By PHOEBE DONALD ROBINSON / Community Columnist

Columbiana churches have planned many special events to celebrate the birth of Jesus this Christmas season.

South Shelby Baptist, located at 19140 Highway 145, invites you to “A Walk through Bethlehem,” a free family-friendly, interactive outdoor play. Visitors are greeted with hot chocolate and cookies while they wait for their guide dressed in authentic clothes of the time. Experience Bethlehem as it was when the Christ child was born complete with Roman soldiers, marketplace, shepherds and animals.

Dates are Dec. 6-8 and Dec. 13- 14 from 6 -8:30 p.m. and Dec. 15 from 3:30-8:30 p.m. For more information, visit Southshelbybaptistchurch.com or call 205-669-2099.

The Columbiana Church of the Nazarene will present a Live Nativity Scene Dec. 5-7 from 5-7 p.m. on West College Street in Columbiana across from the courthouse parking lot. Once again, the event is free and a treat not to be missed.

The First Baptist Church of Columbiana will host its highly successful holiday dinner theater, “I’ll be Home for Christmas.” Dates are Dec. 6-8 at 6 p.m. and tickets are $10. Hurry to get your tickets at the church for it will be a sell-out! The church will have a candlelight Christmas Eve service at 7 p.m.

The Columbiana United Methodist Church has many free programs open to the public. Sunday, Dec. 1 is the beautiful annual “Hanging of the Greens” at 6:30 p.m. in the sanctuary followed by a reception.

The Family Festival of Advent will be Dec. 4 from 5-7 p.m. in the multi-purpose room. It will be a fun night for children of all ages to learn the meaning of Advent. The children will present their Christmas program on Dec. 8 at 10:30 a.m. at the joint service in the sanctuary. A Christmas service will be led by the youth on Dec. 15 in the multipurpose room at 10:30 a.m.

The confirmation service along with special music by Robert Robinson, Jr., a member of Opera Birmingham Chorus, will be Sunday, Dec. 22 at 10:30 a.m. Come-and-go communion Service will begin at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve.