Community Corner

26th Annual 'Walk Through Bethlehem' at Kings Avenue Baptist Church

The Walk Through Bethlehem at Kings Avenue Baptist Church in Brandon is back for a 26th year. As in years past, the 2012 event is a reminder of the "reason for the season," as brought to life by congregants in their makeshift streets of Bethlehem.

 

For certain, it takes a lot of time, effort, money, resources, people and supplies to transfrom a slice of Brandon real estate into a makeshift town of Bethlehem at the time of the birth of Jesus Christ.

But this is missionary work, and these are people who belive in the reason for the season, so much so that they take it as their Christian right and duty to "spread the word."

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And so, in the spirit of the season, and with all the aplomb of die-hard community theater veterans, the Walk has never skipped a year since its first-year run at Kings Avenue Baptist Church in Brandon in 1986.

"Definitely, God's hand really is on this," said congregant Ken Stravsavich, last year, as she prepared to play the role of the wine maker.

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The Walk starts after the visitors sign in for the census, then enter the gates of Bethlehem as they're being berated by Roman guards for being "lowly Jews."

Each group of guests then proceeds through the makeshift village, stopping along the way to hear from the tax collector, salt makers, bread makers, townspeople, the teacher in the synagogue, the scribe, the metal workers, the carpenters, the cloth dyers, the cloth weavers, the potters, the woman at the well, three wise men bearing gifts and more.

Each year a newly born baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lays in the manger, with Mary and Joseph keeping watch.

The Walk ends with scences of three crosses erected in a field and of a stone rolled away from an empty tomb.

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2012 Walk Through Bethlehem At Kings Avenue Baptist Church In Brandon: Dec. 6-9

  • The remaining dates are tonight, Saturday, Dec. 8, from 4 to 10 p.m. 
  • Also, Sunday, Dec. 9, from 4 to 9:30 p.m.
  • Admission is free.

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RELATED COVERAGE:

  • Kings Avenue Baptist Celebrates 24th Annual Walk Through Bethlehem


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