CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – This Christmas, take a step back in time with Hillcrest Baptist Church and the Bethlehem Experience. You can learn more about Bethlehem and the birth of Jesus as you walk in the City of Bethlehem, recreated at Hillcrest Baptist Church campus.
Lead Pastor, Scott Kennedy, spoke with Clarksville Now about the ideas that he and church members have been praying and working on since earlier this year. Kennedy said what began as a drive-thru or walk-thru Christmas story has grown into a walk-thru in the City of Bethlehem.
“Our goal, and our vison is that we want to drop people in, as close as we can make it, a representation of first century Bethlehem, the night Jesus was born. We want them to feel the bustling city because Caesar Augustus had called for the census,” Kennedy said.
Visiting The Bethlehem Experience is free, with more than 50 church members in period dress walking throughout the city. There will be photo opportunities, live animals, and Kennedy said they expect guests to spend around 30 minutes experiencing Bethlehem.
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Kennedy said that with colder weather in the forecast for the event this weekend, outdoor heaters will be provided for visitors to Bethlehem.
“We just want to reach out to our community, we want to reach out to the city, and we want our vision to go beyond that. We want to reach people with the gospel and reach people with the good news that Jesus came to pay a debt that we could not pay,” Kennedy said.
The Bethlehem Experience will take place Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 12-14 on the Hillcrest Baptist Church campus at 380 Dover Road in Clarksville. The production will begin at 6 p.m. and continue until 8 p.m. each evening.
To find out more about The Bethlehem Experience and Hillcrest Baptist Church, visit their Facebook page, or you can also call the church office at 931-647-8915.
| MORE: For more Clarksville things to do, check out the Holiday Fun Guide and the Clarksville Events calendar.