Viewing of nativity scenes that show Christmas around the world

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Nativity scenes from around the world are on display at Cornerstone Christian Fellowship in Kona. (Courtesy photo/Special to West Hawaii Today)
Nativity scenes from around the world are on display at Cornerstone Christian Fellowship in Kona. Courtesy photo/Special to West Hawaii Today
Nativity scenes from around the world are on display at Cornerstone Christian Fellowship in Kona. Courtesy photo/Special to West Hawaii Today
Nativity scenes from around the world, like this one from Africa are on display at Cornerstone Christian Fellowship in Kona. (Courtesy photo/Special to West Hawaii Today)
Nativity scenes from around the world are on display at Cornerstone Christian Fellowship in Kona. The center display is from 1960's Hawaii. (Courtesy photo/Special to West Hawaii Today)
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Cornerstone Christian Fellowship invites the community to experience Christmas around the world with nativity displays from places near and far.

Pastor Jeff Buchholz and his wife have set up over 150 different Nativity displays at his Kona church.

“My wife and I have been married 34 years and have been collecting them through the years,” he said. “We have picked them up on our travels at church sales, estate sales and even thrift stores here in Kona. It is a collection that has grown through the years.”

He said the figures come in all sizes and represent the area they came from.

“I like the African one because it has the rhinoceros and the coconut shell Hawaiian one from the sixties. I do like the one from Japan with baby Jesus strapped on the back of Mary,” he said “There is one from Alaska that’s lots of fun too with Eskimo fur around Joseph. There’s some fun ones.”

It’s the reason for the season, celebrating Christ’s birth.

He decided this year to share the collection before and after their Sunday services on Christmas Eve Day and New Years Eve Day from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and at 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

The church will also have a Candlelight Christmas Eve Service at 6-7 p.m.

The nativity displays can be seen before the service at 5:30 p.m. and afterward from 7-7:30 p.m.

“We like reaching out to the children in our community. We have handed out 150 backpacks filled with school supplies. We enjoy encouraging our community and helping them with things to do,” said Buchholz. “We are excited to give something to the community to make it more Christmasy for them.”

Cornerstone Christian Fellowship is located at 74-4972 Kealakaa St, Kailua-Kona.