WYNNE, Ark. – A drive-thru live nativity experience took place the last two weekends, Dec. 7-9 and Dec. 14-15, at Three Trees Cowboy Church in Wynne.
The church started the nativity in 2020, during the COVID pandemic. The idea came from church member Kim Smith.
“She put it together and everybody helped her as much as we could. It was a little bit of a rushed job the first year and tons of people came through. It blew our minds. We had no idea how many people would come through,” Pastor Tracy Wilson said.
Now, in its fourth year, the event continues to grow. Wilson said they had 1,769 people this year drive through the live nativity. Of the four scheduled nights for the nativity, one night was canceled due to weather and two of the nights were rain shows. Wilson reported three salvations.
“It just gets bigger and better every year,” he said. “It’s been a God thing that’s for sure and the Lord has really used it to speak to a lot of people.”
As people wait in their cars to begin the drive thru nativity, they are offered hot chocolate and hear the Gospel through three circles, which represents God’s design, brokenness, and the Gospel.
As they begin the experience, participants can tune their radios to a certain FM frequency for Christmas music. They will then follow along a lighted drive that winds throughout the church’s 28 acres and takes participants on a journey, beginning with Gabriel coming to Mary. They will travel through “Bethlehem” to where Jesus laid in a manger, pass by the wise men, drive through a bustling city, see the shepherds with their sheep and more. It starts with angels, ends with the resurrection, and features live animals and people.
Scripture is also displayed throughout the experience.
At the end of the drive, church members thank participants for coming, tell them merry Christmas and offer them a Christmas card with the Gospel.
“It’s very moving. … The Lord has really used this to touch some lives and we’ve seen people come from a long way to go to it. It’s just another way to communicate the Gospel to our community and surrounding communities,” Wilson said.
To see pictures of the event, check out the Three Trees Cowboy Church Facebook page. Make plans now to attend next year.