Oakton Church Keeps Tradition Alive with 68th Annual Outdoor Living Nativity Pageant
It’s easy to get caught up in the wrapping, unwrapping and shopping of gifts and the materialistic things at Christmastime, but Oakton Church in Lamar, Missouri, has reminded people each year for 68 years about what is most important during this special season with its Annual Outdoor Living Nativity Pageant.
Patty Hininger, Oakton Church Pageant secretary, says, “All of us who are involved in this ministry truly believe in the message that is presented. Lots of people who don’t go to church will come to see this. We hope it speaks to them. We consider it an honor to give this gift to our community.
“I believe for those who see it, there is something about the quiet and darkness before the scene begins, sitting in your car under the stars, then the music starts and Joseph and Mary appear. The costumes, music and lighting all combine to help transport viewers to another time and place.”
As for the true spirit of what the pageant is all about, Patty says, “We believe this is a perfect way to remind everyone that in the hustle and bustle of the season, Jesus is the reason.
“If for only 25 minutes, we simply hope to give all those who attend a glimpse of the glory of that wonderful night and show them that wisemen do still seek Him.”
The idea for the program originated nearly seven decades ago, and Patty says, “The pageant got its start in 1957 when Pastor Melvin West and his adult Sunday School class agreed that they wanted to do something to share the true meaning of Christmas.”
The pageant has evolved over time, and she says, “George Diggs became director for many years. The first two years, it was just a stationary scene with Joseph, Mary and the Baby Jesus standing near the church. People could drive through and see them. It was only presented one night.
“In 1959, the choir sang inside, through an open window so people could hear them. It was presented for three nights. A recording with the story being narrated from the Gospel of Luke was added in 1960, along with better costumes. The narration was played through speakers outside. A stable with animals was also added, along with better lighting and more characters.”
Things have continued to be tweaked, and Patty says, “In 1964, a moving star was added to lead the three wisemen to the stable. Every few years, things were added or improved, and more characters were included. Eventually, a professional soundtrack that includes many well-known Christmas songs was added to the narration.”
In today’s presentation, Patty says, “Now, the cast consists of 22 people, and it changes each night. There’s more than 50 people working each night to help with lighting, greeting, parking, handling the animals, keeping the cast on time for their parts and providing a large selection of snacks and hot cocoa for the cast, among many other jobs.”
Amongst the cast, it’s not just adults. Patty says, “Children are involved as well. The angel that appears over the stable is a high school student. Angels in the ‘Host of Angels’ are fifth graders and up. One shepherd is fifth grade or older and one is ninth grade or older.”
Describing the set up, Patty says, “We usually have one cow in the stable, a donkey for Mary to ride and a few sheep and/or goats, depending on what’s available. Some years, we’ve had a camel as we did last year and will this year. The camel is rented and different farmers in the congregation provide the other animals.
“The scene is constructed with lots of bales of straw, along with plywood for the city (Bethlehem), the inn and Herod’s throne area. The stable is made of tree limbs and boards, and the roof is constructed of plywood and covered with straw. We will also be adding to the lighting and improving it this year.”
And for the wardrobe. Patty says, “Costumes have mostly been made by church members. Tanya Crabtree is caretaker of the costumes. They are designed for ease of use and to help the cast stay warm as well.
“It’s okay to wear lots of clothes underneath the costumes if needed to help keep warm. Mostly, the weather cooperates but when it’s cold, you just need to layer. We’ve only cancelled it due to weather a handful of times.”
While recognizing everyone involved would be difficult, Patty says, “As far as mentioning names, it would be a lot. Let me just the say, the overall chairman this year is Matthew Morgan. Larry Compton is past chairman and is overseeing the set-up this year.
“Paul Crabtree is the future chairman and will be overseeing the tear-down after the final scene this year. There are 22 committees and some of those groups work on this year’s pageant long before it takes place, and they will be busy doing lots of stuff after it’s over.”
There’s a logistical change this year that’s been more work but should be beneficial, Patty says. “The entire scene is being moved from the south side of the church to the east side, which has required hours of planning and preparation. Austin Potthast and Robert Compton have done a lot of the planning to move the scene.
“We believe it will be better for several reasons. Traffic on the highway (south side) has long been an issue due to headlights interfering with the Nativity scene. It’s also believed parking will be more easily facilitated with this change. We did a mock-up of the main components in early November to make sure placement of these parts worked out well.”
When everything seems ready to go, there’s one practice run to be sure all is good, and Patty says, “We do a dress rehearsal on the Wednesday evening just prior to the presentation. We run through one 25-minute scene. All the lighting and sound is tested, and any kinks are worked out.”
Patty is thrilled to be part of this long-standing tradition, and she says, “As for how we feel about keeping this ministry going for 68 years, it never gets old. It’s always exciting, and we look forward to it for several months.
“Generations have been involved, and newcomers are eager to help. The church only had about 40 to 50 members when this began. I don’t know our exact membership now, but it must be 350 to 400.”
Oakton Church 68th Annual Outdoor Living Nativity Pageant Fast Facts
When: December 19-21, 2025
Time: Begins at 6:30 p.m. Performances last approximately 25 minutes and continue every half hour until the final show starts at 9 p.m.
Physical Address: 318 S. Highway J, Lamar, Missouri
Email Address: office@oaktonchurch.org
Phone Number: 417.682.2042
Website: www.oaktonchurch.org
Tune-in: Listen to the pageant narration on your car radio and through the outside speakers at the church.
