Christmas Story to Come Alive at Local Church

For the past 10 years, Quentin Road Bible Baptist Church has entertained the community with its annual Christmas pageant.

The church will present its program — Bethlehem's Cry Heard Around the World — during four performances to be held Dec. 10-11 and Dec. 17-18.

"It's a great way to celebrate Christmas," said Pastor Dave Rende.

More than 400 people participate in the annual pageant, from preschool-age children to the adult choir. The play is under the direction of Linda Scudder, wife of the church's founder, James Scudder. Linda Scudder started the music program at Quentin Road Bible Baptist 40 years ago.

"It's exciting," Scudder said of the pageant. "It's the people doing it out of love for the Lord and just wanting to do something for the community."

Rende said preparations for the production start in early summer, with people putting together the script and music. Children start memorizing their songs in August.

The play tells the story of the birth of Jesus largely through songs, on-stage drama elements and on-screen narration.

"You move through a traditional Christmas feel," said Rende. "Then you start to get into the real meaning of Christmas, with the birth of Christ."

The production features real animals, Rende said, including a camel and a donkey.

"It's just a real dramatic presentation of the story," he said.

What sets his church's Christmas pageant apart from others, Rende said, is that Bethlehem's Cry Heard Around the World also tells about the life of Jesus. The play will feature the man portraying Jesus ultimately being lifted toward the ceiling, representing Jesus' ascension into Heaven.

"Not many people do the entire life at Christmas," said Rende. "You really get the full spectrum of the whole story."

The play closes with Handel's Hallelujah Chorus.

Rende said a new element this year will be a sort of live Advent calendar. The "Advent Event" will feature stockings that reveal the countdown to Christmas, set to a medley of Christmas carols.

"It's beautifully staged," said Rende.

Putting together the pageant each year is definitely a lot of work, Rende said.

"It takes a lot of people," he said. For example, women from the church sew all of the costumes. Rende added that for the last two months, the actors have given up their Sunday afternoons for rehearsals.

"They do a great job," said Scudder. "It's a lot of work, but it's really rewarding."

Scudder said so many people have a difficult time during the holidays and find themselves depressed.

"We feel (the pageant) is a ministry for people who are hurting," she said.

Last year's shows were a near sell-out, Rende said. Tickets are still available for this year's performances and can be purchased at http://qrchristmas.com. Performances will be held at 2 and 6 p.m. Dec. 10 and 17; at 2 p.m. Dec. 11; and at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Dec. 18.

Quentin Road Bible Baptist Church is located at 60 Quentin Road, Lake Zurich.