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What a great
event! The Night in Bethlehem is now history, and so many people deserve special
thanks—from the building crew; set designing; costumes; volunteer time given by so many church members, etc. etc. You know who you are—THANK YOU!
Here are
some pictures from our 2010 Night in Bethlehem.
"By order of his Royal Majesty,
Emperor Caesar Augustus,
it is decreed that all citizens in the world,
and their property, are to be counted by census.
Therefore, let each person and every family come for
"A Night in Bethlehem" to be counted according to law.
All Donkeys must be tied on the south side of the building and
enter through the proper gate.
Each family will be registered upon entry.
The market will be open to stroll through.
All census registering will take place on the date, time, and place shown below.
Date:
December 10th and 11th
Time:
Friday 5:30 - 8:30pm and
Saturday 1:00-5:00pm
Place:
Unity Hill United Church of Christ
364 White Plains Road
Trumbull, Connecticut
203-374-8822
Unityhillucc@snet.net
Those found disobeying this law to appear, will be sentenced
to a holiday season without the true spirit of Christmas.
So let it be written. So let it be done."
Emperor Caesar Augustus
Unity Hill UCC’s Fellowship Hall will be transformed into the
Little Town of Bethlehem on
Friday, December 10 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. and
Saturday, December 11 from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
during our churches second
“Night in Bethlehem” event.
We will be recreating the night Jesus was born
with a lively marketplace full of people in Biblical dress,
food from Biblical times, games, a bakery, a perfume shop and so much more.
The event is free and open to the public.
Everyone is invited to visit our “Night in Bethlehem.”
Volunteers are needed for the booths for both nights.
"A NIGHT IN BETHLEHEM"
The Night in Bethlehem
is almost upon us so we’re
sending out this Question
& Answer list to answer your
questions, and in hopes
that you’re willing to join us in
making this event a
success. It is a glorious reflection of
what Unity Hill United
Church of Christ can accomplish
with hard work, great
volunteers and a wonderful dream!
What is
the Night in Bethlehem?
Night In
Bethlehem is when we turn our entrance way
and friendship
hall into Bethlehem the night Jesus was
born. Giving our guests a true experience that night by
creating….
The Bethlehem
Village Entrance
Building excitement
long before our visitors actually
sees the shops and smell
the baking bread! As guests
approach our building,
they'll hear festive music and the
buzz of a bustling village.
The Registration
Station
This is where the Census begins,
then on to a photo of
each family
or group -- then we’ll mail it to them for a
surprising
follow-up! This is when they’ll receive the
first piece
of the wooden manger set which they
complete
by visiting all the shops in the hall.
The Marketplace
Shops
Welcome to an unforgettable
experience -- exploring the
busy Marketplace in Bethlehem. Here, guests might
learn rope and sandal
making, taste something from the
bakery, make their own
perfume … and more! Each
experience helps guests
better understand what life was
like when Jesus was born.
The Nativity
Seeing Mary and Joseph welcoming Jesus. What a remarkable reminder of God's
amazing love for us!
How can you help A Night in Bethlehem?
In
addition to dressing up and having fun, there are certain roles needed to be played by all ages at A Night in Bethlehem. Here are some for which we hope you will consider signing up!
Shopkeepers
There are 5 shops being created for this event. Adults
will be guided by the Night In Bethlehem committee on
the support each individual shop will need. It will
consist of – dressing in the times – light
performance
work – and a smile.
We’ll need our kids to walk around
in costume too!
They will be handing out food samples,
greeting the guests and helping in the shops – we
hope
they are excited to join in the fun.
Registration
We need enthusiastic and outgoing volunteers
to be our
greeters. Help is needed to keep the registration and
photo processes
running smoothly. As visitors enter the
church
they will be greeted by a census taker where we
will gather
their address information then proceed to a
photo taking
area - this photo will be sent to them as a
thank you
for joining us at A Night In Bethlehem.
Actors
Volunteers
are needed to make energetic shepherds, thundering soldiers, and chatty citizens of Bethlehem.
We need people to meet and greet incoming families and direct them through the busy village.
How long
should the program last?
A Night
in Bethlehem consists of 5 shops plus the
Nativity
scene. Add time for registering with the Census
Taker and
snapping a family photo. If each family
spends
only 10 minutes at each spot, they'll need about
one hour. As stated above A Night in Bethlehem will be
on Friday,
December 10th from 5:30—8:30 pm, and on
Saturday, December 11th from 1:00—5:00 pm. This
should allow plenty of time for people to experience the
excitement of Bethlehem.
List of
What We Will Need From Our Congregation
In order to set up the market place and the Nativity
scene, here are some of the props we will need to make this a wonderful event for all!
Everything will be returned. Use your imagination and if you come up with
other authentic looking things just let us know! If you or anyone you know
has some of these things please see Criss or Marion Gaetano. Keep in mind the
whole scene will be a market place in Bethlehem on the night that Christ was born. Thanks everyone!
Terra-cotta pots - all shapes and sizes
Artificial trees or tropical plants
Old leather sandals
Rocks - large and medium size
Old wood work tables that can be easily moved
Old rugs
Lace cloth
Canvas tarps
Old tools
Old ropes
Torch-like candles - we use them outside in summer for keeping bugs away
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Straw - if you decorate for Halloween and Thanksgiving
please save your bales of hay |
Straw - if you decorate for Halloween and Thanksgiving please save your bales of hay
Here are some pictures from 2009's "A Night in Bethlehem"
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