Thousands to see unique nativity

If you thought the nativity story was just about Mary, Joseph and a baby in a manger, think again.

Bangor Elim Church is turning Christmas upside down with its wildly imaginative ‘Wonder of Christmas’ experience – a three-day extravaganza that’s part biblical journey, part festive theme park.

Now in its tenth year, the event has grown from a modest script into a full-scale production that attracts up to 2,500 visitors. The church transforms its building into a bustling Bethlehem, complete with live donkeys, sheep and nativity characters. But that’s just the start. There’s also a Disney princess and superhero meet-and-greet, a Santa train, food vendors – and yes, a reptile zoo.

“Don’t ask me what reptiles have got to do with Christmas, but you can see snakes and tarantulas and the kids love it!” says Pastor Gary Beattie, who leads the church. “It started off quite small around ten years ago as a way to tell the Christmas story to church and community families,” he adds. “But it’s grown into quite a beast since then!”

The scale of the production is impressive. The set is so large that it’s stored in a factory during the year and delivered to Bangor Elim on an 18-wheel truck. Once one team has spent three days building Bethlehem, another arrives to set up the shepherds’ Bedouin tent and the starry night scenery. Then, a raft of volunteers step in to play nativity characters, heroes and princesses, or to drive the Santa train. 

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