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Date: 11/20/2018
HAMPDEN – With Christmas around the corner, Bethlehem Church is starting to spread the holiday spirit with the return of their live nativity Christmas celebration, “A Bethlehem Christmas”. This year will be the second time the church has hosted the celebration, and they are looking forward to spreading the true meaning of Christmas to the community once again.
With around 200 volunteers from their church community, the live nativity celebration will make viewers feel like they have stepped into first century Bethlehem. Guests will be embarking on an interactive and engaging tour of the church’s recreation of old–time Bethlehem. There will be shops, townspeople, shepherds and all kinds of excitement for viewers to see.
“With our name being ‘Bethlehem’ it just seems natural for us to put on this event!” Commented Pastor Brian of Bethlehem Church. He added, “We are very excited to see how this year goes, were still new at this!”
Due to the overwhelming support and interest from the community last year, Bethlehem has decided to add a third day to accommodate everyone who wishes to see the nativity celebration. Last year the event was so popular that around 1,500 people come to see the nativity tour. This year, to prevent long wait times, the church has removed some stops from the tour. With this fix they are hoping to shorten the wait time for guests. The dates of “A Bethlehem Christmas” will take place at Bethlehem Church, located at 123 Allen St. in Hampden on Dec. 7 from 6 to 8 p.m., Dec. 8 from 4 to 7 p.m., and Dec. 9 from 2 to 4 p.m. The tour through Bethlehem takes roughly 45 to 50 minutes. Admission is free, however the church is also accepting non- perishables for local food banks and the Springfield Rescue Mission.
For more information on “A Bethlehem Christmas” visit, http://www.bethlehemhampden.org/Christmas or call the church directly at 566-5572