Mount Paran Christian School Hosts Second Annual Christmas Nativity and Lighting of the Great Tree
On Wednesday, December 1, Mount Paran Christian School hosted its second annual MPCS Family Christmas on the school campus.
Out-of-doors activities included a live nativity, presented by the preschool; live musical performances by MPCS student performers; several hot chocolate stations; family gingerbread house decorating stations; and a self-guided tour of trees decorated by various grade levels and school departments. The highlight of the event was the lighting of the Great Tree, with a reading of the Christmas story by Head of School Dr. Tim Wiens.
The Christmas trees for the tour were purchased in support of MPCS Christian Life ministry partner, Calvary Children’s Home, which is a stable place for children in the Metro Atlanta area who need to live apart from their families. Proceeds from the live Christmas tree sales support the Calvary Children’s church and home activities, as well as special trips and programs throughout the year.
New this year, families were encouraged to share the joy of Christmas by contributing to “giving trees” on campus. MPCS collected new socks and gloves to benefit MPCS ministry partners MUST Ministries and 7 Bridges to Recovery. In excess of 300 items were donated.
Kim Kuhlman, Parent Teacher Fellowship vice president and mother of three students at MPCS, shared, “There is no better way to kick-off the Christmas season than to spend an evening in fellowship with our community. Everything from the live nativity to the grade-level trees to the gingerbread house event showcased what makes MPCS so special. It was evident that the countless hours of work by our volunteers was truly a labor of love for our community to celebrate the birth of our Savior.”
Drivers on Stilesboro Road can view the lights of more than 20 grade-level trees that adorn the campus as well as the historic cabin. Each grade level chose its own theme, with students crafting the ornaments. Older students were tasked with the challenge of developing weather-resistant ornament ideas that fit their grade-level theme.
Prizes were awarded for tree decorating themes:
• Best of Show – Senior Memories
• Most Spectacular – Candyland, PK4
• Funniest – The Grinch, Middle School House Chara
• Most Student-Created – Woodland Creatures, First Grade
• Most Spiritual – Sons and Daughters of the King, Transitional Kindergarten
• Best Theme – Snow, Kindergarten
The idea for the MPCS Family Christmas was born in 2020 as an “out-of-the-box” way to safely fellowship during the COVID pandemic, but it has grown to quickly become a school-wide favorite way to embrace the biblical significance of the Christmas season.
A “Tour of Trees” is hosted on the Mount Paran Christian School campus during the school’s annual Family Christmas event in December. The “Senior Memories”-themed tree was awarded the “Best of Show” prize at this year’s event. 
Dr. Tim Wiens, Head of School at Mount Paran Christian School, reads the Christmas story at the second annual MPCS Family Christmas event before the lighting of the Great Tree.
• Friends
Sisters Olivia Grace Stafford and Eloise Stafford, both lower school students at Mount Paran Christian School, decorate gingerbread houses at the MPCS Family Christmas event. 
At the MPCS Family Christmas event, Morgan Fagan and her mother decorate gingerbread houses together. The event has become a family tradition. 
Ruby Clayton, a lower school student at Mount Paran Christian School, decorates a gingerbread house at the MPCS Family Christmas event with her mother. 
At its annual MPCS Family Christmas event, Mount Paran Christian School families donated new socks and mittens as part of the school’s “Giving Trees” to benefit MUST Ministries and 7 Bridges to Recovery. Hundreds of items were donated. 
Preschool students at Mount Paran Christian School perform a live nativity during the school’s Family Christmas event. 
PCS preschool student McKenzie Overbeck admires in awe the Great Tree at Mount Paran Christian School during the MPCS Family Christmas event. 
The Great Tree on campus at Mount Paran Christian School is visible to drivers on Stilesboro Road in Kennesaw. 
At the second annual MPCS Family Christmas event, attendees took part in a self-guided “Tour of Trees,” with each grade level and various departments of the school decorating themed trees. The Christmas trees for the tour were purchased in support of Mount Paran Christian School ministry partner, Calvary Children’s Home, which is a stable place for children in the Metro Atlanta area who need to live apart from their families. Proceeds from the live Christmas tree sales support the Calvary Children’s church and home activities.
About Mount Paran Christian School
Mount Paran Christian School, the largest private Christian school in Cobb County, is a non-denominational, college-preparatory school for students in preschool age three through grade 12. MPCS is committed to excellence in academics, award-winning arts, and championship athletics, all within a Christian environment with small class sizes. Founded in 1976, MPCS is fully accredited (SAIS/Cognia) and located near Kennesaw Mountain on a 68-acre collegiate-like campus. Providing academic excellence in a Christ-centered environment, MPCS unites with home and church to prepare servant-leaders to honor God, love others, and walk in truth.
