry run.”
Other church members will volunteer to help the children with their decorations.
Zimmerman said the play and manger building should take about an hour with time for light refreshments afterward.
The manger kits come from Group Publishing, which supplied St. John with the supplies for last year's “Night in Bethlehem” interactive Christmas event.
“Last year we had about 100 people for the Christmas event and 60 for our Easter event. We competed with a lot of Easter egg hunts,” said Hager.
She stressed this year is an all-new event. “You don't want to do the same thing over,” she said.
Zimmerman said the Christmas event “teaches the real meaning of Christmas, not just Santa Claus and presents, and it's an outreach to the community to bring people to the church.”
To that end, the event is free, but participants are asked to register at www.stjohnchurchmars.org.
WHAT: “Keepsake Christmas: Making Memories at the Manger”WHEN: 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Dec. 2WHERE: Basement fellowship hall of St. John Lutheran Church, 420 Beaver St., MarsINFO: The play and manger kits are free, but the church is asking parents to register their children at www.stjohnchurchmars.org
