ORRVILLE — In the small town of Orrville, one church has a tradition of decorations that would draw envy from churches twice its size.

Through the years, Orrville Baptist Church member Jewell Williamson, who is a member of a church committee that coordinates the decoration efforts, said they collected different items so that each display offers something new.

“We try to do a variety of magnificent figures,” she said. “We do a lot with different nativity scenes, because that is our main focus. We have many different scenes we can use and every Sunday we have a different theme. It all centers around the nativity.”

The figures used to decorate the church are the products of a continued collection effort through the years, Williamson said. People from the church donate and members of the church purchase build items, and other additions when they see something that would be a good fit.

The displays, Williamson said, generate interest from the community because there is a different theme and look every week.

“It gives people something to look forward to,” she said. “They wait with anticipation to see what the next Sunday is going to bring. Some Sundays we have beautiful gold figures, but we have a different look just about every year.”

The displays include live poinsettias and greenery collected from the community. The committee is compsed of Williamson, Nell Frasier and eight other volunteers, including pastor Stephen Rutherford.

“It is something we feel like our church can do to offer, honor and praise to the one the season is all about,” Williamson said.

Feedback from the displays has always been positive, Williamson said, which makes the process all the more rewarding.

When Christmas has come and gone, Williamson said it is time to start thinking about the next year’s display.

“We usually have it down by the first week of January,” she said. “We’ve already got some items for next year that are in storage. We’re always thinking about the next year.”