By Sherrie Norris
For the second consecutive year, the folks at de la Cruz Farms in Deep Gap will host The Living Promise – A Live Nativity, on December 2, 9, and 16 from 6-7:30 p.m. each evening. The drive-through experience gives participants an idea of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ, the gospel of which is paramount to the ministry of the unique working farm near Boone.
Owners Jeff and Bencita Brooks, along with their daughter, Bella, opened their doors and hears several years ago to helping the community see Christ’s love through the works of their farm. What was once a seasonal outdoor venture has now become nearly a year-round opportunity for the Brooks family to reach out to their friends, neighbors and even strangers throughout the High Country.
As an open invitation to everyone, Bencita Brooks says, “Come and be reminded, or even experience for the first time, the beautiful salvation story offered through faith in Jesus Christ.”
She describes what families might expect through the event, as from the comfort of their vehicles, everyone can enjoy live scenes with animals, carolers singing some of the Christmas season’s favorite songs, and most importantly, Brooks adds, “presentations that show us God’s promise of a salvation plan for mankind.”
Those presentations, she described, will include depictions of creation, sin, Old Testament prophesies, the Savior’s birth, and progress through Jesus’s teachings, his death and resurrection – and man’s response to God’s biblical truth.
For the drive-through to be effective, Brooks said, vehicles must include an electronic device to accommodate an audio CD that will be presented to passengers of each to enable them to hear the narration of each scene.
According to Brooks, the reason for this event is simple. “It is our prayer that by observing The Living Promise that many people will choose to accept the free gift of God’s love and salvation through what they see and hear as they drive through.”
The narration of the nativity is also translated in Spanish to make it easily accessible to Spanish-speaking families.
The event requires a lot of work before, during and afterward, Brooks said, and will be successful only because of caring individuals who volunteer to make it happen.
There is still a need for “responsible volunteers of all ages” to become part of the required 60-70 member team, Brooks said. “We need help for a variety of things, including set construction and break down, food, costumes, and actual cast members for the eight stations that will be visited by countless people.”
Brooks stressed that cast members do not need to be actors – only those with willing hearts to help spread an important message. “And some don’t even have to speak.”
De la Cruz is located at 6696 Old 421S below the Deep Gap Fire Department.
For more information about volunteering or contributing in some way to the drive-through event, call 828-964-8152 or email info@delacruzfarms.com.
To learn more about the farm and its ministry, visit www.delacruzfarms.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.