calgary christian newspaper, city light news

Passion play deemed best ever

Drumheller, AB (CLN Newsbrief) – Staged in perfect surroundings that helped transport their audiences back to the time of Christ, the 2008 version of the Canadian Badland’s Passion Play, presented the first two weekends of July, saw an attendance of over 10,000 people – the event’s largest audience since 2003.

"Our audience seemed to consist of more young families and more international visitors than ever," reported Randall Wiebe, the Passion Play’s Artistic Director.

"Some 130 actors, 70 singers, 12 instrumentalists, three horses & three donkeys, as well as numerous other volunteers worked together to put on what many claim was our best performance ever," Wiebe added. "The weather was amazingly co-operative – except for a bit of a wind storm the first Sunday which added extra drama."

"Steven Waldschmidt was particularly moving in the role of Jesus and Tim Hildebrand reprised his engaging portrayal of Matthew the tax collector and narrator," Wiebe said.

For information about the Canadian Badland’s Passion Play and to see more photos of this year’s event visit: www.canadianpassionplay.com.

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Calgary’s Street Church wins parade award
by John Syratt

For their entry into this year’s Calgary Stampede Parade, Street Church volunteers dressed up in seventeenth century outfits (like musketeers) and with five large banners that spelled the name of Jesus leading the way, the church’s presentation involved horses, carriages and flags, along with one man dressed in red, blowing the shofar and dancing the entire parade route.

Their caravan of carriages and flags was followed up by two people holding a large banner with the Ten Commandments printed on it.

Over the past two years the Street Church’s entries have received opposition from parade officials, but this year things were different.

When the dust settled, parade officials awarded the group with a plaque that read, "Best Mounted Groups Award 2008 Calgary Stampede Parade."

"What a joy to be ambassadors for Christ in an international live telecast of The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth," said Street Church pastor, Art Pawlowski.

"We had an awesome response from the Stampede organizers.

They thanked us for putting this together." Visit www.streetchurch.ca.

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