FUMC holds first Walk Through Bethlehem

Published 11:30 am Monday, December 15, 2014

To help celebrate Christmas, Milledgeville First United Methodist Church has decided to have a Walk Through Bethlehem Dec. 18-20.

Former pastor of the church, Dr. Jay Hodges, had seen a small version of the Walk a few years before and suggested to church members that it may be something the church would like to do, said Steve Gilbert, a church member involved with the production.

“We had a 15-member committee that met in January to discuss doing it,” Gilbert said. 

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After church members agreed they would like to do the Walk Through Bethlehem event, they contacted Shirley Hills Baptist Church in Warner Robins because that church held a Walk for the past 14 years.

“They felt so strongly about the mission that they came to the church and spent a day talking about it, what to do and some pitfalls to avoid,” Gilbert said. “It was very helpful to have them come because they had done this before.”

During the Walk, community members will meet in the sanctuary of the church while waiting for a guide to take them through the city of Bethlehem.

“There are about 12 stations, and each time you come to a station, people will have interactions with the vendor,” Gilbert said. “In a conversation between the guide and the vendor, part of the story is told, and it builds as you go through the marketplace.”

Eventually, people will meet a woman at the well who says that there is no room at the inn, and by the end of the Walk, an angel will tell participants that the savior has been born, and the they will meet Mary, Joseph and Jesus.

Gilbert said the Walk takes between 20 to 30 minutes.

“We will have four fire stations as well where Roman soldiers have a fire so that people can stop and warm their hands. Hopefully the weather will be good to us,” he said.

Gilbert said the church plans to have hot chocolate and cookies available for participants after the Walk.

Nearly 65 actors from the church have signed up to take part in the event, and at any given time, there will be about 50 people performing. Because it’s a three-night event, some actors will relieve others at different times during the program.

Many other members of the church have also decided to help with the Walk. Gilbert said 25 to 30 men have come to the church every Saturday to help construct the set of Bethlehem, and many ladies of the church have come together and sewn 70 costumes from fabric.

“The real blessing is working closely with these folks because you get to know them better and build bonds you’ve never had before with church-goers,” Gilbert said. “It seems like when you do put forth an effort, you get so much more back for the little bit that you do. That makes it all worthwhile.”

The Walk is free and open to the public. While the church plans to have a basket available for people to make donations to help offset the cost of the event, no love offerings will be taken.

“If someone feels they want to make a donation, they should be able to. There is no requirement of a love offering, but a lot of people want to pay back when seeing something like this,” Gilbert said. “We’d like that, but this is really a Christmas gift for the community, so we’re not asking for any type of admission charge.”

Gilbert said although this is the first time the church is putting on this event, members plan to make it a yearly production complete with animals.

Because of the way the set is being constructed, church members will be able to dismantle and store it and then reassemble it the next year.

One of the reasons the Walk Through Bethlehem production has been successful at other churches is because it is a personal and interactive experience. Participants will actually walk through a portion of the ancient city of Bethlehem, Gilbert said.

“It’s been a real pleasure to be a part of it, and we look forward to doing it for many years to come. I hope we have a great turnout because I think people will enjoy it and get a lot out of it,” Gilbert said. “It helps to spread the real reason for the season. We feel like it’s going to be a wonderful gift for the community.”

Gilbert said all the work has been a labor of love for the church, and church members are excited to be able to present the Walk to the Milledgeville community.

The three-night event will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18, and Friday, Dec. 19, and from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20. The Walk will be held on the church grounds, located at 366 Log Cabin Road NE, Milledgeville.