For Fifty-one 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 originally was made of straw bales after a fire in 2006 a new wooden stable was cinstructed.
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 its 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.
Past Live
Nativity Pictures
Click on picture for galleries of more pictures
Click on picture for galleries of more pictures
