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Three Forks Baptist Association Plans To Portray Christmas Story During Boone’s Saturday Parade

 

By Sherrie Norris

A seasonal focus for member churches and leaders within the Three Forks Baptist Association has been, for many years, to share the Christmas story with the High Country community, its residents and visitors, alike.

Since 2009, the effort has been recognized through Bethlehem & Beyond, an outreach that provided opportunities for businesses and homes to display nativity sets, individuals of all ages to sing carols with church choirs at Boone Mall on Friday evenings, and local artists to display their work through art contests, while other related events occurred simultaneously.

For the past three years, the association has taken a different approach by arranging to tell the Christmas story through Boone’s Christmas Parade with numerous floats depicting biblical truths — from creation through the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Volunteers within member churches of the TFBA are rallying once again to plan and construct six unique and colorful floats that help tell the Christmas story, one that will come alive as the annual parade makes its way down King Street on Saturday.

According to Kandy Taylor, who serves as the project coordinator, Perkinsville Baptist, Union Baptist and Rutherwood Baptist Churches are the main participants in this year’s parade, which will also feature the amazing voices from ASU’s Treble Choir, directed by Priscilla Porterfield.

Taylor describes the line-up: “We will begin with the creation float, then the fall of man — when sin comes into the world — followed by a nativity float, and one with the heavenly hosts announcing the arrival of Jesus. We will have shepherds from the fields and wise men, the latter of which will be riding horses provided by de la Cruz farms. A portrayal of Jesus as the Good Shephard, joined by live sheep, will be followed by the crucifixion and resurrection floats, with a heavenly choir singing the good news.”

Taylor added, “We are getting excited, and hope the parade doesn’t get cancelled due to bad weather, like it was last year.”

Taylor added that a project of this magnitude “doesn’t just happen,” but requires a lot of work and dedicated volunteers to make it happen. “I can’t say enough about Jess and Wendy McNeil who have been incredible to work with. They are very creative people who have a backgrounds in stage and art. We are so grateful for their assistance this year,” Taylor said.

In conclusion, Taylor implores churches and members within TFBA to come together to help make this a successful venture. “We need help from people of all ages, whether to complete the floats, to ride on them or walk the parade route beside them. It’s something that everyone can be a part of.”

For more information or to volunteer your time and talents, stop by the Three Forks Baptist Association at 513 Jefferson Road in Boone, call call 828-264-4482 or visit www.3forksassoc.org.

 

Scenes from parade preparations two years ago:

Pictures from the parade two years ago: