Margate Community Church on the Parkway held its first-ever Live Nativity, Friday, Dec. 20, 2019.
The Margate Community Church held its first-ever Live Nativity Friday, Dec. 20 on the front lawn of the stately brick church with the high steeple located on the Parkway.
Families gathered round to see their children portray the Holy Family. The pageant included live animals, including a donkey, sheep, goat and llama. The animals kept the Baby Jesus warm on a cold but clear evening.
Pastor Vicky Ney said the live nativity was a first for the church.
“I did this in the first church I worked at in Westfield and it had a very good response from the community,” she said. “We have all this open space so I though we should do it here.”
Her assistant Barbara Parks commended Pastor Ney for breathing new life into the church. Ney was appointed pastor a year ago in November after longtime Pastor David A. Flemming retired.
“Pastor Vicky has brought a lot of liveliness to our church with some of the great community events she has created,” Parks said.
The event featured a reading of the Christmas story along with the singing of Christmas carols.
Refreshments were offered in the vestibule of the church, and children received gift bags containing a sweet treat.
