Scores of people attended The Church of Christ The King’s Christmas Wonderland on Sunday night to take in the spectacle created by hundreds of lights and multiple displays, all telling the story of Jesus’ birth and highlighting the familiar secular elements of Christmas.
Toddlers, teens, adults, couples, and families soaked in the festive atmosphere at the Rock Dundo, St Michael church.
In addition to the displays, there was entertainment in the sanctuary with steel pan duo Déjà Vu (Brittany Layne and Theres Lambert), and Jabarie Browne and his sister Nikita, who sang solos and a duet of The Greatest Gift Of All, Christmas karaoke, a jumping tent, a mechanical bull, toys on sale, a basketball shooting game, a train, food and drinks.
Head of the event’s organising committee, Lisa Padmore, told the DAILY NATION that the Christmas Wonderland – which she said was “more than just a fundraising event” – was a success.
“It is an opportunity for us as a church to have fellowship together, to have fellowship with persons who are strangers, friends, dear ones, so I think that that is very much a success.
“When we started Wonderland over six years ago, there wasn’t a lot going on in terms of what we were doing. [But] now . . . other organisations [are] doing their version so obviously that impacts it.
“Also, trying to stay fresh every year with an idea also challenges us. All in all, I think we did what we set out to do. It is one of our major fundraisers for the year. [We added] on our Toy Tin and Two Drive where we invited persons to bring a toy or canned stuff, or $2 or several $2 which would go towards various ministries,” she said.
The intention is to give toys to the paediatric ward at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Committee member Aidan Rogers, who conceptualised the Wonderland, said this year’s theme, as in years past, focused on one of the gospels related to the birth of Jesus Christ.
“This year’s theme Follow The Star emerged from Matthew Chapter Two, Verses one to 12, which really focuses on the message to the wise men from the angels and their visitation to King Herod.
“So what we really focused on is the message around following the star and what Reverend [Davidson] Bowen would tell you is that we played on the need for Christians to follow the star as a greater message of really aligning with God’s message,” he said.
There were a total of five stars, starting at the entrance with a prominent star representing the start of the journey which Rogers mentioned. In keeping with the message, there were displays encompassing the journey of the wise men, starting with King Herod’s Court, to a life-size display of the Nativity scene, to them departing from Bethlehem by an alternate route. There was also a section with the glorious angels.
Among the secular displays were the popular White Christmas, inclusive of a snow blower, white
Christmas trees, polar bears and penguins. The others were Jingle Bells, which displayed different bells, including one that patrons could ring; a photo area labelled Underneath The Christmas Tree containing different coloured trees; and a Caribbean Christmas with a Santa in a Bajan chattel house.
“It’s really mainly a fellowship event for us as a church to focus on the true meaning of Christmas during the season of Christmas, which really commences from the 25th of December to the sixth of January. That’s why we have our event consistent with when we celebrate Christmas in our liturgical year as Anglicans,” Rogers
said. He noted on par with came off The Christmas opened held on from January a core team Reverend Wayne Hall, Nurse, a noted that attendance was with last year’s edition and off well.
Christmas Wonderland
on December 27 and was the following day and again January 1 to 4. There was team comprising the rector – Reverend Bowen, Padmore, Rogers, Hall, Kyana Hall, Charles a Mr Bascombe, the parochial church council plus people from other organisations within the church and those in the community.
On different nights at the Christmas Wonderland, there were performances by Natahlee, Hearts Aflame, 441 The Ensemble, acoustic guitarist Arleigh Cobham and his student Charis Dottin, Naweza Dance Movement and Arah Fine Arts.
(GBM)
