You’ve probably seen a live nativity scene before, they’re especially popular around Christmas time, but Good Shepherd Church in Cedar Park, Texas, takes it nine steps further. The Follow the Star Walk and drive-thru holiday display has been a family tradition for more than a decade. In addition, it is a very successful Christmas outreach, which continues to bless Central Texas. And 350 positive people make it happen. One of those people is Pastor Steven Headley who says, “This is not your typical Christmas story. People need to hear the rest of the story and connect the dots.”
(We invite you to listen to the conversation between Crystal Thornton and Pastor Steven Headley in the podcast below.)
Crystal: Why is it so important to hear the rest of Jesus Christ’s life story this time of year?
Pastor Headley: “I think Nativities are great. It's God's gift. His only Son coming to this world being with us. God with us. But we must go past that if you really wanna understand that gift. You must understand who the baby is and you must connect the dots. Each scene is on a two-minute loop. It starts with the Annunciation, the angel Gabriel talking to Mary, then the nativity, and it goes all the way through Jesus' life. You see his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. You see Him breaking bread with the disciples at the Last Supper, being betrayed even, and going to pilot, and the crucifixion. But then you get to the empty tomb, and you have the resurrection."
The nativity scene is one of 10 stops the church has set up, which includes 300 members of the cast and crew, months of scene decorating, and of course — a camel.
Crystal: I understand, that before you became a pastor, you started working in production.
Pastor Headley: “I worked at the church doing audio and visual. I even got into the communication route. But our former pastor, he's the one that kind of brought this vision to life, pastor Marty Brower, and he told us about Follow the Star. He had done it at previous churches. and what it is, is 10 scenes of the life of Christ with professional acting, professional lighting, professional sound all happening. And yes, volunteers who are acting from our church and from surrounding churches as well.”
Crystal: How has it affected the cast and the crew who participate in it every year?
Pastor Headley: “We've been through it all. We've had icicles hanging down from the cross. One opening night we had snow falling. And imagine that in central Texas having snowfall. But it was beautiful. There were other times when we've had to pump heat up where Jesus is hanging on the cross with thieves to His left and his right."
Crystal: The event serves the public in so many ways, would you elaborate on that?
Pastor Headley: “It meets not only the emotional needs of people around the Christmas season, because it is emotional. You think about people that are no longer with us, and praise be to God that he gives them eternal life, but still, it's emotional. ‘Follow The Star’ meeting the spiritual need. Obviously people coming to faith seeing the story of Jesus. But then it also meets the material need in our community. We work and we partner with Hill Country Community Ministries here in Central Texas, and it's our local food bank. We always tell the community this production is free for you to come. To date, we've collected over 47,000 pounds of non-perishable food items, and along with that $51,000 has been raised to help the food pantry.”
Crystal: So far, 82,000 people have experienced Follow The Star. Would you say there are families that have made it a part of their Christmas tradition?
Pastor Headley: “People have made this their tradition, and their kids say, it's their favorite part of the Christmas season.”
Crystal: Is there a specific part of the production that touches you year after year?
Pastor Headley: “Every year I'll just hang out one night for about an hour around the crucifixion scene and I will see tears. I will see dads or moms bending down and talking with their young children about what's happening. Because for the first time, they're really connecting those dots. They're understanding the price that was paid for us by Jesus. And the gift that we receive at Christmas is not just the baby and the manger, but it goes all the way to his crucifixion, and of course the resurrection. It's so beautiful to see parents having that opportunity to teach their kids because again, it all goes back to discipleship. It all goes back to raising up the next generation.”
Crystal: After experiencing the production, guests are also treated to a Christmas concert.
Pastor Headley: “We have Christmas music going on in our church with our praise team. So you go through the production, then you can praise God for all that he is doing and all that he's done for us. We even had a children's book that was written by one of our members for all the kids who are coming through Follow the Star, and they get to take that home, and a coloring book as well. we've also been working with missions in Brazil, and they've started doing Follow the Star down there as well. We've translated the book for them to be able to then share the gospel in their native language.
Crystal: I can imagine there have been some amazing stories from people who have attended the event.
Pastor Headley: This little 5-year-old boy, he reaches into his pocket, and he pulls out a dime and two pennies, 12 cents, and he hands it over and we say, 'What's this for?' And he says, ‘I just wanna see this continue to happen. I just want Follow The Star to keep happening.’ He wanted to give everything that he had, whether that was $1,200 or 12 cents, I couldn't help but think in that moment, man, God, he works just in the littlest of believers as well.” And if we can just affect one person, if just one person's life can be changed, if one person who's struggling can leave that production and say, you know what, God, I believe in you and I believe in your son, and that faith is restored, or that faith is strengthened, it's always worth it. And here's what we know from Scripture, that God's Word, when it goes out, it does not return void. We know that every year God's working and that people's lives are being impacted and changed to follow Him.” If you'd like to learn more about Follow The Star visit https://www.gstx.org/followthestar.