walk through bethlehem - its free - baptist church GIFT to the public - donations are not permitted
Featured are over thirty live scenes and over one hundred characters in a reenactment of the town of Bethlehem at the time of Jesus’ birth including Biblical events leading up to and following the birth of Jesus.
In Western North Carolina Observers drive-thru the streets of old Bethlehem while listening to the story on CDs provided by the cast. Those folks wishing to participate are provided costumes and allowed to walk through the streets and interact with the characters. Refreshments are served to all in the church fellowship hall. Admission, refreshments and costumes are provided free of charge. Thousands of people make the Drive-Thru part of their families’ traditional Christmas celebration each year. Folks from Florida to Maine and California to the coast of Carolina have participated in our presentation in Christmases past.
The Bethlehem Christmas events were featured on the cover of USA Weekly for the Christmas Season 2008.
In Florida its a WALK THROUGH, THE ACTORS interact with the small groups as they walk through and try to get you to talk as well and be part of the production. EVERYTHING IS LIVE, people in the production bring their animals. cows, pigs, rabbits, soldiers on horseback. ITS AMAZING!
outdoor Christmas event where guests experience what it was like in a busy Bethlehem marketplace,” (its very smokey, from the incense and from things "cooking")
“Visitors meet the census taker upon their arrival at the wooden doors to the "city of bethlehem" and then are greeted by shepherds and escorted into the city in small groups and Roman soldiers on horseback who monitor the groups "watching for thieves" they claim. Its a guided tour visiting small, open tarp-covered shops in the marketplace and the guide and shopkeepers are dressed as though its bethlehem 2000 years ago and have memorized lines as well as improv with each other and the people in the groups who are touring the city — a pottery shop, a toy shop, a carpentry shop, homemade breads, lentils, incense and salt shops and boarding house, at the very end is a stable for animals, however, inside instead is a weary, couple and their LIVE baby newborn.
There are live animals behind corals inside the city, and smaller animals rabbits, baby goats, baby pigs, baby chickens are carried into the church for children and adults to pet, while waiting their turn to enter the city.
The groups are escorted and led by a lit torch, there are torch lights along the city streets of bethlehem as well as the only source of light.
At some of the re-enactments Guests are given ancient coins when they get to the village so they can pay the tax collector, and they’re warned not to give the coins to the beggars who will be wandering through.
Every half hour, a bell will ring and all of the children will coming running out and start singing songs - Hebrew songs that would’ve been sung back then.”
All of the Bethlehem actors are members of the Baptist Church, and this is one of their largest community outreach events of the year. Visitors are invited to speak with and ask questions of the “shopkeepers” as well as of the actors playing Mary and Joseph.
We arrived at 6:00 to a packed parking lot and got our tickets to go in. Even with early arrival we were in group 17 and waited an hour before being called to enter the city. The church provides GOOD entertainment, church singers, adult groups and child groups. Excellent. On monitors, the numbers of the group going into the city and two other groups waiting comes up on the monitor.
Fortunately, we had sub sandwiches and juice in the car (dumb luck actually), so we left for a bit, ate the subs and returned. It rained during our tour and was a bit chilly, so the groups kept walking into the staged shops to stay out of the rain (we were told to do that). The tour ends at a back gate and door and back to civilization....a normal walkway to fellowship hall and much needed hot chocolate, coffee, tea and cookies. you are NOT permitted to give money as the entire extravaganza is the church's "gift" to the public/merry christmas kind of thing.
baptists always do a great show, and this is definitely one of their best. usa today featured something about this in 2008 with photos.
In Western North Carolina Observers drive-thru the streets of old Bethlehem while listening to the story on CDs provided by the cast. Those folks wishing to participate are provided costumes and allowed to walk through the streets and interact with the characters. Refreshments are served to all in the church fellowship hall. Admission, refreshments and costumes are provided free of charge. Thousands of people make the Drive-Thru part of their families’ traditional Christmas celebration each year. Folks from Florida to Maine and California to the coast of Carolina have participated in our presentation in Christmases past.
The Bethlehem Christmas events were featured on the cover of USA Weekly for the Christmas Season 2008.
In Florida its a WALK THROUGH, THE ACTORS interact with the small groups as they walk through and try to get you to talk as well and be part of the production. EVERYTHING IS LIVE, people in the production bring their animals. cows, pigs, rabbits, soldiers on horseback. ITS AMAZING!
outdoor Christmas event where guests experience what it was like in a busy Bethlehem marketplace,” (its very smokey, from the incense and from things "cooking")
“Visitors meet the census taker upon their arrival at the wooden doors to the "city of bethlehem" and then are greeted by shepherds and escorted into the city in small groups and Roman soldiers on horseback who monitor the groups "watching for thieves" they claim. Its a guided tour visiting small, open tarp-covered shops in the marketplace and the guide and shopkeepers are dressed as though its bethlehem 2000 years ago and have memorized lines as well as improv with each other and the people in the groups who are touring the city — a pottery shop, a toy shop, a carpentry shop, homemade breads, lentils, incense and salt shops and boarding house, at the very end is a stable for animals, however, inside instead is a weary, couple and their LIVE baby newborn.
There are live animals behind corals inside the city, and smaller animals rabbits, baby goats, baby pigs, baby chickens are carried into the church for children and adults to pet, while waiting their turn to enter the city.
The groups are escorted and led by a lit torch, there are torch lights along the city streets of bethlehem as well as the only source of light.
At some of the re-enactments Guests are given ancient coins when they get to the village so they can pay the tax collector, and they’re warned not to give the coins to the beggars who will be wandering through.
Every half hour, a bell will ring and all of the children will coming running out and start singing songs - Hebrew songs that would’ve been sung back then.”
All of the Bethlehem actors are members of the Baptist Church, and this is one of their largest community outreach events of the year. Visitors are invited to speak with and ask questions of the “shopkeepers” as well as of the actors playing Mary and Joseph.
We arrived at 6:00 to a packed parking lot and got our tickets to go in. Even with early arrival we were in group 17 and waited an hour before being called to enter the city. The church provides GOOD entertainment, church singers, adult groups and child groups. Excellent. On monitors, the numbers of the group going into the city and two other groups waiting comes up on the monitor.
Fortunately, we had sub sandwiches and juice in the car (dumb luck actually), so we left for a bit, ate the subs and returned. It rained during our tour and was a bit chilly, so the groups kept walking into the staged shops to stay out of the rain (we were told to do that). The tour ends at a back gate and door and back to civilization....a normal walkway to fellowship hall and much needed hot chocolate, coffee, tea and cookies. you are NOT permitted to give money as the entire extravaganza is the church's "gift" to the public/merry christmas kind of thing.
baptists always do a great show, and this is definitely one of their best. usa today featured something about this in 2008 with photos.
Replies
This sounds absolutely specatacular. What an amazIng idea! I\'d love to be a part of something like that. They may have similar things up North here, but I haven\'t heard of them. We have many mega displays of Christmas lights and music at people\'s homes... but nothing like you are talking about here!!
Thanks for the info!!!
last year some of the women who volunteer at the catholic church across the road from us, were commenting on it. it IS great. it costs the church $25,000 to put the show on. they were saying, HOW CAN THEY AFFORD IT? if it had been a catholic show, they would have a brown basket at each station, especially by the food. lol. the church across the street only has ONE free event with food each year, and nowadays breakfasts are free though some of the churches are posting breakfasts for a price because the free ones end up being more like missions that provide free food. i went to one of those and didn\'t like it. totally different than the ones where they collect donations at each post.
it cracked me up though, i kept thinking the whole time, when are they going to ask for money. then you read your brochure and it says donations are NOT permitted. the show is a gift. that is lovely. hope it continues working out for them. beautiful.
This is amazing. Oh I so wish we had a church here that would do this type of thing. I am sure people would volunteer and it could be done. I am not very religious but I shall mention this to some people and see about next year. I would love to visit this some time too. Thanks for sharing with us.
Good times for sure!!
Hi friend. :) i am so delighted that you and your family enjoyed a wonderful time, going to the church, and enjoying the Christmas display, lights, and the nice festivities. :) Your writings brought me right there with you all in spirit. :) i picture the wonderful excitement, and festivities you wrote about. :) Thank you for sharing with us. :) my family and i are thinking of you all, our dear friends :) wishing you all a nice peaceful week. :) it\'s grea to see you writing. :) my family and i send our love, many peaceful blessings, and warm friendship hugs, from our home to yours. :) Take care, have a peaceful day :)