Believers’ Fellowship Hosts 10th Annual Christmas Festival & Live Nativity
by James Coulter
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
This is the Christmas story as told in the Gospel of Luke. It is the story that was told through a live nativity as presented at Believers Fellowship Church last Friday and Saturday evening.
For the past six years, Believers’ Fellowship of Lakeland has hosted its annual Christmas Festival and Live Nativity for the local Lakeland community. The centerpiece, of course, is their live nativity telling the Biblical account of Jesus Christ’s birth.
This year’s performance was framed around two grandparents telling the Christmas story to their grandchildren, with the story reenacted from the angel appearing before Mary to the Three Wisemen arriving to meet the Baby Jesus.
The Christmas Festival offered free food and fun throughout the evening. Attendees could register and receive a punch card to obtain free food including hot dogs, chips, hot cocoa, snow cones, and popcorn. They could also participate in festivities including hayrides, campfire smores, and craft making.
Jon Friedt, Pastor of Believers’ Fellowship of Lakeland, has been hosting the event for the past six years. Their intention is always the same each year: to offer fun activities to the local community and to spread the “good news” about the original Christmas story. More than 500 people attended the first evening on Friday, Friedt said.
“Our main purpose is to tell the real meaning of Christmas and the most important outcome of that is to give people the opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of their life,” he said. “I love to see people be touched by the power of God, to see the nativity story, and to recognize that Christmas is about Jesus, it is moving to see people’s lives change.”
