INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 6 — Most Indianapolis businesses, home owners, and museums decorate for Christmas, but North United Methodist Church’s approach is unique. Before Christmas each year members of the congregation get close to 150 nativity sets out of storage, unwrap them, and carefully place them on the interior window ledges of North’s sanctuary, in its chapel, and other rooms throughout the church, which is located at 3808 N. Meridian Street.

The collection is amazing in both quantity and quality. It consists of mostly nativities handmade by expert craftspeople from around the world.

The bulk of the nativities were collected by the late Charlotte Mozelle Shake DeLong and Rev. Robert DeLong, who chose North as their home church after their retirement. Knowing the DeLongs collected nativity sets, their parishioners and friends gave many of the nativities to the DeLongs as presents from their travels over the years, and the collection grew.

Rev. DeLong served in the United Methodist Church for close to 50 years in various Indiana communities including Tunnelton, Nashville, Evansville, Princeton, Rockport, Lawrenceburg, Greensburg, Terre Haute, Plainfield, Evansville, Greencastle, Columbus, and Indianapolis. While in Greencastle and Columbus, he served as the district superintendent for the church. He retired in 1984 from Epworth United Methodist Church in Indianapolis. He was also a trustee of DePauw University.

The DeLongs' son donated their nativity set collection to North upon his parents’ deaths. Rev. DeLong died in 2004, while his widow died in 2005.

“The DeLongs would get their nativities out every Christmas and display them in their home,” said Lela Russell, head of North’s visual arts committee. “Friends were invited to visit and enjoy their collection. They displayed a few of them at North a couple of years before they passed. Their son wasn’t a collector, and we were delighted to become the caretakers of them. Dear Mozelle had all the boxes labeled with the country of origin and the name of the giver of the nativity.”

Other people have added to the collection and continue to do so. “Sarah Ellen and Joe Mamlin donated a set they got while working in Kenya,” Russell said. “The nativity on the altar this year came from Kathy and Jerry Hacker.”

A new addition found this year in North’s newly remodeled gathering center is from East 10th United Methodist Church, which closed earlier this year. That set was made by Ethel Carter and adorned that church’s altar every Advent. “It’s hand painted and has some extra camels and wise men,” Russell noted.

The medium used to construct the nativities often differs from country to country. The Holy Family is also depicted differently depending on the nationality of the artisans involved.

A nativity set from Mexico is made of colorful tinware. One from Ireland includes shamrocks and is made of fine Irish china. There is one made by native Americans in which each figure is a small piece of pottery. One is made almost entirely from cornhusks, and another is done entirely in fabric. There are elaborately carved sets from Italy and Germany, and simpler sets from other nations.

Many of the nativities are made of ceramics, pottery or wood. Some are made of glass or metal. Some of the nativity sets are very large, while at least one is the size of a walnut shell.

Some sets just feature Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. Others include animals found in the stable, the wise men, the shepherds and their sheep, and angels. Some depict stables, while others are freestanding.

Viewing the different nativity sets has become an annual Christmas tradition for many members of North. The public is invited to visit the church to enjoy the nativities too.

“One year we didn’t put the nativities out, and went with some of the DeLongs’ angels instead,” remembered Russell. “It was not a popular choice, and we went back to displaying them every year. People look forward to seeing them.”

The best way to visit is to attend the church’s Sunday morning Advent services at 8:30 or 11 a.m. Other great times are at its three services on Christmas Eve: the Children and Families service at 5 p.m.; the celebration of Holy Communion at 7:30 p.m., or the Festival of Lessons and Carols at 10:30 p.m. North will hold one service on Christmas Day at 11 a.m. During those times the sanctuary lights will be sure to be on. The nativities will be displayed through Epiphany Sunday, which is Jan. 8.

The public can also see the nativity sets from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays when the church office is open. Please stop at the office, located just inside the west entry, for more information and directions. Additional times may be scheduled individually in advance. The church’s main office number is (317) 924-2612 and its email address is info@northchurchindy.com. Its website is at NorthChurchIndy.com.

About North United Methodist Church:

North UMC is located at 3808 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis. Learn more at www.northchurchindy.com. Its Sunday morning services are held at 8:30 and 11 a.m. The 11 a.m. services are livestreamed on the church’s YouTube channel. The livestream can be accessed easily through a box on the home page of the church’s website at NorthChurchIndy.com.