SPRINGFIELD – For their 40th year, Springfield area Baptists staged a play of the life of Christ in the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds. Held in early December, the play is a series of scenes of the life of Jesus Christ from birth to resurrection.
This year about 2,000 people sat in bleachers to see the scenes enacted. At the end of the three evening run, the organizers discovered there were 84 people saved and 133 who asked for prayer. Local church volunteers will follow up on each of these people to invite them to church and help them be baptized and ministered to in their community.
SPRINGFIELD – An angel announces the birth of Jesus Christ at the Springfield Live Nativity. Over 90 people from area Baptist churches work together to put on the pageant each December.
David Cotter, a member of the Crossway Baptist Church here was the co-coordinator of the event along with Wayne Garrison, the interim minister of music at First Baptist Church, Republic. Cotter told The Pathway it was a cooperative effort of many churches and volunteers. He said there are about 60 actors and 30 behind-the-scenes volunteers who make the play happen.
The story is narrated by Dave Taylor, who is the manager of a Christian radio station, KWFC. At the end of the scenes from the life of Christ, Brad Bennett gives an evangelistic talk and an invitation to receive Christ. He is the Missouri Baptist Convention Making Disciples director and lives in the Springfield area.
Cotter said this was a drive-through Nativity scene for many years, but in recent years they have moved to an indoor venue on the fairgrounds. They present the whole story of Christ in dramatic fashion with live animals, a stable, a cross, a tomb, campfire and a garden scene.
He said it is very moving when they show the tomb with Jesus in it, smoke pouring out of the tomb and dramatic music helping tell the story of the resurrection.
The props and costumes are stored in trailer trucks each year and brought out again each December. Cotter said they use about four trailers to contain everything which is stored offsite until needed the next year.
“Everyone (that attends) gets a treat, a tract, decision card, a pencil and sometimes a Bible,” Cotter said.
He added, “The outreach is done to see people come to Christ as Savior. It is all about Jesus Christ.”