Caversham is to be the venue for a recreation of the events of the first Christmas.
The Nativity Live! event will be held on Christmas Eve and is a walking tour through the village.
Suitable for families, although very young children may find the walk more of a marathon than a stroll, it stops at various places across Caversham in order to retell, remember and reflect on various aspects of the Christmas story with the help of donkeys, sheep, angels and wise men.
Children – and adults – are invited to dress up as a character from the Nativity, be it a sheep, a donkey, a wise man, a shepherd or an angel.
The Nativity Live! event starts from 3.30pm outside The Fox and Hounds pub in Gosbrook Road.
It then continues through the streets, stopping in Westfield Park, South View Avenue, Ardler Road and finishing at St John the Baptist Church on St John’s Road.
At each stop, there will be an opportunity to collect a character or animal from the Christmas story, and sing carols.
When the collected band of pilgrims gather at the finish line, there will be a short time together to reflect on the journey, sing carols and enjoy refreshments.
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It is expected Nativity Live! will take around two hours to complete. The event is hugely popular and attracts a large crowd of people every year.
While children are welcome, organisers stress that they need to be accompanied by an adult, be they a parent or guardian.
Does the event cost anything to attend Nativity Live!?
Nativity Live! is free to attend, but donations can be made which will go to a charity.
Last year, that was CCA, Christian Community Action, which provides practical help and support to people within the town who need some support, be it a listening ear, providing furniture, or other practical needs.
For more on the charity’s work, log on to: www.ccam.org.uk
Who organises Nativity Live!
The event is organised by Churches Together in Caversham, and it has been running for several years now.
Key participants include Caversham Baptist Church, Caversham Methodist Church and St John’s Church.
What else is happening at St John’s in Caversham this Christmas?
St John’s Church in St John’s Road is holding a Christingle Service on Sunday, December 15.
This starts at 4pm and runs for an hour.
It is a traditional service where the Christmas story is retold with the help of oranges, ribbons, sweets, candles and carols.
Christingle celebrations are named after the Christingles that are lit during the ceremony. Christingles are oranges wrapped in red tape, decorated with dried fruit or sweets, with a candle on the top.
Each element of a Christingle has a special meaning and helps to tell the Christian story:
- The orange represents the world
- The red ribbon (or tape) symbolises the love and blood of Christ
- The sweets and dried fruit represent all of God’s creations
- The lit candle represents Jesus’s light in the world, bringing hope to people living in darkness.
The event is in aid of the charity The Children’s Society.
On Wednesday, December 18, a Community Carol Service will be held in St John’s.
The hour-long event starts at 7.30pm.
Organisers say it will be a service of Bible readings, songs and carols, followed by tea/coffee and seasonal refreshments.
The church is holding a Midnight Communion service on Christmas Eve at 11.30pm.
This hour-long service is the start of Christmas for many.
People are invited to what the St John’s says is ‘the most holy of nights’ and promises that well-known carols will be sung.
And on Christmas Day they will hold an all-age Christmas celebration from 9.30am.
The service lasts 45 minutes and will be suitable for families. It will include communion, carols and songs.
For more details, log on to: https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/57/service-and-events/advent-christmas/
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