Zion Lutheran Church
Bismarck, North Dakota
Encouraging and Supporting one another
through Word and Sacrament

Zion’s Live Nativity 2003

For Forty three years Zion Lutheran Church has been sponsoring a live reenactment of the Nativity of our Lord. Each year hundreds of people of the Bismarck/Mandan community experience the Christmas story as the members of Zion make a public statement about the true meaning of Christmas.  Year after year the congregational members along with live farm animals portray the scene at the stable at the birth of Christ.   

The stable is made of straw bales.  Zion members, the local zoo and other community members have donated the farm animals over the years.  The animals used have been a cow, a donkey, and sheep.

Over the years the stable has been located up next to the east side of the church building, in a local mall, or in it’s present location on the south parking lot.

Youth of the congregation along with adult members of the congregation portray the various characters in the nativity story.  Mary, Joseph, shepherds, angels and wise men are among those found at the stable.

 The ladies of the congregation provide cookies and hot chocolate for the participants in the nativity scene.  Members of the congregation take care of the animals every night making sure that they get water and fed.