WELCOME TO FLC
We welcome you and hope that you will join us as we celebrate Jesus’ birthday through this re-enactment of the story of the holy Nativity. You and yours are also most welcome to join us in any of our Christmastide worship services. You can find a schedule on this website. God bless you and yours during this holiest season of the year.
WHAT IS IT?
First Lutheran Church’s Drive Through Living Nativity (DTLN) is a 35-year-old Topeka tradition. FLC members have provided this annual event as the church’s Christmas gift to the community. Guests are invited to drive past 8 scenes depicting the sequence of the birth of Jesus. Each vehicle is loaned an MP3 player which has a narration recorded telling the story of the Nativity. Costumed church members portray the people in each of the 8 scenes: Mary, Joseph, Angel Gabriel, Elizabeth, Shepherds, Angels, and the Magi. Live animals are also on hand to complete the scene: sheep, donkey, and a camel!
WHERE AND WHEN IS IT?
The event is offered to the community on the second Sunday of December, typically 5:00pm until 7:00pm. The DTLN is held in the south parking lot of our church grounds at the corner of Huntoon & Fairlawn. From Gage Street, just head west on Huntoon and make sure you are in the right hand lane closest to the curb. If the queue has already formed, just get in line behind the last vehicle in the right lane. The queue will turn north onto Fairlawn. Topeka Police and church volunteers will guide you through the queue and into the parking lot. The queue is closed at 7:00pm; however, all vehicles in the queue will be able to enjoy the drive-through event.
WHAT DOES IT COST?
The event is FREE. This is our gift to our community. The event is held regardless of the weather, unless the weather is severe. Yes, we’ve even held the event in the snow (rare, but we’ve done it). We had to cancel in 2019 because of a very heavy and deep snow; we also had to cancel in 2020 because of COVID. We were back at full-effort in 2021 and 2022.