Would you like a chance to experience the magic of the season while remaining warm and toasty in your car? Hilltop Baptist Church will host its fourth annual drive-through Live Nativity from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday.

This is a free event, but guests are asked to bring a can of food to donate if they wish. The church gathers these items and donates them to a local food bank.

“This is a great kickoff for the holidays and a reminder of the reason for the season — the gift of Christ,” said Julie VanGorder, event organizer.

The idea for this event came in 2020 during the height of the pandemic. People were still practicing social distance then and unable to attend regular church services.

“We started this because people weren’t gathering and we wanted to give them an opportunity to hear the message of the season while staying safe,” said VanGorder.

“So we put the stations far enough apart that the kids could social distance and we figured it would be safe if people drove through in their cars.”

The event was so popular that they decided to continue it. Hilltop’s Live Nativity has now become a much-loved annual tradition. Last year, they had about 130 people drive through in 80 vehicles.

There are roughly 50 volunteers involved in the event. In addition to wrangling kids and animals, volunteers will tend five small fires and use heat lamps to keep everyone warm.

“The Hilltop Fire Department will be here as our road crew to make sure everyone is safe,” said VanGorder.

“And then we have about 30 to 35 children involved from ages 4 to 18 years old and a kitchen crew working inside who will serve all our volunteers afterwards.”

Several local men from the church have built sheds and pens throughout the last few years. This year, a grandfather and -son team from the church built a large cross, which will be prominently featured.

When visitors drive into the event they will first be greeted and given a program and counted in a census, like the story from the Bible. They will then drive along a series of scenes from the life of Jesus, acted out by the children. The first scene features scripture from the prophet Issah foretelling the birth of Christ. The next scene will feature the angels appearing to Mary, followed by a scene with shepherds and angels seeing the star. The three wise men will be the focus of the next scene. In the penultimate station, visitors will experience the magic of the Live Nativity.

Marklyn Brown will haul a menagerie of animals to the event, as she has for the last several years.

“I believe she is bringing a donkey, cow, goat and maybe a sheep,” said VanGorder.

The last scene will feature the new cross.

“This way, it goes from Jesus’ birth all the way to the cross,” said VanGorder. “The new cross is really something; very beautifully made out of a large tree.”

As they exit the event, guests will be given a small gift from the church and a Bible from members of Gideons International.

VanGorder said, “We hope that this event will remind people that Christ loves them.”