Photos by Paige Gurgainers and Marilyn Miller
By Paige Gurgainers
A dream, turned vision, turned into reality this past Saturday night with a Journey through Bethlehem – Live Nativity event in downtown Minden.
Event organizer and member of Pearls of Purpose Sarah Overall moved back to North Louisiana in 2022. She reminisced on seeing events like this as a child in the south and would often bring her own family to surrounding communities that held live nativities, but soon she felt led to bring one to Minden.
“I kept telling God, ‘I’m too new here, it won’t take off. I’m too busy, I can’t pull that off. That’s too much to ask of my church to produce. I’m planning a witch’s ride – this town will think I’m nuts doing this too!’ I put a lid on that can and moved on,” said Overall. “For Christmas 2023, my sister and I packed up our crews and went to Benton to see one. Spring Of 2024 rolls around, I feel God saying, ‘This is the year. Make it happen.’ So, I called our pastor and members of other churches we knew to pitch the idea. We mailed every church in Minden a letter inviting them to participate. The news started spreading.”
With only two months of planning by the ladies of the Pearls of Purpose, numerous volunteers, a few area churches and support of the city made for another “Hallmark moment” right here in Minden.
Guests began their journey through the marketplace at St. John’s Episcopal Church – made a quick stop for cookies and hot chocolate served by members of the Youth Challenge program, then made their way by Minden Presbyterian Church as live scenes and canticles told the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. The journey ended with a live choir performance at the First United Methodist Church.
“The City of Minden was a true testament of God’s work,” said Overall. “Not mine and not anyone else. He called us to share the true meaning of Christmas, and it was spectacular. Everyone involved with the planning did it with such generous and joyful hearts and the entire community got to experience the product of that.”
