By Pat KRAMER

Nothing could deter Pastor Bob Snyder and his dedicated staff at Community Christian Church in Tujunga from performing their traditional drive-thru Nativity Scene on Friday, Dec. 16 and Saturday, Dec. 17. The outdoor performance went on for three hours despite the cold, the wind, and a 3’ x 4’ chunk of plaster falling from the ceiling in the church, which was originally constructed in 1928.

Since 2001, Pastor Bob has been inviting the public to his church at 10193 Tujunga Canyon Blvd. to view the four nativity scenes and receive blessings – all from the comfort of their cars. Pastor Bob said he came up with the idea after seeing it enacted successfully at other churches.

“The whole purpose was to take something outside and give it to the community because, often times, you do Christmas programs and you’re trying to get people inside your church – and that’s a lot more commitment than driving through and being blessed,” he said.

Last year, about 800 cars and 1,000 people came through the nativity scene. This year, that number grew to an estimated 1,200 people who came to see church members reenacting, in costume, the historical events surrounding the birth of Jesus: Scene one depicted the pregnant Mary and Joseph going to Bethlehem; scene two showed the shepherds meeting an angel who called out to them to not be afraid; scene three showed the baby Jesus born in the stable; and scene four featured the wise men coming to see the King.

As an added feature to the drive-thru nativity scene, motorists were able to get a curbside prayer in the church parking lot that Pastor Bob said often brings out people who might not normally go to church.

“It’s amazing how many people, even if they don’t go to church, would like somebody to pray for them. Often they come through and they have tears in their eyes and it’s like, ‘Thank you so much for having this. I’m going through a divorce, or I’ve got medical issues, or I have a young adult who is on drugs’ – they run the gamut,” he said. “And when you see them, there’s a real emotional concern. Just taking a moment to pray with them is a blessing to us and we hope it’s a gift to them.”

To ward off the coldness of the night, there was warm cocoa, hot coffee, cookies and brownies served inside the church’s recreation room.

“The idea behind this event is that it doesn’t take a lot of investment [for motorists],” said Snyder. “We hope that people will put it into their schedule and it will become a part of their holiday observance each year.”

  Pat KRAMER