KIRKSVILLE -- The Living Christmas Tree at First Baptist Church in Kirksville drew in about 1200 people over the weekend.

The service featured a choir and traditional nativity scene, as well as a play about a young couple trying to adopt a child.

The event is a large undertaking and required the support of more than one church, said Pastor Marty Joplin of First Baptist.

“Our choir is actually made up of a mixture of about 10 different churches.  We've opened this up so that churches, especially with smaller music programs, can participate.  And so it's just kind of a large community effort and we have 60 to 65 voices in the choir, so that really makes a nice, full tree,” said Joplin.

The church also collected donations from the event to go toward a local program that counsels unexpectedly pregnant women.