North Augusta church returns to Bethlehem and presents walkthrough of the Biblical Christmas account

Return to Bethlehem will be held through Dec. 4 at Grace United Methodist Church. Staff photo by Charmain Z. Brackett

Date: December 02, 2021

Grace United Methodist Church is once again presenting its Return to Bethlehem.

Groups walk through the church’s grounds which have been transformed into the night of Jesus’s birth.

Costumed volunteers serve as guides through the town of Bethlehem as the story of Christmas is told. In addition to the volunteer actors, multiple animals including sheep, camels and a donkey are part of the event.

The event opened Dec. 1 and runs from Dec. 4. Return to Bethlehem is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. each night.

“We pray that our community is blessed by this gift of love from Grace UMC,” said Marianne Harlan, church adminstrator.

Actors portraying Mary and Joseph in the Grace United Methodist Church’s Return to Bethlehem. Staff photo by Charmain Z. Brackett

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Members of Grace United Methodist Church become residents of Bethlehem during Return to Bethlehem. Staff photo by Charmain Z. Brackett
The Wise Men as part of Return to Bethlehem at Grace United Methodist Church. Staff photo by Charmain Z. Brackett

Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com 

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The Author

Charmain Zimmerman Brackett is a lifelong resident of Augusta. A graduate of Augusta University with a Bachelor of Arts in English, she has been a journalist for more than 30 years, writing for publications including The Augusta Chronicle, Augusta Magazine, Fort Gordon's Signal newspaper and Columbia County Magazine. She won the placed second in the Keith L. Ware Journalism competition at the Department of the Army level for an article about wounded warriors she wrote for the Fort Gordon Signal newspaper in 2008. She was the Greater Augusta Arts Council's Media Winner in 2018.

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