So why in the world does he keep going back to that “church?”
Maybe it’s the church his parents attend, and so he goes to services with them when he is visiting.
The teaching value of the train engine escapes me, especially in the context of Christmas. Do the pastors think their congregation couldn’t understand a simple sermon - just in words! - about the birth of Jesus? (Hint: There are some relevant words about this event in the Bible!)
So he'll have something to write about.