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A father and son stroll through the walk-through nativity in Memorial Park as part of the Payson Community Crèche held each year in December 2023. Photo by Amanda Robertson, courtesy of Church News.All rights reserved.This story appears here courtesy of TheChurchNews.com. It is not for use by other media.
By Leah Haynes, Church News
The vision of the Payson Community Crèche in Payson, Utah, is to help families put the focus of Christmas back on the Savior, Jesus Christ.
A crèche is a model or tableau representing the scene of Jesus Christ’s birth, displayed in homes or public places at Christmas. As such, this annual Christmas event displays Nativities, collects donations through JustServe (a website that shows local service projects and events), hangs festive banners, and hosts live choirs that sing holiday music.
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Nativities such as this can be seen everywhere in the Payson Community Crèche event, an annual December spectacle. This specific nativity was displayed in the 2023 event. Photo by Amanda Robertson, courtesy of Church News.All rights reserved.Steve Pace, a Latter-day Saint living in Payson, started the activity in 2005 after moving with his family from Canada to Utah and finding, to his surprise, that crèches were not all that common in their new home. Stunned, Pace pitched the idea of starting an annual crèche as a ward activity to the Payson Utah Mount Nebo Stake.
“It was a way to let members express their love and faith in our Savior Jesus Christ, to allow us to focus on the true meaning of Christmas. We hoped it would be an easy way to involve our friends and neighbors, an opportunity to participate and feel the Spirit,” said Pace.
This year, the Payson Community Crèche will host its 19th annual event on December 6–7 in a local church building.
What started as a small ward activity 19 years ago has become a community-wide spectacle. When it first began, the Community Crèche had about 100 Nativities on display. In recent years, the event has displayed as many as 1,000 Nativity sets, each depicting the birth of the Savior.
“Looking back, it is amazing to see how flashes of inspiration come as new elements are added and changed each year. We have been incredibly blessed to be able to carry this on for so many years,” said Amanda Robertson, Pace’s daughter and local Church member.
While attendees browse the displays, local groups, choirs and musicians perform uplifting music. Groups performing this December include the Utah Valley Children’s Choir and the Utah Valley Handbell Choir, as well as local high schools and other individuals.
“People of all faiths and backgrounds come through our doors, and we have always said that if just one person’s life is influenced for the better by coming, then it is all worth it,” said Robertson.
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The Payson Community Crèche attendees enter Hope Baptist Church following a walk-through nativity display in December 2023. Photo by Amanda Robertson, courtesy of Church News. All rights reserved.Across the street from the meetinghouse, in Memorial Park, attendees can participate in a walk-through display featuring images and scriptures depicting the story of Christ’s birth. During the COVID-19 pandemic, members needed a way to continue the tradition while maintaining social distancing. With the help of Payson City, the outdoor banner display was created.
“During COVID-19, we were afraid we couldn’t continue, but we knew we wanted to do all we could to keep the Creche going,” Robertson said. “After a lot of brainstorming, our committee came up with the idea for our drive-through display, which included murals and scripture boards. Many people needed that during that crazy time. So many left the exhibit with tears in their eyes that year.”
The Christmas Nativity event — specifically the outdoor display — has grown to be a collaboration with city leaders and friends at Hope Baptist Church.
At the end of the banner display in Memorial Park lies Hope Baptist Church, which has presented a live Nativity for the last few years. This December, they plan to host a traditional candlelight caroling service. Between songs, Pastor Paul McDavid will share histories of the songs and stories to accompany each one.
Throughout the event, members collect hundreds of pounds of food for local food pantries and blankets for the Just Serve initiative as part of the outdoor display. The blankets will go to warming centers in Utah County.
“One of the things I have found most interesting from serving behind the scenes all these years is that even with all of the decorations, the glittery lights, the beautiful Nativities, and even soft music playing, the spirit of Christmas doesn’t truly come to life until the people step into the building, or wander down the path, because as beautiful as the displays are, it is the people that matter,” Robertson said.
“The displays are just a tangible testimony of the love our Father in Heaven has for each and every one of us, and it is truly magnificent to see that reflected in the eyes of those attending and on the faces of His children.”
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