Churches collaborate for drive- thru event
Looking for an excuse to leave home during the pandemic while still maintaining social- distancing guidelines?
Joel Harrell, the director of worship at Harvest Baptist Church has an idea: a Wapakoneta community drive- thru nativity being held Saturday, Dec. 12 from 6- 8 p. m. But unlike previous incarnations, this one won't be exclusive to one spot.
Instead, 10 church organizations at eight different locations will be partnering for a unique nativity experience.
So how will it work?
According to Harrell, the first thing you'll want is a smartphone.
Starting at Wapakoneta Church of the Nazarene at 401 Court St., participants will receive a map and interactive guide to each scene in the story, all in the safety of their own vehicles. And once a family arrives at each location, they will see a scene from Bible scriptures played out while listening to the dramatic reading.
But in order to get that reading, participants will have to scan a QR code from the program they receive when arriving at the Church of the Nazarene.
There's also a specific order in the route, something Harrell made clear.
"You'll drive to each scene 1- 2- 3- 4 all around the community," he said. "We will end at the Church at Wapakoneta which is off of Fox Ranch
Road."
Each scene will also be authentic, complete with all the sights and smells of the nativity scene, including live animals.
Why live animals?
"So you can immerse yourself in the scene as it were," Harrell said.
Harrell, for one, sounds excited.
"We wanted to provide a way for people to celebrate Christmas, to learn the real meaning of Christmas here in our town," he said. "And there's no reason why we can't, as a community and as a body of churches, come together to provide that for Wapakoneta."
He also hopes to see as many people as possible crammed into each and every car.
"This is supposed to be a family event, so it doesn't matter what age you are," Harrell noted. "… It's going to be fun for everyone."
Churches involved include First English Lutheran, Trinity Lutheran, St. Mark's Lutheran, St. Paul's UCC, Wapak Naz, The Wapak Church, Harvest Baptist Church, First United Methodist and the Petersburg Parishes.