Creative Christmas story at Nottingham church 

With a focus on experiencing the true story of Christmas, Newthorpe Baptist Church in Nottingham has been getting inventive

It invited organisations involved with the church to recreate scenes from the nativity, and placed them around the church building in a manner similar to a Stations of the Cross installation.

Over the weekend it invited the local community to journey through the building, with a focus not on fundraising but on welcoming people into a place where they could experience, through displays and crafts, the true meaning of Christmas. 

There was also a craft table for the children to enjoy, and a cuppa and some cake for the visitors.
 
'The Christmas Story started out as an idea around the crib scenes that we had seen at other churches,’ explained one of the organisers, Carolynn Charlton. 

‘We wanted it to be a fresh idea so we came up with the idea of each organisation doing a scene from a part of the Nativity Story. Each scene has the Bible verses next to it. 

'It is a journey through the story with the ending being a welcome cup of tea, piece of cake and friendly fellowship.’

The displays were well received and supported by the community, and Newthorpe's minister David Alderson said, 'It's really nice to be a minister at a creative church and it was a lovely way of telling the Christmas story. 
 
‘It will be a fantastic backdrop for our Christmas services.  It has been wonderful to see so many members and friends, through the different organisations, work together to witness in this way.'