42 — Wednesday, December 11, 1991 — North Shore News

WEST VANCOUVER Baptist Church’s Walk To Bethlehem is fast becoming the premier Christmas

event on the North Shere.

NEWS photo

Walk to Bethlehem returns
to West Van Baptist Church

THE SIGHT of hoardes of people shuffling in and out of

pavilions at Expo °86 is what gave David and Bev Gowe

divine -inspiration for staging the re-creation of the
“ Christmas story as a live, multi-scene production.

“Ie actually started out very
small, within the (West Vancouver
_ Baptist) church with Sunday

school. students painting the sce-
“nery and the pastor’s son painting

the sets,’? said Gowe, a Canyon
:*Heights school teacher.

“Walk To Bethichem’’ was so
well received by the congregation
*.the Gowes decided to see what
- kind of response they’d get from
. the public.

_ . They opened it up for onc night
-and 400 people showed up. ‘‘We
were blown right out of the

. water,’’ said Gowe. —

This Friday, Saturday and Sun-

. day (Dec. 13-15) Walk To
Bethlehem returns for Christmas

-- and Gowe is enthusiastic about
the. production. Last year 3,500

BUT..UM... WELL .. WOULD

’ By Evelyn Jacob

News Reporter

people took in the production
over three days.

. Groups of 40 are escorted by a
narrator-shepherd through | six
scenes, starting with Isaiah’s pro-
phecy of the coming of the
messiah and ending with the

‘manger scene. When one group

leaves a scene, another forty file

The whole tour takes about
half an hour, with each scene
lasting between three to four
minutes.

Fifty members of the congrega-
tion dressed in elaborate costumes
act out the various scenes. ‘‘Visu-

GREAT!

YOU LIKE TO GC TO A "BYE!
MOVIE CR SOMETHING

ON THE FASTRACK

60,16 Aer Stick. YEAH, HE
“TRYING “To CONVINCE REALLY Go Goi ANH TAIN

WENDY “To HAVE A
CHILD?

oN NO, BUT IT'S
HAVING: AN

ally, it’s quite astounding, says
Gowe. ‘‘The costumes have all
been designed and hand-sewn by
the congregation. We've spent
thousands of dollars on materials
arid jewelry to make the crowns.”’

Each year the church tries to
make the production more

' authentic, he says. This year it’s

brought in -live sheep and a
donkey for the manger scene and
put gravel on the floor to support

_real trees and props.

The production has traditionally
been free and Gowe says he plans
to keep it ‘hat way. ‘‘We want
everyone to come whether they
can afford it or not.”? ”

The whole purpose is for people
to discover or re-discover the true
meaning of the Christmas story,

he said.

Continuous tours are offered
from 7-9 p.m. Phone 922-0911
for information. The West Van-
couver Baptist Charch is located
at 450 Mathers Street. —

1... TLL NEVER
WASH MY
LIPS AGAIN!

of

THATS Tae
ANCHOVY ICE CREAM
you Just Ale E,
DWEEB,

CAROL SHIP
FESTIVA qh

9
Christmas
Spirit!

=P in the celebration with
an evening of Christmas
carols with local community
choirs while watching the
carol ships sail by. Please
bring donations of non- -
perishable food items for the
North Vancouver Christmas
Bureau. and the West Van-
couver Santa Claus Fund.
Please remember to dress
warmly and bring a flashlight

WATERFRONT PARK
Friday, December 6, 1991
7:30 PM.

CATES PARK &.
PANORAMA PARK
Saturday, December 14,
1991

8:00 P.M. Cates

8:30 PM. Panorama -;

AMBLESIDE PARK &
DUNDARAVE PIER
Sunday, December 15, i991
7:30 p.m. -

Sponsored by:
The City of North Van-
couver, The Disirict of
North Vancouver Cenien-
nial Commitize and the .
Parks Dept, The District of ~
West Vancouver, Ambleside
Tiddiycevé Lions Club,
Dundarave Merchants
Association, North Van-
couver Recreation Com-
mission.
RAIN OR SHINE
For more information contact
Cathy Matheson of WV. Parks
& Recreation 925-3605
Janice Bailey of N.V. Recrea-
tion Commission 984-4484

Be yolnee a
SUNDAY - WEDNESDAY + FRIDAY