Broadway’s Walk Through Bethlehem
By Sherri Blevins
Rome was not built in a day, and it will take longer than that for Broadway Baptist Church to build a replica of the City of Bethlehem on their church property. Why would they do that? Mountain Valley News (MVN) spoke with Broadway’s Youth Minister, John Prose, to find out about Broadway’s Walk Through Bethlehem.
Prose, a native of Florida, described an upcoming event named “Walk Through Bethlehem,” which he first experienced while growing up there. Prose has been the youth pastor at Broadway for almost five years and serves along with his wife Kelsey and daughter Nora. He wanted DeKalb County to experience the same vivid representation of the meaning of Christmas that he had while growing up in Florida.
He explained what the event is, “Walk Through Bethlehem is a chance to walk through a representation of the birth city of Jesus the week he was born. It gives us a chance to show people what everyday life was like in Bethlehem at that time. They will smell the smells of campfires and animal stables as well as freshly baked bread, fish, and meat markets. People will witness the cruelty of the Roman Government, and they will experience interactions with city vendors and citizens as they go about their jobs and explain to visitors their trade. Most importantly, people will experience the excitement, joy, anticipation, and hope that Jesus’ birth brought to some people and also witness the depravity of others.”
Walk Through Bethlehem is a three-night event. On December 6 – 8, from 6:00 pm until 8:30 pm, approximately 200 people working to make the event come to life will welcome visitors from all around the area to experience life in the City of Bethlehem and view a drama highlighting the major events in the life of Jesus. This is an outdoor event for the entire family. The admission is free. Groups of ten or more might want to call the church office in advance to reserve a spot. Broadway’s number is 256-638-4219.
MVN asked Prose about the preparations required to host such an event. He stated, “First of all, the church had to be willing to take a step of faith to undertake the event. Many hours of prayer have gone up for the event. So far volunteers have spent the last two months building the city, sewing and acquiring costumes, props, and the other items needed to bring the city to life. People are working on memorizing lines for the drama. Walk Through Bethlehem will require about 100 people to operate the city, 30 people to perform in the drama, and about 30 additional people working inside the church to welcome and entertain visitors while they are waiting to enter the city.”
Prose also explained why people should visit Bethlehem. He said, “If you have forgotten the meaning of Christmas or never really understood the meaning of Christmas, Walk Through Bethlehem could be an eye-opening experience to see what Christmas was meant to be about, the intended purpose of it, and help you gain a better understanding of why we celebrate Christmas. It will add more to your holiday season than busyness, shopping, and holiday bills.”
