The historic centre of the southeastern Spanish city of Murcia recently hosted the third evangelical Christmas festival, ‘Murcia, a una voz por la Navidad’ (Murcia, with one voice for Christmas).

Organised by the Evangelical Council of Murcia (CEMU), the Pastoral Fraternity (UNEV) and the Murcia City Council, with the collaboration of the Pluralism and Coexistence foundation, the event brought together over 2,000 people in a public act of worship, proclamation of the Gospel and unity of the evangelical churches.

For more than two hours, music, theatre, dance and Christian proclamation filled the square and streets around the cathedral, drawing the attention of both passers-by and those who came specifically to take part in the celebration.

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“Christ is not just a Christmas tradition”

One of the highlights of the festival was the speech by David de Lago, president of the evangelistic association Decisión (Decision). He encouraged the audience not to reduce the figure of Jesus to a seasonal symbol.

 

 

 

 

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“Take Jesus out of the box and put him in the centre of your heart”, he urged, reminding them that the Child of Bethlehem was not born to be a tradition, but to live in people's hearts.

The audience received the message with attention and respect, responding with applause.

Music, gospel and theatre

Music and worship played a key role in the evening, thanks to the participation of the Gospel choir of the evangelical churches of Murcia, led by Christian singer Débora Romo. Her warm, cheerful and professional direction connected with the audience.

The programme also featured theatrical performances by the APR company, as well as interventions by the event hosts, who contextualised the Gospel message in a clear, understandable and accessible way for all.

Good weather after an uncertain week

The celebration was affected by weather concerns in the preceding days. Benjamin Parra, pastor and producer of the event, explained that rain forecasts plagued the organisation throughout the week.

“We decided to carry on, trusting in God. During the two-hour concert, the sky remained clear, and it was only as we finished packing up that the first drops began to fall. For us, it was a miracle”, he said.

“The most important thing was the decisions for Christ”

For Carlos Peña, president of the Evangelical Council of Murcia, “beyond the excellent music and presentation, the most important thing was the decisions for Christ and the great reception of the message. We saw this in the applause, the interest of many passers-by, and the conversations afterwards”.

Peña publicly thanked Murcia City Council and the Pluralism and Coexistence foundation, for their collaboration and stressed that the unity of the evangelical community leads to active commitment to society.

"Evangelical churches develop programmes to support families and educate in values, as well as projects for social integration, rehabilitation and reintegration, and for children and young people”, he pointed out.

A joint cry for peace and blessings for the city

The evening concluded with a symbolic joint prayer. Around 2,000 people joined hands and raised a unanimous cry for peace and blessings for Murcia.

The UNEV and the Evangelical Council of Murcia have expressed their desire to make this festival an annual event, confirming that each edition surpasses the previous one in terms of participation and social and spiritual impact.