I was one of the visitors to the “Journey to Bethlehem” pageant recently presented in China Grove. The people of New Hope Presbyterian church presented this holiday feature as a gift to the community. I, for one, am grateful they did. The various tableaus they staged were a joy to behold, well done, and carried out in such a way that I truly felt transported back in time to that tiny mideastern village, with all its activity and anticipation for the Christ child.

It was pretty obvious that a great deal of man hours went into the production; lots of carpentry and creative talent also went into the production. It was wonderful, from beginning to end; the re-enactors did an excellent job.

My only complaint is it didn’t take long enough to go through it. I wanted to savor each and every stop along the way, but to keep the traffic moving I could not.

A heartfelt bravo to the New Hope congregants and all who participated in this beautiful Christmas pageant. Please, please do this again next year, and if you missed it this year as a spectator, do not miss it again. It’s worth whatever time you spend waiting to see it !

— Jan McCanless

China Grove