Sacred Heirlooms

Nativity Collections Tell Stories of Faith, Family and Artistry

Writer Joseph J. Airdo // Photography by Loralei Lazurek

On a quiet evening last Christmas season, Connie Kozma found herself transfixed by a Hallmark movie scene — not the predictable romance, but a brief glimpse of a community Nativity tour. She rewound the segment repeatedly, studying the displays, imagining the stories behind each carefully arranged creche. The idea wouldn’t leave her alone.

“I thought to myself, how wonderful it would be to kick off the Christmas season at our church with something similar,” Kozma recalls.

That moment of inspiration has blossomed into Desert Foothills Lutheran Church’s inaugural Nativity Tour, where on Dec. 3–4 more than 50 sets — some inherited across generations, others collected from distant corners of the globe — will transform the church into a gallery of faith and artistic devotion.

The event represents more than holiday decor. It’s an invitation into the intimate spiritual lives of North Scottsdale families, where porcelain figures and hand-carved wood become vessels for memory, tradition, and the enduring story of hope born in a humble stable.

A Wedding Gift with Weight

Jacque Edwards remembers her mother’s hands arranging the three Lladro figures — Joseph, Mary and the Christ child — surrounded by small silk poinsettia flowers each Christmas. But the story begins earlier, in the 1960s, when her parents traveled to Valencia, Spain.

“My grandmother had given my mother some money for the journey, instructing her to buy something special for our family — an heirloom to pass down through the generations,” Edwards says.

During a day excursion to the Lladró Factory, then a small company years before it would sell to the American market, her parents discovered the Holy Family set. The company had recently introduced a revolutionary porcelain firing technique creating soft pastel colors on white figurines — blues and tans that would become the brand’s signature.

“My mother was particularly drawn to the elongated silhouettes and the simplicity of the colors and faces,” Edwards says.

Over the years, her mother added the remaining figures — shepherds, angels, animals — completing the scene. When Edwards married, her mother gifted her the entire set, along with wisdom that has shaped her life.

“She reminded me that a strong marriage — and life itself — must always have Christ at its center,” Edwards says. “Every time I set the Nativity out on our table, I remember that conversation and the meaning behind this treasured heirloom.”

The annual ritual of unpacking the set carries its own sacred choreography. First came the gentle reminder to wash hands before opening boxes. Then the careful unwrapping of tissue paper. Edwards’ childhood role — placing the baby Jesus figure in his bed on Christmas Eve — created anticipation that an Advent calendar helped sustain.

“The very first holiday decoration we put up each year was always the Nativity creche, and we made it a tradition to attend Mass on the day it was set out,” Edwards says.

The evening concluded with her mother’s special dinner, always ending with Edwards’ favorite creme brulee, followed by drives through neighborhoods singing Christmas carols.

“I always tear up whenever I hear ‘Silent Night’ — it was the song we loved to harmonize to most,” Edwards says.

The set has survived remarkably intact. One shepherd required a head reattachment — the repair so subtle it’s barely noticeable. Edwards’ children and grandchildren love seeing it, whether in family photos or during visits. But despite plans to eventually pass it to her daughter, Edwards isn’t ready yet.

“For now, I just can’t bring myself to part with it,” she says.

Carved Memories from Oberammergau

Gwen Shaneyfelt’s Nativity scene never leaves display. The hand-carved wooden depiction of the Holy Family from Oberammergau, Germany, resides year-round in her curio cabinet, moving near the fireplace only from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day to claim its central role in holiday decor.

Shaneyfelt purchased it in 2000 while attending the Passion Play in Oberammergau — a small town renowned for master woodcarvers and its tradition of performing the Passion Play every 10 years since 1634. She traveled with her mother shortly after her father’s passing, making the journey both pilgrimage and memorial.

“Now that both of my parents are gone, it serves as a cherished reminder of them and the faith they passed on to our family,” Shaneyfelt says.

The piece captivated her immediately — the detailed expressions on the Holy Family’s faces, the intricate carving above them representing both stable and star. Its beauty lay in simplicity, in the way skilled hands had coaxed meaning from wood.

“I was drawn to the beauty and simplicity of the piece,” Shaneyfelt says.

Unlike collections that emerge only for the season, Shaneyfelt’s Nativity maintains a constant presence, a daily reminder of faith and family woven into her home’s fabric.

The Soul of Isabel Bloom

When Patty Wendel unwraps her Nativity each Christmas, she unwraps a piece of Iowa heritage. The set connects her to beloved Midwestern artist Isabel Bloom and to an artistic legacy rooted in the Great Depression.

Growing up in DeWitt, Iowa, Wendel lived surrounded by artistic influence. Bloom and her husband John had both studied at the Stone City Art Colony in Stone City, Iowa — an artists’ haven founded by Grant Wood, best known for “American Gothic.” Wood established the colony during the Depression to help artists continue creating during challenging times, and his passion for regionalism inspired many New Deal public works projects.

“I was fortunate to meet Isabel in her later years, when she was still spending time in her studio in Davenport, Iowa,” Wendel says. “Even then, her love for her art radiated from her as she spoke about the process of designing and creating new pieces.”

Bloom’s work celebrates everyday beauty — playful children, gentle animals, scenes from nature. Her unique concrete-casting process, hand-finished to resemble weathered Victorian bronze, gives each piece timeless charm. The Nativity set reflects this distinctive style: simple yet profoundly expressive.

Those who knew Bloom described her as gracious, imaginative and intensely creative — a true original who lived by her own advice: “Know what you want and follow it.” She balanced art, family and a successful sculpture business while remaining an active supporter of the Quad-Cities art community for more than 60 years. She believed true art should possess a heartfelt, honest quality — a “soul” — a belief evident in every creation.

“Each Christmas, when I carefully unwrap my Nativity, I feel as though I’m unwrapping a piece of my Iowa heritage,” Wendel says. “With every figure placed — the Holy Family, the animals, the shepherds — memories unfold of Christmas Eve children’s programs, snow-dusted evenings and the comforting traditions that make this season so special.”

From Private Devotion to Shared Wonder

The tradition Kozma has launched transforms these intimate objects into community experience. After approaching her pastors with the concept for the first evening of Advent, she received an encouraging “yes.” She then recruited close friend Barbara Floyd to help brainstorm and plan.

“Our vision is to inspire attendees to leave with a renewed sense of wonder at the birth of Christ Jesus and the miracle that God our Father brought to the world by giving His only Son to save us,” Kozma says. “We hope that the atmosphere and ambiance of the evening will move those who don’t yet own a Nativity set to acquire one and make it the centerpiece of their home decorations.”

Organizing the event has brought unexpected joy. As Kozma explained the concept and invited participation, she heard story after story: origins, special features, ages of cherished sets.

“The response has been nothing but positive and motivating,” Kozma says.

The importance extends beyond aesthetics or tradition. In a community where people often remain isolated despite physical proximity, sharing personal Nativity scenes becomes a way of sharing the story of Christ’s birth while building authentic connection.

“This event provides a way for the community to get to know each other better and truly come together,” Kozma says. “My long-term hope is that this event becomes just one of many initiatives designed to bring our community closer together.”

She envisions the tour becoming a “must attend” event, inspiring people to bring family and friends to experience the Advent evening and the joy of Christmas together.

As visitors move from display to display during Desert Foothills Lutheran Church’s inaugural Nativity Tour, they’ll witness not just artistic diversity but the universal human need to make sacred stories tangible, to pass faith from one generation to the next through objects that endure. In an era of disposable culture, these carefully preserved heirlooms testify to what matters most: the stories we tell, the faith we carry and the love we pass down through time.

Nativity Tour

Dec. 3–4 // 5–8:30 p.m. Wednesday // 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Thursday // Desert Foothills Lutheran Church // 29305 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale // Free // 480-585-8007 // dflc.org