ANNA — Anna United Methodist Church will present its annual Children’s Christmas Pageant on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016, at 10:45 a.m. Children ages 3 through fifth-grade will be singing and sharing the message of the Christmas season.

This year’s pageant, “The Next Leon,” is the story of Leon, who is again the center of the action, only this year, he, having matured from the simple state of understudy, is directing the Christmas pageant. He has grand and lofty dreams, and expectations for the program. However, the closer the cast gets to opening night, the more wildly overstated and ridiculous Leon’s ideas become — and more importantly, the more the program becomes all about Leon’s initiative instead of God’s miracle at Christmas.

The musical takes an a-ha bend when, the night before the performance, one of the little girls in the cast gets sick and cannot fulfill her role as one of the lowly sheep in the stall. All of the kids in the cast tell Leon that he has to play the part and that no one else can. Leon is defiant about having to play such an insignificant role–especially having to kneel. Then, he suddenly realizes that humble worship is exactly what a person’s response should be at Christmas and all lifelong.

Anna United Methodist Church is located at 201 W. North St. Everyone is welcome to attend the pageant.

For further information, contact the church office, 937-394-2441, or visit www.annaumc.org.