As the search lights shine out across the barbed wire, the silence is broken by a lone voice singing Silent Night in German.

It sounds ambitious, but the poignant scene from Christmas Day 100 years ago that has come to signify the triumph of man’s spirit over adversity will be re-created inside a Maidstone church this weekend.

The design team at St Luke’s Church in Foley Street has spent the last three months creating an impressive display.

It comes with sandbags, a pair of serviceman’s boots and dozens of tiny trees adorned with cardboard crosses, just as the soldiers on the frontline had made in their trenches that cold Christmas a century ago.

It will even include a short football match in the church, with the English taking on the Germans, as they did in No Man’s Land, and there will be readings by ex-servicemen.

The idea is the brainchild of the Rev Chris Key, who has been at the church 15 months and was inspired by reading a book about the First World War.

He said: “They used wood out of the trenches and any trees they could find. It is incredibly creative, what was going on.

“It was very informal because the commanding officers told them off in some instances for doing it. In fact, there was an instance where they were ordered to fire on German troops shaking hands with the English – so they shot over their heads deliberately.

“There are just amazing stories. You realise that both sides were Christians and celebrating Christmas – but they were fighting each other. They realised that on Christmas Day. The sad thing is it didn’t last.”

The team, led by Shonagh Fick, will use gunfire and search lights at the start of their services tomorrow at 4pm and 7pm.

The congregation will walk through a trench scene, with sandbags, leaves and mud, into the church to find the trees with cardboard crosses and a display of memorabilia.

Mr Key said the story of the truce still had a strong message. “I think it is that Jesus can still bring peace today between nations if they let him, and also in people’s individual lives.” It is worth celebrating the good things – even in the midst of war.”