Bringing the Christmas Story to Life

Bringing the Christmas story to life in over a million lights perfectly strewn across the grounds of Warm Beach Camp is a true labor of love. Many individuals work tirelessly behind the scenes throughout the year to ensure The Lights of Christmas successfully opens and is a beacon of God’s love to the local community. One such person who faithfully dedicates time, energy, heart, and passion is Carolyn “CJ” Cross.

“I believe the Lord’s plan was to expose me to Warm Beach Camp Ministries. There were many touchpoints, starting with my grandparents, who were one of the first residents when the Warm Beach Retirement Community opened in 1980.” With over four decades of connections to Warm Beach Camp Ministries, when CJ retired in 2017, she decided to pursue a new venture into full-time volunteering!

Starting in February, CJ begins by thoroughly and lovingly cleaning every façade and display made of plywood and assessing repair needs. “The beautiful displays are an investment from talented volunteers, and I feel so honored to maintain them on behalf of The Lights of Christmas.” Once completed, CJ transitions to creating new items and displays and repairing lighted displays outlined and prioritized by The Lights of Christmas management team.

The care, attention to detail, and creativity that CJ pours into every display she participates in are evident in the radiant beauty of the lighted creations, which leave thousands of guests annually in awe! “I am most proud of the 1,001 lighted meadow flowers. I worked with two others in the creation of the flowers and then attached the light strings, which took me a total of five months to complete.”

CJ takes the month of November off and then returns to Warm Beach Camp to work every night of The Lights of Christmas event. “My role for the last two years has been as Joyland Parking Captain. I love tracking attendance and analyzing the nightly challenges of finding parking for guests attending Joyland. I also enjoy sharing my confidence in others to shine because ‘if you think you can, you will.’ This has been such a rewarding experience, mentoring people and executing parking solutions to create the best experience possible so our guests continue their enjoyment while visiting The Lights of Christmas.”

Everyday efforts by individuals like CJ allow The Lights of Christmas to continue having a significant spiritual impact in sharing the Christmas message with the local community! CJ exhibits a servant’s heart in all she does, and Warm Beach Camp Ministries has been greatly blessed by the talents God has blessed her with that she so readily shares with others.