Good Shepherd United Methodist Church
As we went to Good Shepherd UMC to attend their Bethlehem Village, I must admit that I didn't know what to expect. When we got there, I was blown away by the effort put into transforming their school into what the city looked liked during the time of Jesus' birth. The hallways were covered with black paper and stars to resemble walking through a dark village. Each classroom was transformed by sheets and dim lighting to represent a different aspect of the villagers' way of life. We made rope, went to a music shop (crafted a paper plate tambourine), designed jewelery (beaded a bracelet), went to a bakery (decorated a cookie), played at a toy shop (made Baby Jesus from clay), visited a mosaic shop (decorated a box with jewels for Baby Jesus to sleep in), and ate at a farmer's market (a feast of fresh bread, grapes, and figs (Fig Newtons)). The night ended with the children's choir singing in the gym and a live nativity performance.
The boys are still playing with their Baby Jesus'. Cash will sweetly tuck him in and say "night night" and close the box. It was truly a wonderful night that I hope to make a holiday tradition.
