A step back in time: In June, East Bayou Baptist Church brought members and
area residents back in time – all the way to the first-century world of
Capernaum that Jesus knew so well
A step back in time: In June, East Bayou Baptist Church brought members and
area residents back in time – all the way to the first-century world of
Capernaum that Jesus knew so well
The small boy approached the robed man wandering through the Jewish marketplace
with a purpose – and a question – in mind.
“Are you the Jesus from heaven?” he asked the man.
The man replied that he was.
The small boy leaned in with his primary question then – “Did you
see my granddaddy in heaven?”
No, the man was not really Jesus – and the encounter between the two did
not take place in a real first-century Jewish marketplace.
But for hundreds of Lafayette residents, what was presented at East Bayou Baptist
Church on four June nights was as real as it could get – a detailed depiction
of first-century Capernaum, complete with a full-scale marketplace where Jesus
himself walked.
Held in a multi-purpose facility, East Bayou members erected an elaborate set
of shops and scenes for the presentation. More than 220 church members participated
in the presentation, which was visited by more than 700 area people during the
four June nights. Colorful costumes were designed. Authentic crafts were presented.
Detailed props were constructed.
The result was praised by those who visited, including some Jewish rabbis who
drove from Houston to visit, says Mike Walker, pastor of the Lafayette congregation.
“We had tremendous newspaper publicity,” he recounts. “It was
even on television with coverage.”
And though the event did not feature a typical “altar call” time,
plenty of gospel contacts were made during the four nights, says Walker, who
will have served as pastor of the Lafayette church for 20 years this fall.
In addition, the effort proved a rallying point for the congregation. “It
was worth it before anybody ever showed up, Walker, insists. “It was worth
it because it brought the church together like nothing before.”
Carol Mills agrees.
“It was a galvanizing experience for our congregation …,” says
Mills, director of children ministries and coordinator for the Capernaum A.D.
27 effort. “We have a lot of people who come on Sunday mornings but really
only as spectators. For many of these, this was a first step to any kind of
real involvement and commitment to the church. …
“So much community developed out of this as well. … It really was a
milestone event for our church. … This will be a stepping stone for other
events.”
The Capernaum effort was presented by the church as their annual Vacation Bible
School.
It proved a real hit with children – and families.
Indeed, one of the benefits was the involvement of entire families as they
toured the presentation, Mills said.
“We sought to present it as a cultural experience and as an experience
the whole family could participate in,” she explains. “It wasn’t
so much about – ‘Come and be a Baptist or come and have a religious
experience.’”
Nevertheless, the focus of the effort clearly was gospel and biblically oriented.
Visitors arrived at 6 p.m., at which time they donned robes and sashes over
their clothing for the extent of their tour. They then were divided into groups
representing the 12 tribes of Israel.
In their family huts, they would spend about 30 minutes learning about Jewish
daily life and watching a typical Jewish family. They would participate in a
devotion led by the father of the family.
Then, they would enter the marketplace.
There, they would spend the next two-and-one-half hours touring four of 13
assigned “stations,” spending about 30 minutes at each select stop.
The options were many and rotated nightly.
Stations offered a time of outdoor games, a visit to a live animal pen, a weaving
demonstration and lesson, an opportunity to learn about fishing and casting
a net (including a chance to try one’s own hand at the latter), a chance
to learn – and write – Hebraic characters, a pottery shop, a first-century
meal, a visit to a boat-making shop and a stop at a census booth.
At each station, persons would talk with the visitors about the particular
craft or presentation and about life in first-century Capernaum. This included
details about the man called Jesus, who was in the region and gaining quite
a bit of notice for his preaching.
Every 30 minutes, a shofar would sound, signaling the time to move to the next
assigned station.
Meanwhile, other marketplace characters would roam the area, offering impromptu
encounters with visitors. These included such persons who would stop groups
and endeavor to teach them a step or two of Jewish folk dances.
Later in the evening came the drama and a brief time of worship and song. Such
presentations always focused on Jesus’ time in Capernaum, such as the calling
of the disciples and the conversion of Matthew.
The focus was on considering who this Jesus was – and the setting allowed
for interaction with visitors who may have questions about that, Mills explains.
“The hope was to encourage believers to become fishers of men and to encourage
seekers to develop a relationship with Jesus,” she notes.
“For the community, this really was an opportunity to step inside the
church in a non-threatening way.”
Overall, the effort more than exceeded expectations, Mills insists. “We
had a vision for this last year – and the reality more than surpassed that.”
It was last summer that East Bayou church leaders visited a Capernaum presentation
at another church. They then decided to engage in their own effort.
That involved using curriculum and resources from a Web-based company at www.marketplace29ad.com.
The company has offered Christian education curriculum resources since 1974
and lists several separate “Bible-times” presentations churches can
consider.
These include curriculum related to Antioch A.D. 49 and the work of the Apostle
Paul, the building of the tabernacles in 1440 B.C., an Advent offering and a
focus on the last day of Christ leading up to the crucifixion.
The offerings have received top ratings from Children’s Ministry magazine
in previous years. All are cast as “you are there” presentations.
For East Bayou leaders, the possibilities seemed perfect. In turn, church members
of all ages embraced the project – including junior high and high school
young people who participated in the presentation as well.
“It’s probably one of the highlights of my ministry,” Mills
says. “Before that first night, I was just so blessed by the relationships
that had been made.”
But the effort was not just a one-year only endeavor, Mills is quick to add.
Indeed, the church has a five-year plan for presenting other looks at the life
and ministry of Jesus.
“It’s designed as an ongoing effort,” Mills says.
The sets were made of durable material and have been stored for future use
on different presentations, she explains. The plan is to work through the life
of Christ, highlighting different aspects each year.
Mills acknowledges that the resources of a church the size of East Bayou is
a plus in planning and executing such presentations. However, she also insists
that the Capernaum offering is something any church can undertake.
“The body of Christ all working together is what we really achieved and
what made this possible,” she notes.
Thus, area churches could work together – or a smaller church could adapt
the materials for their purposes. Whatever the possibilities, Mills recommends
that churches take a look at the materials and consider what could be done.
“There’s a lot of options,” Mills says. “There’s a
lot of room for churches to take this and make it their own.
“The truth is that you could do this out of refrigerator boxes and have
an impact,” Mills adds. “There’s just something about this that
appeals to children.”
Indeed, she reflects on the story of the boy who approached Jesus, even though
he knew the man was not the real Jesus. “They knew the difference,”
Mills says.
However, it was so easy to get caught up in the realism of the experience,
she adds.
Even she admits to it.
“It was really something – just to see them, just to see the kids
and see their faces when they would look at Jesus.”