ST. LOUIS, KANSAS CITY, SPRINGFIELD – Churches in three Missouri cities are offering the gospel message of Christmas to people in their urban settings. The Christmas activities include dramas, music, cookies, decorations and an opportunity to process the gospel story.
Christmas celebration in St. Louis
In St. Louis nine churches are gathering in the North County region for a united Christmas celebration on Dec. 21. Calling it “North County Christmas,” organizers say it is a Christmas singing and preaching event at New Jerusalem Baptist Church, Ferguson. It begins at 7 PM. New Jerusalem pastor Alonzo Adams is working with Pastor Raymond Cabello of the Cross Keys Baptist Church, Florissant, to offer their communities a great evening of worship.
They have partnered with 9 churches who have provided funds for a total of $900 in Visa gift cards to be offered to families that evening. They are canvassing their areas with invitation flyers and hope to have a large contingent of the community come together for Christmas songs and a message about Jesus’ birth.
Pastor Cabello said they serve diverse communities with many ethnic groups represented, and they want people of different cultures to come together to appreciate different ways of worship and celebration of the Christmas story. He said, “The downtrodden neighborhoods, including just a couple of blocks from New Jerusalem, are in need of hope. We want to use this event to spread some joy of Christmas. We just want to say, ‘Here’s a little gift to spread some Christmas cheer.”
‘Road to Bethlehem’ in Kansas City
In Kansas City, the Red Bridge Baptist Church is opening their facilities to the community to tell the gospel story in a drama called “Road to Bethlehem.” Co-organizers Molly Clayton and Karen Kahn have arranged a drama which is told in several rooms of the church with guides taking small groups of people through the building.
They start in the Old Testament with enactments of Eve and her son Seth discussing the fall into sin. It continues with Isaiah discussing a coming redeemer, David and Nathan talking about disappointment and failure. Then Ruth and Naomi talk of the coming Messiah. And of course the story of Jesus’ birth is portrayed including the angelic announcements and the shepherds coming to visit Jesus with his earthly parents, Mary and Joseph. Serving Christmas snacks and drinks in a concluding session gives an opportunity for questions and discussion of the Gospel.
Clayton said, “It was important to us to give as full a picture of the narrative of Scripture in the span of 45 minutes.” She said the play has 24 actors, and it is viewed by about 800 people in four performances in early December.
Red Bridge Baptist is in the southern part of the K.C. Metro area and is led by Pastor Victor Borden. They hold this performance every year.
Springfield ‘Journey to Bethlehem’
In Springfield, the South Haven Baptist Church holds a walk through drama called “Journey to Bethlehem.” It was held on Dec. 3. They held it outdoors on their 10-acre property near the downtown area. Pastor Ryan Palmer said they began the drama in 2020 as a response to the pandemic and the desire of people to hear and see the gospel in an outdoor setting.
He said people walk through the nativity scenes in groups. They see Roman soldiers, live animals, tax collectors, angels, shepherds as they experience the nativity of the birth of Jesus. Outdoor fires light the pathway as people walk by the dramas being portrayed. Palmer said they conclude with a discussion about the cross and the message of salvation.
“We take a little dramatic license,” he said of the portrayal of the events. He added, “We see this as a ‘first step’ for people to experience the gospel. Of course many who go through are from area church groups as well as members of the South Haven congregation. But he said they often see people coming to Christ and joining the church later on in the year who say they first attended when invited to go through the Journey experience.
Palmer has been the pastor at South Haven for 15 years, starting out as a church intern first.
So the gospel story is being told in urban churches across Missouri’s cities. The pastors and church leaders who are putting together these events are hopeful that people will see the message of Jesus’ birth and discover new life in Him.