There’s something about seeing the nativity story come to life in person, said Rita Bennett.
For the fourth year, Flint Baptist Church in Decatur is presenting “Christmas Alive” to its community. There are seven performances this year. The remaining nights include Dec. 13 and 21.
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“It’s an investment for our church but it’s a great thing to see people who are stressed take a short amount of time to focus and get some peace,” said Bennett, wife of bivocational pastor Wendell Bennett.
People come up and say, ‘We’ve never heard this story before,” she said. “It’s an investment for our church, but it’s a great thing to see people who are stressed take a short amount of time to focus and get some peace.”
People’s souls crave simplicity, she said. Coming to Flint’s presentation, she added, helps participants to slow down and witness a story that has been shared throughout time.
The church purchases scraps from the lumber yard to create not only the structure for its production but to help provide heat during each event in the form of fire pits.
New addition
This year, Flint added the temple Simeon was in, and each year Wendell Bennett records the narration for the presentation. They stay with the basic story from Luke and make changes each year to accommodate volunteers and abilities.
Flint Baptist runs about 150 people attending its worship service each Sunday. The church relies on members and volunteers for its community outreach efforts, including Christmas Alive.
“Our men and women build everything from the marketplace,” Rita said. The event is outdoors so heaters and fire pits are set up to help with the cooler evenings. The presentation begins with the children singing. With music, the dramatization lasts about 45 minutes. About 200 chairs are set up in front of the structure they built.
Mini-concert
There is a mini-concert at the end. This year, Ingram Franklin and De’Shaunna Parker will end the event, blending their voices in worship.
“There is the sweetest feeling to be under the dark skies, to feel like you are in Bethlehem,” Rita said.
Several ladies in the church prepare homemade hot chocolate and cider along with cookies to offer.
The show, which does include a few live animals, costs the church about $10,000 yearly and usually draws 600 to 700 people. While the church has used banners and yard signs to advertise, Rita said the best advertising results have been through Facebook and Instagram.
This year, Christmas Alive added a performance on a Wednesday night and encouraging local youth groups to bring their students for a fun group activity.
Outreach event
“Our church actually has grown through this event because people want to be involved in reaching out to the community,” Rita said.
Flint Baptist Church is located at 4119 Hwy. 31 S., Decatur, AL 35603.
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