If you are able and wish to do so, you can sign up for all three nights. However, you may wish to share duties with friends from church to cover the three nights. We just need to know where and what you wish to do. We hope that you will participate during the actual event as well as help with construction and other needs as well. If you know where you would like to participate or have a specific question, email us at tal5418@aol.com
Core Group
The purpose of the Core Group is to function as a team to make sure the specific purpose of Bethlehem Revisited is fulfilled. They will provide overall leadership for specific Station Managers who will look to them for guidance with regard to personnel, materials and activity. Each member will have specific responsibility and authority over several stations and station managers to ensure that each station is adequately staffed and the purpose fulfilled
One member of the Core Group will be the Treasurer of Bethlehem Revisited 2021 with responsibility to oversee the disposition of donations toward expenses and maintain accurate records.
The Core Group will maintain responsibility for the BethlehemRevisited.info web site and the Bethlehem Revisited 2020 Group Facebook page and abide by the state and IRS guidelines of a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
Station Managers
The purpose of the Station Manager position is to provide leadership for a specific function or activity of Bethlehem Revisited 2021, receiving guidance from the specific Core Group member responsible for their area of activity. The Station Manager will also aid in recruiting participants for their activity and guide them to purposeful fulfillment of their specific activity. Each station has a clearly defined purpose.
Role Playing Participants
All of the participants of Bethlehem Revisited 2021 will recognize that the main purpose is to lead attendees to the manger and no other function or activity is more important. It is imperative though, that each participant endeavor to be as real and authentic in their role as possible, knowing that their involvement will lead to a successful journey to Bethlehem. There is no intention to have canned dialog as the goal is to make the journey as real for each person as possible.
Behind the Scenes Participants
Every participant behind the scenes who contributes in some way to the success of Bethlehem Revisited 2021 is as equally important as those who meet the attendees in a role. Whether it is greeting the families as they arrive, serving them in the hospitality area, making costumes, helping with construction, distributing tickets, providing materials or just baking cookies, every person involved will be part of the success of the event.
Station: Ticketing
The purpose of this station will be to distribute tickets to sufficiently fill each designated time slot. While tickets will have no charge, the personnel in this group will make sure that all ticket holders understand the format and logistics of the event at the outset. The Core Group will direct the number of tickets distributed for each time slot for each presentation evening. It is anticipated that participating local churches will be responsible for distributing tickets for the Thursday evening event and a general public offering will take place for Friday and Saturday nights. Public distribution will take place the Monday after Thanksgiving. 2-4 people
Station: Publicity
The purpose of this station will be to coordinate public announcements about the event with communication to and through various media outlets and local churches. 2 people
Station: Transportation/Parking
This station will be responsible for overseeing the buses/drivers required for a successful event. It will also include the oversight of parking on premise at the Northway hub with a clear understanding of event logistics to move attendees efficiently and safely. 8 – 10 people
Station: Greeting
The purpose of this station will be to initially greet all of the attendees and form them into “family groups” of about 15. The family groups will be given traveling papers by the village scribe as part of the coordinated process to prepare the family for the journey. Timekeepers will be part of this station. 10 – 12 people
Station: Guides
The purpose of this station is to provide each traveling family a pair of guides who will facilitate the journey from station to station. This interactive position, particularly of the lead guide, will require enthusiasm, outward emotion and an intuitive ability to gauge the “personality” of the family quickly in order to provide the best journey experience possible. They will need to anticipate and reinforce every event and activity along the way knowing that the ultimate goal is to effectively prepare the family for the manger scene. Each guide pair will ultimately develop their own effective style and dialog with their families.
16 sets, 32 people
Station: Nazareth
The purpose of this station is to introduce the families to Joseph and Mary who are preparing to leave for their journey to Bethlehem in spite of Mary being “great with child.” 2 -8 people
Station: Soldiers
The purpose of having soldiers is to ensure that all members of the family have traveling papers and to maintain a specific “presence” at numerous areas of the journey: on the road, at the census tent and in the village. Preferably men and the minimum age will be 18. 5 – 8 people
Station: Wisemen
The purpose of this station will be to have the family introduced to the purported meaning of the bright star by men from the east who have been following it for a long time. These men will typically provide a similar dialog to each family group that will explain who they are, why they are following the star and display an interest in the requirement for the family to be counted and taxed. 3 – 5 people
Station: Shepherds
The purpose of this station will be to have several shepherds tending a very small flock of sheep, having been raided by the soldiers. They will commiserate with the family regarding having to make the journey and agree that the Messiah needs to arrive to save the Hebrew nation, expressing a desire for a “sign.”
3 -5 people
Station: Angels
The purpose of this station is simply to announce the good news of the Savior’s birth in the city of David. There must be at least one angel with a loud speaking voice to make that proclamation and all angels must be able to sing well.
5 – 8 people
Station: Prophets
The purpose of this station will be to have “prophets” interact with the family and question them about what they have seen along their journey, then read from the scrolls to substantiate what has been seen and heard so far along the journey.
3 – 4 people
Station: Census Tent
The purpose of this station will be to collect the tax and count the men in the family. There will be soldier(s) present and sufficient haggling over the tax, but all papers will be required to be stamped at this station. 3 – 4 people
Station: Village
The purpose of this station will be to provide as realistic an area as possible for the family to enjoy the sights and smells and sounds of what they may have encountered in a small village of that day. Basket weavers, candle makers, carpenters, bakers, sellers of cloth, spices, foods and even a butcher with fresh roasted lamb along with a corral for animals and a jail for miscreants is desirable.
30 – 40 people
Station: Inn
The purpose of this station will be to interact with the innkeeper to discover that there is no room available and that a young couple is even out in the stable they are so crowded. 6 – 8 people
Station: Manger
The purpose of this station is the ultimate purpose of Bethlehem Revisited: introduce the families to the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. 6 – 8 people
Station: Hospitality
The purpose of this station will be to greet the families as they return from Bethlehem and offer them refreshment, interaction and a chance to make a donation. Steady movement through this area is a requirement. 12 – 15 people
Station: Trail
The purpose of this station will be to provide a well lit, cleared trail for all travelers with safety as a priority. 2 – 3 people
Station: Animals
The purpose of this station will be to provide all movement to and from the designated areas the animals will be in and their proper care; feeding and watering, etc. It will be desirable to have sheep, goats, donkeys and a cow.
2 – 4 people
Station: Costuming
The purpose of this station will be to facilitate all participants to have appropriate costumes, distributing and maintaining the collection of existing costumes and providing instruction on how to make them. 2 – 4 people
Bethlehem Revisited 