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WILKES-BARRE &mdash; The bleating of sheep and braying of donkeys will authenticate the live Nativity presented this weekend by Moving River Ministries next to its church on South Main Street.
				Angels, Roman soldiers, shepherds, magi in resplendent robes and an innkeeper with no room for an expecting couple will take part in the &ldquo;Walk Through Bethlehem&rdquo; as the church transforms the parking lot of Kniffen O&rsquo;Malley Leffler Funeral Home into the biblical birthplace of the Christ child.
				Pastor Adam McGahee and his wife Lisa participated in a similar program last year on Public Square. But when it was scratched this year because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, they stepped in and assembled the cast of 40 actors, arranged for Hillside Farms to provide the animals and coordinated the production that&rsquo;s been in the works for a couple months.
				&ldquo;Well, this year everything got cancelled. So the idea was born to do it all the way big, down here. So we&rsquo;re doing it a lot bigger than on the Square,&rdquo; Lisa McGahee said.
				The couple Thursday offered a preview of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MovingRiverMinistries/photos/pcb.1584799731706767/1584799641706776/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the program that includes music, scripture and </a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MovingRiverMinistries/photos/pcb.1584799731706767/1584799641706776/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spectacle</a>. The outdoor event runs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at 465 S. Main St. It&rsquo;s free, but donations will be accepted. Safety measures will be in place to protect the participants and visitors.
				&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to take small groups through at a time, 15 to 20 people to keep it COVID safe,&rdquo; Lisa McGahee said. &ldquo;All the actors will be distanced from one another and all the walk-through will be distanced from one another.&rdquo;
				Free parking will be available in the PSC lot across the street from the church on South Main Street. Wilkes-Barre is providing barricades and traffic control. The first 100 people will receive a free present donated by Endless Possibilities Consignment & Beyond on Carey Avenue.
				While people wait in line they can listen to the carolers in front of the church. Two soldiers in costume will be at the entrance of the set and one of them is likely to be the pastor. His wife will be one of the guides who leads groups on the 10-minute walk between four scenes constructed by the King&rsquo;s College Theatre Department.
				&ldquo;First they go to the inn and then we have the innkeeper and his wife and a couple of townspeople. And he says there&rsquo;s no room and they got to keep going,&rdquo; Lisa McGahee explained.
				The next stop is at the shepherds and sheep and onto meeting the magi. Recorded music will be played over speakers. At each stop there will be scripture readings taken from the Old and New testaments of the Bible
				&ldquo;Once we get to the three kings, the kings then journey to the stable, so the crowd gets to journey with them,&rdquo; Lisa McGahee said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s eight to 10 foot trains on the kings which is really neat. Their costumes are really dramatic.&rdquo;
				Angels greet them at the stable where a doll represents the newborn king. Some of angels will communicate through sign language.
				&ldquo;They&rsquo;re going to do a sign sung to, &ldquo;O Holy Night,&rdquo; and then &ldquo;Joy to the World&rdquo; plays and then everybody leaves,&rdquo; Lisa McGahee said.
				The program is held at the right time in more ways than one, said Pastor McGahee.
				&rdquo;The word community is so important. Jesus Christ is the reason for the season and he&rsquo;s the common unity that brings community together, especially at Christmastime,&rdquo; the pastor said. &ldquo;So that&rsquo;s why we wanted to do this; to give people hope, something to look forward to, and remind them that we are a community and that we&rsquo;re united by that common unity of Jesus Christ.&rdquo;

Wilkes-Barre church to present ‘Walk Through Bethlehem’ live Nativity this weekend