Fountain of Life Center’s annual "A Christmas Spectacular" will run for six shows from Dec. 11-19.
By: Scott Morgan
FLORENCE A lot of things define the ideals of Christmas. Peace. Beneficence. Charity.
The tricky part for the Rev. Randy Burkhall is reminding people to celebrate the good things, be aware of the people who need a helping hand and still work in the reason there’s a Christmas in the first place, the birth of Jesus.
All in all, though, things are working out pretty well for the Rev. Burkhall as the Fountain of Life Center’s annual "A Christmas Spectacular" nears its opening curtain this weekend. So far, the reverend says, he has a tip-top group of people devoting their volunteer time to building the sets, fixing the lights, singing the songs and rehearsing the lines for the church’s variety show. And all of those volunteers, he says, are working hard to make sure everyone who comes to one of the performances does one thing have fun.
"We want it to be an enjoyable experience because Christmas is a time of celebration," the Rev. Burkhall says. "A lot of good things need to happen at Christmastime," and a night (or day) at the show should be one of them, he says.
So what can anybody expect to see when they get to the show? Well, according to the Rev. Burkhall, who has been a part of the "A Christmas Spectacular" for two decades and directing it for five years, you can expect to hear some songs, laugh it up, "pay a little respect" to military servicemen and women, remember to help the homeless and cap it off with a celebration of the birth of Christ.
And all in a fun way, the Rev. Burkhall says, adding that he (and the cast and crew) really want people to leave saying, "now that was worth doing."
Perhaps fittingly for the time of year, the Rev. Burkhall likes to consider his chance to work on the production something to be grateful for in a couple ways. Not only does he get to flex a little artistic muscle (he’s also the center’s director of the music ministry, so he lives by his creative side), the reverend also gets to carry on his purpose at the church, which is to spread the word about Jesus.
"To me," he says, "it’s like a double blessing."
"A Christmas Spectacular" will run for six shows at the Fountain of Life Center on Columbus Road, starting Saturday, Dec. 11, at 1 p.m. There will be an additional show at 7 p.m. that night, followed by an 8 p.m. show on Dec. 17, a 1 p.m. and a 7 p.m. show on Dec. 18 and 6 p.m. on Dec. 19.
Tickets are available for a 25-cent handling fee at Ward’s Christian Bookshop, 2301 Rancocas Road, Burlington. For more information, call (609) 386-2093 or visit www.flcnj.org.

