GODFREY - Faith Baptist Church will present their annual Christmas musical, inviting community members to join in the Christmas spirit.

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At 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, the Riverbend community is invited to the church’s free play, titled “I Heard the Bells.” There will also be cookies, hot cocoa, roasted cinnamon pecans and more for attendees to enjoy. Located at 7505 N. Humbert Road in Godfrey, the church hopes to welcome people from across the region.

“I want Christmas to smack people in the face when they walk in the door,” said Pastor Jon Tyler. “Really, it’s what our faith is all about. We’d be nothing without Christmas. So we’re just trying to convey that to our community and give something that people can come and feel at home and just really kick off their holiday week with our play.”

Tyler explained that Faith Baptist Church has hosted a Christmas performance for “decades,” and they decided this year to put a “different spin” on it with the musical play. “I Heard the Bells” tells the story of a young girl who finds the joy of Christmas through reuniting with her family and learning the gospel of Jesus Christ. Fifteen congregation members make up the cast and the choir.

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Tyler said the experience goes beyond the play itself, as attendees can also enjoy refreshments and Christmas decorations throughout the church. He emphasized that the goal is to foster the Christmas spirit and bring people together to learn about Christ.

“We’re not putting on a massive production or anything like that, but it’s going to be something that is going to make people feel at home,” he explained. “We’ve decked out our building. It's decorated super beautifully with the smells and sounds and everything of Christmas. We’re just trying to give kind of a whole Christmas experience to everybody who comes in.”Faith Baptist Church

Tyler and his wife Anna are new to the church, but they have loved being a part of the community so far. He said they are continuing the “family atmosphere” and traditions of Pastor Tom Olney, their predecessor, who led the church for over 50 years.

He hopes to see many people from across the Riverbend at the performance on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024. He noted that the church has worked hard to put together “I Heard the Bells,” and the congregation is excited to share it with the community.

“To have the fun atmosphere, the lightheartedness of being able to sit there and look down the pew and to see your family all together in church, all bound together by their faith — that’s really what this all is about,” Tyler said. “It’s presenting Jesus Christ as the Son of God to our community, and the one who can take away sins and forgive sins and take people to Heaven. That's what our church is all about. That’s what the play is about. And it’s hopefully something that we can use to reach into our community and make a difference in our community.”

For more information about Faith Baptist Church, visit their official website at FBCGodfrey.org.