If Molly the donkey feels obstinate, a miniature pony is waiting in the wings as understudy. But most other elements of the St. Francis United Methodist Church of Cary's Live Nativity tick along like clockwork, according to coordinator Lore Gottberg.

About 300 people are expected to view the Nativity, complete with a barn, hot cocoa, recorded story of Jesus' birth and a fire for the shepherds to gather around when the evening turns cold.

Gottberg works with Mary Holloway, who initiated the event, and Bobbie Summers, to pull off the live show. Gottberg explains the challenges and rewards of the live event.

Q: Why does St. Francis UMC coordinate this event each year?

A: It's meant to bring out the family. I think, especially for children, it helps them visualize the story. For everyone involved, it's an opportunity to get a spiritual connection and get into the meaning of the season.

Q: How many roles do you have, and which animals are involved?

A: We have about 20 roles, with the youngest children starting out at 8 years old. They need to be able to sit quietly, and younger than that there's a "wiggle factor." They serve as youth angels and shepherds. We also have shepherds and angels at the middle-school level. Many girls aspire to become Mary when they get to high school, and high school boys can sign up to be Joseph. For adults, we have three wise men, adult angels and shepherds.

Sometimes we get Molly the donkey, because one of our church members has children who own a farm. But when the donkey doesn't want to come, we get a miniature pony. We have a "shepherd" who tends to it.

And this year, we might even have a live baby! One of our members is a proud grandmother ... but we'll have to see how the weather works out.

Q: How does the weather affect the Nativity, since the people are all outside?

A: The weather may dictate the number of viewers. But we have only had to move it inside one year. I think there was a chance of icy weather.

Q: Have you ever had anything unusual happen in the years that you've been involved?

A: Occasionally, we've had the audio stop, when it's especially windy. Or the donkey or horse might be feeling particularly vocal and start braying or neighing. You might see a little angel step out of character now and then to say, "Mom, I'm really cold."

There is such a big effort behind the scenes; lots of people are working in the background to make this happen. I think that, spiritually, the Live Nativity brings a lot of meaning to people.