Willow Park Church

By Dorothy Brotherton
BC Christian News, January 2009

BRAD GAY didn’t realize the changes that would occur in his life when he walked into the Living Nativity at a church he knew nothing about, a few years ago.

He describes himself and his wife, Colleen, as lapsed Christians at the time. They decided to take their three small children to see the live animals at the free event.

For 17 years, Willow Park Church in Kelowna has been offering the community a nativity experience like few others.

It includes an outdoor stage, live bands, a street scene from 1st century Bethlehem, animals in a petting-zoo style presentation, an indoor play with music and Christmasy refreshments.

“I was blown away by the generosity of the church – by putting this on, and then not asking me for money. It meant a lot to me. I watched the whole production with my family and there was no pitch at the end. No feed bucket was passed around,” said Gay.

He remembers pastor Mark Burch giving a simple welcome to anyone without a home church to think about attending Willow Park.

“My wife and I decided, okay, we will,” said Gay. “We had been looking for something more reflective of our life and situation, something that spoke more into us.”

That was in the year 2000, and since then Gay has become one of about 600 volunteers who help put on the three-day, 13-show presentation.

As well, the Living Nativity triggered a change in Gay’s vocation.

He later sold his business and became a full-time director with a foundation called Child of Mine, in which Willow Park partners with a Vancouver church to support 200 children at two homes in Northern India.

Another person strongly impacted by Living Nativity is Nancy Tordiffe, now on staff at Willow Park. She had come to a Sunday service not long before Christmas 12 years ago, and the message was about how everyone needs a Saviour.

She responded with a decision of faith – and that evening, she attended Living Nativity.

“It culminated the day for me. I was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the gift of Christ,” said Tordiffe, who had never seen anything like this portrayal of the story.

As years passed, she took intensive in-house training, and is now the women’s pastor at the church.

Willow Park staff are hard-pressed to tabulate results from Living Nativity, but there is much anecdotal evident that it makes a huge impact on the community.

Tordiffe said, “I run into a lot of individuals for whom the Living Nativity was a significant component of their experience.”

It either brought them to the Lord, she said, or brought them back to the church.

“There is no organized follow-up,” confirmed Eva Wiebe, who has been the volunteer coordinator of the event for four years. The church does not even take names of people who come.

“Anything like that would put people’s backs up. We leave that part to God,” said Wiebe.

She added there are always people who see the Nativity and come to church services in weeks that follow.

The church has a rough idea of Living Nativity attendance, which in 2008 reached a record high of 8,200 people – 1,000 more than the year before. In early years, growth was steady, then jumped, followed by a levelling off period. No one quite understands the recent spike.

Attendance depends a lot on the weather, which cooperated beautifully this year, said Wiebe.

All four Willow Park campuses – Highway 33, The Mission, Lake Country and Metro – join forces to put on Living Nativity, and Wiebe said one of the best results is the bonding that takes place among the congregations.

“It’s not only a wonderful opportunity to bring a gift to the community – it builds community among us,” said Wiebe.