Roseburg Bethlehem
Boulevard Event

December 12-14, 2008

by Vienna Adams

The Apostolic Faith Church in Roseburg, Oregon, presented an event called “Bethlehem Boulevard” to around 250 people on the evenings of December 12, 13, and 14. Bethlehem’s busy streets were brought to life as they would have been in Jesus’ time, and the church building was transformed into some of the various sights one would have seen while traveling through Bethlehem during the time of Jesus’ birth. To prepare for these few nights in Bethlehem, church members began making and setting up props months in advance. Most of the walls were covered with brown paper painted to look like bricks, and the marketplace was decorated with stalls for the merchants. Nearly every church member was used as a character in the event, and everyone pitched in to convert the church building into the city of Christ’s birth.

The tour began with refreshments and a warm welcome by church members dressed in robes and headdresses. Visitors were given a few coins to spend during their tour, but were warned to save one for the census-taker. The visitors were then divided into groups led by tour guides, who emphasized the need to find a young couple who were about to have a Baby that would be named Jesus. As the guides interacted with the citizens of Bethlehem, the tours became much more personal and meaningful for the visitors. The period costumes worn by all the cast gave a feeling of stepping back in time as the visitors proceeded downstairs into a land of palm trees and mud-brick walls.

The first stop on the journey through Bethlehem was at the census-taker’s table, where all were required to give a coin, sign the registry, and pledge loyalty to Caesar. The next stop was at the well, where several women residents had stopped to visit. The women spoke of how they came to collect water every day, and when asked by the guide, replied that a young couple named Mary and Joseph may have been by, but to inquire again at the Temple. The visitors then moved on to a Jewish home, where a family was going about their daily tasks. The family members conversed with the visitors, explaining their various jobs and how life was for them.

As the group proceeded to the area where the Temple was, they saw children playing games by the side of the road. In the Temple, they heard Scriptures prophesying the coming of Jesus, and they learned a few facts about the Jewish Temple during that time. After passing through the Temple, visitors entered the marketplace, where musicians played their instruments, sellers yelled out the value of their merchandise, and buyers argued over prices. Visitors also witnessed a thief being seized by a Roman soldier and dragged away. A potter had set up shop at the end of the marketplace area, and several children molded clay nearby. The potter reminded the visitors that they are like clay in God’s hands, and He is carefully working on each one.

The group was then instructed to visit nearby shepherds who might have information about the young couple. As the visitors moved outside, they saw live sheep and the shepherds huddled around a fire. They witnessed the angels coming to the shepherds and telling them of Jesus’ birth. While the shepherds rushed off to find the Baby, they told the group to see the innkeeper regarding the young couple. As the visitors approached the inn, the innkeeper declared there was no room for them. When pressed by the tour guide, he told of a husband and wife who had both received visits from angels, and the woman was soon to give birth. The guide excitedly asked where they went, and was told to try the stable. As the group entered the stable, Mary and Joseph could be seen with Baby Jesus. The couple told how this Baby was the Son of God, and the Savior of the world. While the group was there, the shepherds came to visit the Baby, and a young girl brought water to Mary and Joseph. After the young girl sang a song to the Baby Jesus, visitors were led to a wooden cross, where the tour guide concluded the Nativity story with the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection, encouraging the visitors to give their hearts to Jesus that night if they had not done so.

The response from visitors was overwhelmingly positive, especially the children who loved the imaginative visit to Bethlehem concluding with the excitement of finding Baby Jesus at the end of their tour. With such a good reaction from the public, a similar presentation is planned for next year, and the Roseburg church members are excited to continue improving their methods to portray the reality of Jesus’ life.