Living the Christmas Story

In December 2023 our church put on a dramatisation of the Nativity story using the streets and buildings of our village, Kemerton. We wanted to take this story out to our younger families, and offer them an alternative to the commercialised Christmas themes. And also a donkey – but more of that later …

Our story started in our Victoria Hall with the annunciation by the angel Gabriel, telling Mary of her unexpected pregnancy, and then Mary’s meeting with Elizabeth to share their two miraculous stories.

We then travelled in a procession to The Crown, led by a fiddler. The landlord of the Crown said he had no room, but his wife offered to lead Mary and Joseph to a nearby barn instead.

The procession followed on after some carols, and found Mary and Joseph already arrived, the baby Jesus safely in a manger, and some large toy sheep. Three remarkably realistic shepherds came, and told how they had been first frightened at the angels, and then inspired by their story to go to Bethlehem and find their new-born saviour.

We then sang carols, led by the fiddler, shared some refreshments, and ended the event with a generous collection for Cheltenham Open Door – a very appropriate charity for a story involving homelessness and the kindness of strangers.

Then there was a break until Epiphany, which we celebrated on the first Sunday in January, with three wise men shown following their star to bring their gifts to Jesus, to honour his birth as our Saviour, and to foretell the life of sacrifice he would lead.

Please click below to read our story photo album of the event – especially if you would like to know about the donkey!