Live Nativity Animals Part Of Christmas Service In Kingstowne

KINGSTOWNE, VA — An outdoor Christmas service in Kingstowne will feature live nativity animals on Monday, Dec. 23. Kingstowne Communion, a United Methodist church, invites the community to Nalls Produce's barn for the recreation of the Christmas story with a manger.

The event features a 5:30 p.m. children-focused service and 7 p.m. candlelight service. Churchgoers will sing carols, listen to a Christmas message and receive communion. The barn will be illuminated and house animals, including Aladdin the baby camel. Fire pits and heaters will be provided, and all are encouraged to bundle up and bring blankets.

Christmas at the Barn started in 2016 when Pastor Michelle Matthews saw a need for an alternative Christmas service recreating the sights, sounds and smells of the manger. Since then, it's become an annual tradition for over 300 people.

"Christmas at the Barn is so special for my family mainly because the wonder of this birth miraculously seems to come alive under the stars of Northern Virginia," said church member Alyssa Densham. "In my life, God has always met me, not in the sanctuary of the church, but in the ordinary mess of life and community. This event gets that."

Kingstowne Communion has been around for four years promoting inclusive membership. The church doesn't have a traditional worship building but holds 10 a.m. Sunday services at Island Creek Elementary School. For more information about Christmas Worship at the Barn or other services, visit kingstownecommunion.net.