Bethlehem Revisited is Here!

  December 5th, 6th &7th

“And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” ~ Luke 2:10-11


Each year 2,000 people walk the hills and trails of the local farm, stepping back in time to “Bethlehem Revisited.” A living nativity experience that seeks to bring to life the “good news of a great joy.” It is an outreach event that invites surrounding communities to join a guided walking tour in which the group interacts with prophets proclaiming the coming One, watches as a girl named Mary learns that she will be with child, navigates their way through the crowded town of Bethlehem, observes shepherds out in a field as they become part of an amazing visitation, and stops a moment at the manger where Mary and Joseph wonder at the miracle of the Christ child. The tour continues with scenes from the life of Christ and the overwhelming truth and hope of the Resurrection.


No red carpet… just trails of hay and dirt. No dignitaries…just the residents of the stable. No gold lined crib…just a hand-hewn wooden manger that the sheep and donkeys had been eating from. Yet in the presence of these simple creatures the God of the universe was born. Guests who visit Bethlehem Revisited will experience the story that comes to life, as they trudge the paths, smell the “reality” of a barnyard, hear with their ears the crowd in the inn, the donkey’s bray . . .the simplicity of the greatest event of all times, the incarnation of our Saviour. For some, it may be the very first time that they have heard or seen this message; for others it is the first time their imaginations have been baptized with the truth of Incarnational Reality; for others it is simply a time for their imaginations to be stirred once again into a sense of worship of the One they serve. The birth of Christ is more than a historical event: it has crucial relevance for every man, woman and child.
This event includes a cast of nearly 100 costumed people, live animals, and narration played out on a farm in the Flint Hills of Kansas. It begins for the guests as they arrive at the Welcome Center in Keats Park, Keats Kansas. There they will be met by hosts who will direct them into a heated building where they will be welcomed with hot chocolate, home made cookies, and live music. From the Welcome Center guests will take a short bus ride to the farm where their guide and his assistant will lead them on their approximately forty minute walk through the Flint Hills of Kansas.
Come listen to Moses, David, Isaiah and others foretell the coming of the King. Walk through the crowded street of Bethlehem where vendors are oblivious to the momentous occasion of your visit. Come see the busy innkeeper and the young pregnant couple who were denied residence by him. Watch the angels tell good news to shepherds. Come witness the empty cross and the open tomb and hear the next chapter of the story.

Bethlehem Revisited begins at Keats Park. Keats is located 5 miles north west of Manhattan, Kansas. From Manhattan, follow Anderson west to the town of Keats.
Friday evening begins at 6:00 and will run till 8:45 pm.  Saturday and Sunday evening will begin at 5:00 and will run till 8:45 pm.