For 25 years, the Christmas story has brought churches and families from across Southern California to a small Bavarian-style village in Huntington Beach, where a live Nativity has grown into a tradition of faith, service, and unity across communities.
On December 14, 2025, the American Clergy Leadership Conference (ACLC), Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP), and Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP) came together under the Peace Starts With Me Alliance for the International Celebration of Christmas and Live Nativity Play at Old World Village. Approximately 275 to 300 attendees, performers, and crew filled the village, with 200 chairs set out and additional guests standing to watch the celebration.
This tradition had begun approximately 25 years ago, when ACLC joined Archbishop Juergen Bless, then pastor of the Old World Church, to present the Christmas story. Over the years, the Nativity developed into an International Celebration of Christmas, bringing together churches from South Central Los Angeles to Orange County and across racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds.
That collaboration was visible throughout this year’s production. Congregations and ministries contributed performers for the Nativity cast, angel choir, narration, and crew, while at least 75 actors and production team members helped bring the Christmas story to life. The LA Family Stage Crew and Matt Ishizuka’s production team provided extensive support behind the scenes.
The celebration has also developed a tradition of giving, raising funds in previous years for charitable organizations including World Vision and American Family Housing. This year, participants raised $543 for Schools of Africa. The program also shared information about Dr. Hak Ja Han, founder of WFWP and known as the Mother of Peace, including her approach to peacebuilding and concern surrounding her imprisonment in South Korea.
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