A Super Sunday Nativity Service, featuring a dance group, 30 fuzzy-felt kits, puppets and an onstage sandpit demonstration, was a highlight of Armadale Baptist Church’s (ABC) Christmas celebrations last year.

The 120-year-old church has enjoyed sharing its recently updated buildings to serve its local community through the Arts, involving concerts, choirs and classes.

The Nativity service included musicians from Encounter Baptist Church and the Sole Purpose Dance Troupe from St Paul’s Anglican Church, Caulfield. A young boy from the church’s Mainly Music program helped Pastor Jude Waldron to illustrate what it looked like for mountains to be levelled and valleys filled using a bulldozer in the sandpit – including making all the noises!

One person who attended said the service “opened up [her] whole world”, as it reminded everyone of God’s love, comfort and good news that we can experience and share with the people around us.

Jude said the response from the 50 people who attended was very positive, and those organising the event were encouraged that: “This is why we pray before a service, not just so things go okay like the sound guy finding the button for the guitar to come through or people to remember their bit, but because we want the Holy Spirit to change lives.”

Around 70 people attended Armadale Baptist the following week for a Karaoke Carols night at which The Gospel Project choir performed, and Christmas food was served in a cafe-style environment. The church also held a service combined with NewHope Baptist Church, and a Christmas Day service focused on Psalm 98.

Pastor Jude Waldron said the Christmas season was a “fruitful time as a culmination of the encouragement the Armadale Baptist congregation received from other churches and the BUV”.

“While Armadale Baptist has been continuing to reach their community in creative ways, the collaboration with other churches has encouraged the congregation and helped to see their strengths and become more energised in vision. This end to the year was a heart-felt celebration that God truly is with us.”