Girls from the congregation of Niantic Community Church fidget Monday evening while listening to the Christmas Eve family service from the church's choir loft. Using costumes made available to them, children from the congregation were allowed to dress as angels, kings, queens or wise seekers. At certain points in the service they also walked to the altar area to participate in the service.

The Rodes family, Dawn Rodes as Mary, holding Madeline Rodes, 6 months, as baby Jesus, and David Rodes as Joseph, sit outside Niantic Community Church in Niantic as a living nativity after the Christmas Eve family service Monday, Dec. 24, 2012. On hand for the nativity was a short horn ox and black baldy calf from Cranberry Meadow Farm and two Romney sheep and a mule from Christensen Farm both of East Lyme.