‘Thursday Before Christmas’ coming back to Charles City

By Kelly Terpstra, kterpstra@charlescitypress.com

One wouldn’t think a flatbed trailer, horse-drawn carriage rides and frankincense and myrrh would have much in common.

But those three elements mixed together are key ingredients in the formation of the “Thursday Before Christmas” in Charles City.

Just ask Joe Low.

Low, the youth pastor at the Gospel Lighthouse Church in Floyd, will for the second year help organize the “Thursday Before Christmas.” The fun event for all features music and several readings of the Biblical rendition of the “First Christmas,” which details the birth of Jesus Christ.

There will be no need for the Star of Bethlehem to guide you to the second annual celebration, which includes local families and churches sharing in the joy of Christmas and Christ’s birth from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 20.

The music should be able to be heard from blocks away as many will gather inside the warm confines of a heated tent just off Central Park in Charles City to celebrate with hymns and worship.

Low came up with the idea about two years ago when members of his Bible study group, along with several Mennonite families from the area, drove around on a flatbed trailer singing Christmas carols.

The response from the community was overwhelming.

“People came out of their houses, kind of drew their blinds back to see what was happening,” said Low.

So Low thought about what do after the positive feedback.

And he prayed.

“I don’t know what else to say about it other than we prayed for God’s direction and asked what we should do and how we should do it and he kind of laid it all out for us,” said Low.

Kelly Street, just south and adjacent to Central Park, will be shut down starting at noon on Wednesday. That’s where the tent will be raised. Horse-and-carriage rides will also highlight the night and will go on short route around Jackson Street on the way to Blunt Street and back to where the tent is located.

Low said the rides take about 10 to 15 minutes.

“That was a good attraction,” said Low. “It’s a pretty fun, little ride.”

Low said there were four separate readings last year of the “First Christmas,” which describes how the Three Wise Men learned of the birth of Jesus Christ near Bethlehem and lavished him with gifts such as gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Low says he usually picks children from a few different families to do the readings.

“We kind of give the band a break,” he added.

Low said he sent a flier to eight churches in the area to see if they wanted to help out with the music side of the celebration. Low said the Gospel Lighthouse Church and Amazing Grace Church in Charles City will each have a praise and worship team performing.

And if you’re wondering how Low and other organizers came up with the idea for the name of the event, there’s a simple answer.

“We thought about doing it Christmas Eve, but we just thought it would be too close to Christmas. We called it the ‘Thursday Before Christmas’ to keep it nice and calendar-friendly,” said Low. “All you have to do is find Christmas and look for the Thursday that’s right before it, then, there you go.”

Low said anywhere from 150 to 200 people showed up at last year’s reading and musical fest. The event is free of charge. There will also be refreshments including hot cocoa, coffee and cookies available for those in attendance.