Lake Union Herald - Find Him at Bethlehem

Over a thousand visitors are expected for the fourth annual outdoor Christmas pageant at Wisconsin Academy (WA). This year’s pageant—coordinated by Bonnie Peden, girls’ dean—is scheduled for December 6 and 7.

Under the cool December sky, people enjoy the sights and sounds of their journey to Bethlehem as they walk through twelve Biblical scenes, which are positioned all around the campus. Students in costumes made by Bonnie Peden depict the Bible characters.

“We have almost 100 percent of our students involved in the drama or the music,” explains John Thomas, school principal. One week before the event, local radio stations and newspapers advertise the program. “It has definitely become a popular Christmas experience for families,” John explains. “Our guests come from many religious backgrounds. They bring their children, grandparents, and neighbors, and many come back every year.”

Live animals are brought in “on loan” from neighboring farms to make the shepherds’ scene and the manger scene more realistic. “The first year we didn’t have a good system for keeping the sheep corralled, and we had quite a time keeping up with their antics,” John remembers. While guests wait their turn to take the trip to Bethlehem, the school’s music department and other music groups entertain them with the Christmas message in song.

In a thank you note to the school, Paul and Bob Sachse wrote, “Many are blessed by the students’ enactment of the Christmas story. We brought our family, and the children were wide-eyed by what they saw.”

Admission to the Christmas pageant is free. “We want to remind the community of the true meaning of the season,” states Principal John. “It’s also our way of giving the community a Christmas present and letting them know who Seventh-day Adventists are.”

Sue Rappette is the administrative assistant at Wisconsin Academy.

Great Lakes Adventist Academy (GLAA) hosted a Bethlehem Walk on December 8, 2001. Over 400 parents, students, and faculty experienced the birth of Christ in a new light as they volunteered their time and talents to make this a success. For the second year in a row, students have been blessed by sharing with others the real meaning of Christmas.

“When a man came to Michelle Boothby, GLAA senior, with tears in his eyes saying what a blessing this was, I knew God had blessed, and that was the whole point,” said Jay Oetman (GLAA ’02).

Several students had the responsibility of being tour guides. Chama Benton, GLAA senior, said, “I loved being a tour guide. It was so fun interacting with the people and the actors.” The tour guides escorted their groups around to different sites. Each stop represented something that was taking place around the time Christ was here on earth.

Visitors met their tour guides in the chapel where they saw angels watching as Jesus gave His crown, scepter, and robe to His Father. It was time for Him to come to earth as a baby to save humanity.

As the trip continued, visitors had to watch out for lepers and robbers on the way to King Herod’s palace where they watched a scene between Herod and a centurion. The next stop was in the field with the shepherds. There they heard first hand the story of the night the angels sang.

Ramey Sylvester, GLAA senior and one of the shepherds, said, “I smelled like smoke, and my feet were frozen, but I had a warm heart and a whole lot of fun.”

The hustle and bustle of the marketplace was the next stop. Merchants selling pottery and the sound of sheep, goats, chickens, and ill-tempered Roman soldiers filled the air. Visitors could visit a tax collector, a synagogue, an inn, or be put in prison.

The beggars were also a big part of the experience. Grace Banks (GLAA ’02), who acted the part of a beggar, stated, “This year’s Bethlehem Walk was a huge inspiration to me.”

The second to the last stop was the nativity where visitors saw Joseph and Mary with baby Jesus. Sophomore and junior Bible teacher, Travis Culver, who played the role of Joseph, stated, “It was nice to see the little kids light up when they saw baby Jesus. It was awesome to be a part of something that blessed others.”

The final stop was the empty tomb where Mary Magdalene told her testimony about her Savior that is now alive. The Bethlehem Walk was a blessing to both those who took part in it and those visitors who walked through it.

by Ramona Trubey and Ron Kelly

"Wait for us; we want to come too!"The childish voice rang out clearly in the cold night air. These travelers were of the tribe of Onan, and they listened intently as the Magi spoke of their attempts to find the Savior.

The touring group moved on to watch the angel choir singing in the night sky. One bright messenger brought good tidings of joy to the shepherds. The family of Onan could hear the excited chatter of these keepers of sheep as they made haste to go and visit the Christ child. Everyone followed in growing anticipation.

They came to an inn where a tired and gruff innkeeper assured the group that no baby had been born in his inn that night. His wife interrupted to inform him that an expecting couple had sought refuge, but ended up in the barn. The group then proceeded to the stable where they found Joseph, Mary, and the newborn baby. The wise men delivered their gifts to the child. The donkey and little lamb expressed their feelings vocally. The group was entranced with the scene.

Over 1,100 people experienced the journey through Bethlehem on the nights of December 8 and 9, 2001, at the Cicero (Indiana) Church. Many hours of preparation went into this re-enactment. In the village, the wood carver, the story teller, the seller of scents, the weavers, the scribe, the candle makers, and the market place were visited by all our guests. The village center was full of children playing and beggars begging. Thankfully, the lepers and demoniacs were kept outside of the town. Each visitor was given a cup of lentil stew from the bubbling pot over the open fire in the village. The census takers recorded everyone passing through and separated them by tribes. The scribe made out their passports for safe passage on the journey. The town crier called each tribe to ready themselves for the rigors of the trip. The sounding of the trumpet signaled their departure.

(Click on picture to view full-size image)

The months of work put into making authentic costumes and constructing props have been a tremendous blessing. A church that works together with a common mission is drawn together as a family.

The community responded with great appreciation. The best promotion is now word of mouth from those who have made the journey. For many it has become a family tradition. Numerous community neighbors have volunteered to help manage traffic, loan us live animals, and do all they can to help this re-enactment.

We have no baptisms to report as a result of this work, but we have grown in unity and good will with the community. This is only one of our efforts to reach people for Christ. We trust God to make the increase. Over 140 members are working together in one way or another, finding joy in sharing this ministry with our community.

Ramona Trubey is the Cicero Church communication leader, and Ron Kelly is the Cicero Church pastor.

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Find Him at Bethlehem

Three Lake Union academies host walk through Bethlehem (from the December 2002 issue)

Three Lake Union academies host walk through Bethlehem
(from the December 2002 issue)