Most audience members watching a church’s Christmas play, pageant or musical may not realize the months of preparation and dedication it takes to stage such a production. But often for choir directors and others involved, the happy faces and changed hearts of an audience make all the time and energy worth it.
While Christmas productions are staged in December, rehearsals can start months ahead of time — usually in August or September. The literature selection and other planning stages may actually begin soon after the previous year’s production is completed.
At Lakeview Baptist Church, Auburn, in Tuskegee Lee Baptist Association, rehearsals begin in September. According to Director of Childhood Ministry Patty Chance, the process to get a Christmas production from September to December is a lengthy one.
“You have to find a production staff, which usually includes a director, costume coordinator, stage manager, choreographer, prompter, props person and assistant director,” Chance said. “Then you have to work within the busy schedules of the children during this time of year.”
Auditions and rehearsals for this year’s production at Gardendale’s First Baptist Church in North Jefferson Baptist Association also began in September, but the planning stages got under way even earlier than that.
“This has really been a full year of prayer and preparation to get ready,” said Judy Bates, a church member and author of the Christmas play.
Efficient planning has been essential since the production is being staged as a joint venture between the children’s and music ministries and involves more than 600 people — approximately 300 in the children’s choir, 150 in the youth choir and 200 in the adult choir. And that number doesn’t even include the orchestra.
Bates said all the necessary elements of a production require a lot of energy and time from a variety of staff members and volunteers. These elements can include planning sets, determining wardrobe selections, selecting music to fit within the drama and producing different forms of advertising to reach the community.
With musicals produced and sold by LifeWay Worship Music Group, churches receive what is called a “dovetailor” to help them organize the planning stages.
This includes a checklist and suggested time frame for specific steps, said LifeWay Project Manager Alyssa Goins. “It has rehearsal plans, music activities, spiritual activities, early arriver activities, tips and clues on rehearsal techniques, audition information and costume and set ideas,” she added.
Goins said she usually recommends 12 weeks of rehearsal but that preparation can take six months or more.
No matter the size, preparing a Christmas production is a special undertaking that results in oftentimes unknown dividends.
For Chance, satisfaction comes in making a difference in the lives of the children participating and reaching out to the community.
“Giving children a focus on Jesus, our Savior, at Christmastime is important,” she said. “Done with the right heart, Jesus is honored.”
Bates said the seemingly endless amount of work can sometimes get in the way of the rewards but she knows the production will be meaningful.
“We won’t really know this side of heaven, but already seeing the drama come to life through the cast members’ rehearsals has been wonderful,” Bates said. “Our goal is in no way to just entertain but to cause believers to reflect on their spiritual maturity and witness and unbelievers to realize their need for the Savior.”
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