FROM BETHLEHEM TO BEAUFORT
Cornerstone Christian Church Christmas Walk
story by JENNIFER BROWN-CARPENTER
For the past 14 years, Cornerstone Christian Church on First Boulevard has spent almost half of the year planning and preparing for their yearly Bethlehem Walk. The 80 member church has over half of its members involved in the experience. These church members build the town, greet the visitors, provide snacks, play in acting roles, become tour guides, create costumes, and so much more.
Before the Bethlehem Walk, Cornerstone would put on an event each year called “The Holy House At Halloween,” where kids could come and meet characters from the Bible. They would also do a live nativity at the courthouse on Bay Street. A former church member decided to write a play about Bethlehem the night that the Christ-child was born, and so, the Bethlehem Walk was born.
They wanted to provide an alternative to going to see Santa for young children in Beaufort, and it became something that the whole family can enjoy. Their first Bethlehem Walk was 14 years ago.
The Walk started on a much smaller scale. The “town of Bethlehem” was just on one side of the church, next to First Boulevard. It was 125 feet from beginning to end. As you walked, you could see the street lights and the cars driving by. The church wanted to make the Walk more realistic and decided to rework things from beginning to end.
Now, the Walk begins in the church. Tours start every 15 minutes. During your wait, you will enjoy refreshments that are provided by church members. Your group will then be escorted to the “marketplace,” where your guide will tell you what you are experiencing that night. You will then be led into the town. “Bethlehem” spans over the 1-acre soccer field in the back of the church. The entire Walk takes 30 minutes.
On the Walk through Bethlehem, you will meet characters that could have been in Bethlehem the night that Jesus was born. They will interact with you and tell you their stories. You will see storefronts that have been built and designed that year. Black cloth separates each part of the town from the one before it, so you never know what is coming next.
The town is lit by tiki torches and fires that are burning, but there aren’t any other lights. They try and keep it as accurate to the time as they can. You won’t find any of the characters drinking out of styrofoam cups. And if you know any of the actors personally, don’t engage them in conversation about everyday life. They may even pretend not to know you to stay in character.
After walking through the town, you will meet up with the three wise men, and walk with them to the live Nativity. You won’t find live animals, because they have learned that live animals are hard to keep up with. You will be surrounded by complete darkness, and then, the Angel will appear all alight. You will experience chills over how real everything feels.
Patsy Greene is the theatrical mastermind behind the play. She has rewritten the original script, assigns the roles, and is, in general, the boss lady when it comes down to the Walk. She makes sure everyone knows their lines, combines roles if necessary, and makes sure the nights run smoothly every December.
Melissa Weber is the set designer and creates the town with the help of Pastor Ron Atkinson and a group of talented builders. The “town” is incredibly believable, even if it is just sheets of plywood turned into shops and inns.
The costumes are all designed by Kay Hinsley. She makes them from whatever she can find, old costumers, table cloths, valances. The church isn’t wealthy, and they make do with whatever they have. As Kay said, “We are a small church putting on a small production. We don’t do anything too fancy.” The costumes can be repurposed based on which characters are being rewritten and who has the most lines. The costumes all live in a closet in the church and are used for multiple events and projects throughout the year. The Walk is truly a labor of love for the church.
There are only three tour guides for the two evenings, so they are kept busy all night. Three church members work in the kitchen to keep the refreshments flowing, and a few help out at the registration table. Thirty of the members take on the acting roles. The Walk is free and takes place on December 13 and 14 from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.
The Bethlehem Walk will take you back in time and is a living, interactive experience for the whole family, as you visit the Christ-child on the night He was born. Make sure you visit this year and say hello to the Wise Men for us.
