The Somerville Baptist Church Annual Drive-Thru Christmas, an annual event that has become a tradition for so many in the area, is back again this year, set for 6–9 p.m. Dec. 11–14 at the church.  

“It’s a free community event, and everyone – everyone – is welcome. Differing opinions, whatever, we’d love to have them and share with them what we know about Christmas,” said Somerville Baptist Church assistant pastor Steve Chevron.    

The event has been held at the church for eight non-consecutive years and has grown with each production. This year there will be a pre-show with an illusionist, David Corn, in the auditorium as guests wait their turn for the Drive-Thru. Attendees will then board a custom passenger trailer, “The Christmas Caravan,” with a narrator, who will guide them through scenes from the life of Jesus Christ, starting at the birth announcement to Mary to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  

“We’re trying to share the real meaning of Christmas and build a family tradition,” Chevron said. “It’s not just that He came and that He died for everybody but that He lives for everybody.” 

After the show, attendees are invited into the Christmas Cafe for free, fresh hot chocolate, coffee and chocolate chip cookies.  

The preparation for the production takes about three months, including building sets, programming and coordination of more than 100 actors and nearly 20 animals. Chevron said there have been as many as 3,200 attendees to the event in the past. 

“The unique part is our narrators share their stories, too. They talk about how Christ changed them,” he said.  

Chevron said the church hears stories all the time about the far-reaching influence, but the event also impacts the congregation. He shared that two women attended church at Somerville Baptist “faithfully, trusting Christ,” while their husbands wanted nothing to do with church. However, their husbands ended up volunteering to drive caravans for the Drive-Thru Christmas event one year and received Christ as their Lord and Savior after the event, “changing their homes and lives forever.”   

“We’ll never know the amount of impact this has had,” Chevron said. “We don’t know the seeds that have been sown, but that’s our job as a church – to share the Gospel, love the community and let them know we’re here.”