Trinity-area church re-creates nativity city

It practically takes a village to raise a village. Just ask the multitude of volunteers from Hope United Methodist Church who have spent the past five weekends building their own private Bethlehem for the church's annual Christmas food drive extravaganza.

It takes that long to turn an open field into a miniature Judean town, complete with an outer wall, a marketplace, temple, stable and of course, the birthplace of Christianity.

On this fifth weekend, a couple dozen volunteers were out bright and early unloading and setting up truckload after truckload of furniture and other props that would bring the maze of plywood walls to life for one of West Pasco's most highly anticipated holiday traditions.

Hope United Methodist Church, 2200 Little Road, will present its annual "Experience Bethlehem" 6 - 8:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, through Monday, Dec. 7.

Nobody can quite remember if this is the ninth or 10th year that the church has staged the Cecil B. DeMille-sized event, said Nancy Burden, one of the head organizers for the event. After a while the productions have blended together.

"We start each year in July," Burden said. The five weeks of construction are more like a final countdown that draws in hundreds of participants. During that stretch, while the city takes shape, church members sign up to play the roles.

The hardest person to cast is baby Jesus," Burden said. They look for a baby who's 4 or 5 months old. "And of course, the mommy has to be Mary, but we can give her a new husband."

All told, a cast of about 130 actors are needed, plus about another 60 volunteers to work behind the scenes. Given that most volunteers don't work every night, Burden estimated it takes about 300 volunteers to make "Experience Bethlehem" happen.

To the thousands who have seen the display, that number may not sound surprising. For others, it might make them wonder just what this "Experience Bethlehem" is all about.

The name pretty much says it all. Rather than a simple nativity scene, guests are invited to feel like travelers who've followed a star to the Biblical city. When guests arrive, they are kept in a waiting area until Roman soldiers guide them to the start of the tour.

The first stop is the "tax collector." There is no admission cost, but guests are encouraged to bring nonperishable food items.

Once the voluntary tribute is paid, guests are led past two vignettes in which Mary and Joseph are each visited by angels who tell them they are to be the parents of a savior.

Then they reach the gates of the city, where the emersion really sets in. Once inside, the "census taker" asks the travelers where they have arrived from.

One of the next things they encounter is a band of minstrels. Much of the entertainment is geared at children, explained Susan McElveen, one of the creative forces behind the event. There are boxes full of tambourines, and children are free to play along.

After that, they can stop at the "moneychanger," who will give them a bag full of "sheckles" to spend in the town marketplace, starting with the spice shop.

"We actually have frankincense and myrrh for them to smell," McElveen said.

They can tour the food market, the gold and jewel merchant, the bakery and the wine shop. At each stop, they can pick up little trinkets to remind them of the tour.

Children age 8 and under can also ride a Roman Style chariot - pulled by high school students. They can also watch a traditional family as they go about their evening at home.

Every 15 minutes or so, Roman troops will march through the city, just to remind everyone who's boss.

As they wind their way through the city, they will come across the tent of the Three Wise Men, and Elizabeth, Mary's cousin, who is also searching for her. They can stop at the inn at which Mary and Joseph were turned away.

Finally, guests will come across the Nativity, set in a cave on the outskirts of town. Nearby, there is a prayer wall at which guests can write their own prayers, as about 3,000 did last year, Burden said.

The event itself helps answer the prayers of local families in need. Last year, 5,720 people attended Experience Bethlehem, donating 6,210 pounds of food, which all goes to Volunteer Way and The Salvation Army.