‘Come To Bethlehem’ Celebrates the True Reason for Christmas

Westminster Presbyterian Church (WPC) in Middletown, NJ presents its popular, family-oriented, holiday event on Saturday, December 7 from 1-3 p.m. Come to Bethlehem, WPC’s annual gift to the community, focuses on the true reason for the holiday season. It invites visitors to enjoy a hands-on, Holy Land experience by exploring the city of Bethlehem, learning about customs from Biblical times, and hearing the story of Christmas.

Once again, the WPC Campus will be transformed into Bethlehem to help visitors experience what life was like in Jesus’s birthplace. In Harlan Hall, you’ll find the wool dealer, the spice dealer, the carpenter shop, Hebrew school, the food market, and the olive oil dealer. This year, Bethlehem welcomes the stargazer to the Village for a celestial look at the Heavens. Children and adults are encouraged to interact with the villagers and participate in activities and crafts and sample foods reminiscent of Jesus’ time.  Mary and Joseph will be arriving from Nazareth just in time to join the crowd as they await the birth of the Baby Jesus.

Just outside the Village (weather permitting), you’ll find the Live Animal Menagerie, the King’s Tent (complete with kings), games and toys for children and new this year, the temple of Jerusalem. In the WPC Sanctuary, the Christmas stories from Matthew and Luke will be read, and there will be Christmas storybooks for younger children.

The event is all free, and there’s plenty of on-site parking. For more information about Come to Bethlehem, contact Westminster Presbyterian Church at wpcmiddletown@verizon.net.