Carlisle, United Kingdom – The Belle Vue and Raffles Community Churches of the Nazarene, in Carlisle, held their first major joint event, The Bethlehem Experience, on 17-19 December, 2010. The event brought the Christmas message to the community in a new way by challenging people to ask themselves, ‘Who am I worshipping this Christmas?’ About 170 from outside the churches attended.

The Bethelehem Experience is a twist on the traditional “living nativity” concept. In a living nativity, church members dress as biblical characters and re-enact scenes from the Christmas story. The Carlisle churches took this further to link Christ’s birth with His later resurrection.

In the main hall, visitors heard first-hand stories from actors playing the parts of the angels, shepherds and three wise men. The visitors then moved through to the stable area, expecting to see a manger scene with Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus surrounded by animals.

Here’s where the twist comes in: Instead of the usual manger scene, they saw an empty stable with an empty manger in the centre and a cross casting a shadow over the entire stable area.

The churches wanted to portray the message of the connection between Christmas and Easter.

“People were initially confused as they had never made that connection,” said Barrie Thomas, senior pastor of both churches. “So, this was a great opportunity to share with them the actual truth of the Christmas story. This link between the incarnation and the atonement was a powerful message. It was a connection that surprised them, for it was unexpected and so the message of Christmas was made all the more real to them.”

The event required a significant commitment from most of the churches’ members; half of them staffed the event.

The Belle Vue church – the chosen venue – was completely transformed into a street scene from Bethlehem. Roman guards manned the entrance and census point; a money changer exchanged sterling for shekels. The fabric sellers, carpenter shops, craft stalls, spice sellers and beggars all mingled on the journey to the inn, where visitors could sit down for a meal.

At one point, there were so many people eating in the inn, that innkeeper Gyula Fiak was able to say “There is no room in the inn!’’

“What made The Bethlehem Experience so exciting is that we were able to very blatantly tell the Gospel story,” said Jennifer Blake, pastor of the Belle Vue church, who played a villager with a baby at the inn. “People often won’t attend a Sunday morning church service, but they will come to an event like this.”

Blake was encouraged that some mothers attended with their young children during the day and returned in the evening with their entire family.  Many people associate church only with its Kids’ Club or Mums & Toddlers programs. This event gave her the opportunity to speak with the whole family, including fathers, who rarely participate.

The two churches came together in August to plan the event. They had seen it done on a larger scale in bigger U.S. churches, but were unsure if it would work for two small churches. They eventually decided to give it a try.

Sheila Foster, a seven-year attendee of Raffles church, served as a waitress in the inn where biblical figures mingled with the visitors. Foster loved experiencing first-hand what it was like when Jesus was born. She invited several family members; for many of them, it was their first time attending church.

“We got a chance to get away from the toys and presents and figure out the real meaning of Christmas,” she said.

Alison Lindsley, enjoyed the children activities in “Bethlehem.” She used to attend church when she was younger, and now, as an adult, enjoyed experiencing the story of Jesus. She came with her two daughters, Libby, 2, who attends Mums & Toddlers, and Chloe, 14, a former Youth Club attendee.

During the Christmas season, the churches rarely get the chance to witness to so many people on a one-on-one basis. Here, when the visitors reached the stable, Thomas personally witnessed about the truth of the Christmas story and how it interlinks with the whole story of God.

“Preaching is not the same as a conversation,” said Thomas. “This event set the scene for one of the most productive Christmas periods we have ever had.”

About 50 of those who came to the Bethlehem Experience returned with other family members for the Christmas Eve Carols by Candlelight service.

Kirsty Ward, whose 4-year old son, Niall, attends Kids’ Club, was so impressed by the event that she brought her mother to the carols service. Afterward, Niall started mentioning “Jesus” and “Bethlehem” at home. Ward said he had learned about it at school, but this made the Christmas message real to him.

Youth Pastor Jonathan Blake, who played the centurion, was thrilled to see four young people enthusiastically portray Roman soldiers.  Two of the youth involved do not attend worship services, only the youth clubs.

The community’s positive response has encouraged the churches to hold The Bethlehem Experience again. A public school and a Catholic school asked them to host it during the school year so the school can bring groups of children.

For Blake, the event didn’t just bring in the community; it brought the two churches together.

“When we were all sitting around and chatting, it finally made us all feel like a family,” she said. “Towards the end we forgot that we were in costume and it was exciting to have this newly formed church family reach out to our community.”

 

 

{loadposition user2}