online gathering
Nativity Seminar
Join us for our Online Gatherings, where Friends of the Creche
members share exciting presentations about their nativity
collections, exhibits, and the joy of being a collector.
Free Zoom seminars are open to everyone, and you don't need to be a member of FOTC to participate. Make sure to register in advance to secure your spot. We look forward to seeing you there!
Mark the date for our next Online Gathering:
September 14, 2026
10 am Pacific - 11 am Mountain - 12 pm Central - 1 pm Eastern
Duration: 60-90 minutes
Recordings of Previous Gatherings
Videos of previous Online Gatherings are available to Friends of the Creche members. Click a date to watch the recording.
Laura Kirkconnell
"Nativities from Ukraine"
Laura discusses her Ukrainian nativities and how and where she and her husband got them.
Douglas Campbell
A MOC Lego Nativity: 'My Own Creation' turned 'Mighty Out-of-the-Ordinary Creche'
An enthusiast of Denmark's famed plastic bricks builds a "Biblically imaginative" nativity tableau fraught with hints of our Lord & Savior beyond His birth.
Michael Lynch
Some Homemade Nativity Scenes
Michael will discuss his hobby of making nativity scenes and show photos of many nativity scenes he has made in the past 40+ years.
Miriam Crawford
A Community Nativity Festival
Miriam gives an overview of the annual McMinnville, Tennessee nativity festival, now entering its 13th year.
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Daniel Zorn - "Contemporary Nativity Art" - Daniel shares nativity art made since 2000 from a private collection and from items exhibited at Creche Festival Houston in past years.
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Bruce Lawrence - “The Ox and the Ass and the Cherubim” - An Old Testament verse that inspired the tradition of the ox and ass in the nativity stable comes from Habakkuk 3: 2, “O Lord, . . . thou shalt be known between the two living creatures.” In its original context, this would have been understood as a reference to the cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant. I will consider how the humble ox and ass might be understood as stand-ins for the cherubim in nativity imagery.
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Neil Allen - "Nativities I Love" - Neil shows a few favorites, explains the benefits of joining Friends of the Creche and talks about squirrels.
- Doug Cogburn - "Nativity Memories" - Doug shows us some of his favorite sets and recalls why they hold a special place in his collection.
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Cyndee Zbylut - "Some of my Favorites" - Cyndee shares highlights from her nativity collection.
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Fran Alford - "Seashell Nativities" - Fran creates beautiful nativities from seashells. She shares her inspiration and artistic process, with many examples of designs she has made in the past.
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Tony Conway - "Every Collection Needs a Catalog" - Toni shares her methods for cataloging her collection of 960 creches. Even small collections benefit from having an orderly list.
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Renae Bushman - "Fontanini: History, Setup, and More" - the story behind the Fontanini figures and the challenges Renee faced to set up a large Fontanini village display.
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Laura Kirkconnell - Sharing Nativities with Friends
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Diane Garding - The Hunt Is On: Tips for Finding and Buying Unique Nativities Online
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Helen Holder - The Small and Crafty in Minnesota
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Phil Garding - Tips for Taking Amazing Photos of your Amazing Nativities
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Neil Allen - The Nativities I Love: Ecuador Ama la Vida
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Michael Whalen shows us inside views of his AMAZING nativity collection
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John Marin shares treasures from his "still growing" collection
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Lori Amos (speaker at our D.C. Convention) offers more nativity insights
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Sydne Jongbloed gives an overview of the upcoming Annual Meeting in Los Angeles
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Jack Zenger shows the rare and beautiful Neapolitan Nativity from the collection of Holly and Jack Zenger (founding members of FOTC)
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Phil Garding demonstrates new and exciting member benefits on the FOTC website
Topics for Future Online Gatherings
We surveyed past attendees of Online Gatherings to know what topics they would like to see.
Here is what they told us:
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Presentations of nativity collections – 94%
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Presentation from artists who craft nativities – 83%
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Presentation from fair trade organizations who sponsor and/or sell nativities – 72%
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Tips for organizing a home or community nativity display – 56%
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Tips for cataloging a nativity collection – 56%
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Tips for selling or donating a nativity collection – 50%
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Tips for repairing nativity pieces – 44%
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Tips for building dioramas for displaying nativities – 44%
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Other suggestions: Presentation on history of nativity depiction
We are working to find speakers for these topics. If you would like present in a future Online Gathering, please contact us!