Celebrate Reason for the Season

King of Kings Lutheran Church presents their annual free Live Nativity performances on December 14 and 15.

As we gather to decorate Christmas trees and purchase presents for loved ones, King of Kings Lutheran Church calls us all to remember the purpose of the Christmas ­season. In an effort to carry out this mission to celebrate the birth of Christ, King of Kings will be presenting a Live Nativity scene on Saturday, December 14 and Sunday, December 15 at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. each night.

    Complete with costumed actors, sheep, camels, a ­donkey and a stable, the Live Nativity depicts the story of Christ’s birth from the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary, through the arrival of the three wise men. Pastor Rick Tabisz will narrate the Christmas story while the actors illustrate the journey, conflicts and celebration that the family experiences. At the end of the presentation, audience members are invited to sing “Silent Night” and warm up with hot cocoa and cookies as well as pet the ­animals and visit with the cast. “The Live Nativity is a simple reenactment of the birth of Christ that everyone in the family will enjoy. Several families have told me they make this a part of their Christmas traditions every year,” said Pat Bartley, co-chair of the public relations committee. “When we all sing together at the end of the performance, it creates a truly beautiful, peaceful ­feeling within.”    

    The presentation itself will last for approximately 40 minutes, and it is performed regardless of the plunging temperatures. Seating is ­provided, but Bartley urges spectators, “Please dress appropriately and bring ­blankets. The metal bleachers are very cold.” The Live ­Nativity takes place on 13 acres located on the southeast side of Highway 75 and 151st Street in Glenpool. Please arrive early to find seating. Porta-Potties will also be available.

    This is the seventh year that King of Kings Lutheran Church has put on a Live ­Nativity. “We are a ­missionary church,” Bartley says. “This is our small way of sharing Christ’s love with the community.” King of Kings is a small church with a ­congregation of just over 100 members; the church begins setting up committees in the early fall to prepare for the event. Whether participants are actors or supervising ­parking, every member plays a vital role in the Live Nativity. “It takes us all,” Bartley says. “Our goal is to capture the wonder of our Savior’s birth. It isn’t about commercialization; it is about the simplicity and the joy of the occasion.”    

    This project is free to the community, and is a relatively large endeavor for such a small church. Funding comes from both the congregation and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, an organization that does much more than offer financial services. They also offer outreach ­opportunities that enable members to help their ­communities and ­congregations. “The entire presentation is a testament to the season. The volunteerism that it requires is truly ­indicative of the Christmas spirit,” says Bartley.

    King of Kings is a ­mission church that provides outreach to the community in a variety of other ways as well, including the Mercy Mission II Food Pantry and the Good Samaritan Mobile Medical Ministry, available on the first and third Fridays of each month. The food pantry and mobile medical ministry are held at Extreme Worship in Glenpool. The church will also have a float in the Glenpool Christmas Parade and the Tulsa Hills Christmas Parade, both on December 7. 

For more information, contact

King of Kings Lutheran Church

14023 S. Casper

Glenpool, OK 74033

(918) 291-2005