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Local church briefs

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Christmas Bazaar

JERSEY SHORE -- St. John Lutheran Church, 229 S. Broad St., Jersey Shore, will have its annual Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, Dec. 14, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

There will be cookies, Christmas crafts, holiday arrangements, and a gently used table. Lunch platters are available for $6. Come visit with Santa.

Free Christmas meal

LOCK HAVEN -- There will be a free Christmas meal at Great Island Presbyterian Church Dec. 25.

Eat in will take place at noon with takeout/delivery beginning at 11 a.m.

Reservations and more information can be found by calling 570-748-2810.

Worship services

SALONA -- Mt. Bethel/Salona United Church of Christ invites you to worship service each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. The Churches alternate services between the two locations. Dec. 8 Sunday service is at Mt. Bethel UCC, Route 64, Mill Hall, Pa. Dec. 15 service will be at Salona UCC, Salona, Pa. Worship services are led by Pastor Cindy Killinger.

Hanging of the Greens

MILL HALL -- Bald Eagle United Presbyterian Church invites the public to a Hanging of the Greens service on Sunday, Dec. 8, at 10:30 a.m. Before your eyes the church sanctuary will be decorated and made ready for Christmastime. The lights will be put on the tree including the celebration balls. Holly and tinsel along with poinsettias will adorn the sanctuary. Everyone is invited to join us for this one a year special service. The church is located at 111 Main St., Mill Hall, and is handicapped accessible with plenty of parking to the rear of the church.

Cookies with Santa

MCELHATTAN -- McElhattan Pathway to Christ Church is offering family time with Santa. Come enjoy free cookies and milk with Santa on Sunday, Dec. 8, from noon to 2 p.m. You can also have your photo taken with Santa and emailed to you as a keepsake reminder of the event. Free gift bags will be presented to each child while supplies last. The church is located at 502 McElhattan Drive, McElhattan. For more info on this and other events at the church, email BJ at Bpeters388@comcast.net.

Christmas Hymn Sing

DUNNSTOWN -- Dunnstown United Methodist Church will be having a Christmas Christian Gospel Hymn Sing on Dec. 8, from 2-3:30 p.m. Twisted Racquet Tears will be the featured band. There is no cost to attend. Come join and sing those long loved, familiar hymns!

Worship in the Woods

LOCK HAVEN -- Every Friday and Saturday night during December from 6-9 p.m., everyone is invited to come to the Big Woods Bible Church parking lot to enjoy a display of lights celebrating the true meaning of Christmas.

Each service runs for 30 minutes during the 6-9 p.m. time frame. Big Woods Bible Church is located at 241 S. Hanna St., Lock Haven.

Grief Support

LOCK HAVEN -- Community Grief Support is a new opportunity for men and women to gather and seek help together. The next meeting will be on Dec. 10. The group will meet the second and fourth Tuesday of the month from 6-7 p.m. in the lounge of Covenant United Methodist Church, 44-46 W. Main St., Lock Haven.

The support group is free, confidential and open to anyone. There is no work book to follow and no end date. It is designed to become an established, long-term program.

Sharon Gensib and Pamela Brauchli are the facilitators. They will open each session but the discussion will go where the group takes it.

St. Paul's Food Pantry

MILL HALL -- The St. Paul's Food Bank will have their only distribution in December on Wednesday, Dec. 11, from 9-11 a.m., at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 6220 Nittany Valley Drive, Mill Hall -- one mile North of the I-80 interchange. The distribution will include items to prepare Christmas dinner. Don't forget to return your boxes! It is much appreciated. The food pantry serves the Mill Hall/Lamar area to the Centre County line. Any questions please call 570-726-7460.

'Casting Call' performance

LAMAR -- "Casting Call" a play by Eddie James will be presented by the Nittany/Sugar Valley UMC with two shows. This fun and entertaining Christmas play will be a great addition to your family's holiday celebrations!

You'll get a chance to see what happens when each member of the Live Nativity has to audition for their part and get a behind the scenes look as these "aspiring actors" answer the casting call.

There will be two shows: Saturday, Dec. 14, at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. at The Porter Township Community Building, 216 Spring Run Road.

Take a break from your busy preparations for the Christmas season and remember the real reason we celebrate the holiday.

Christmas Concert

St. Paul's Episcopal Church will host their annual Christmas Concert on Sunday, Dec. 15, at

6 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public. A prelude will begin at 5:45

p.m. performed on the harp by Jaime Castillo. The program will consist of carols sung by all,

anthems by the choir and will feature vocal and instrumental solos. Please join us for this beautiful evening of Christmas music from talented local musicians, all set in the amazing acoustics of St. Paul's sanctuary.

Christmas Eve Service

FARRANDSVILLE -- The Peoples United Methodist Church of Farrandsville will hold a Christmas Eve Candlelight service starting at 5 p.m. All are invited and welcomed! Call 570-748-9667 for info.

Prayer Shawl Ministry

MILL HALL -- Come join the members of the Prayer Shawl Ministry of Bald Eagle United Prebyterian Church on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. The meeting begins at noon where we'll look at all of the beautiful creations of crocheted and knitted items that have been brought in by our needleworkers. There will also be a lunch provided. If you'd like to become a part of the Prayer Shawl Ministry, please come! We welcome all skill levels to help us in our ministry. If you don't know how to crochet or knit, we have people who will show and mentor you through your learning experience.

The Prayer Shawl Ministry also accepts donations (monetary as well as yarn or cotton material) to continue our ministry. The church has a ramp and is handicap accessible and is located at 111 Main St., in Mill Hall, with plenty of free parking to the rear of the church.

Crafting group open to all

LOCK HAVEN -- A new crafting group is open to everyone who wants to share in the fun and maybe gain a new skill. Covenant Crafters meets Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. in Covenant United Methodist Church, 44 W. Main St., and is open to the general public.

Projects will vary.

The group meets in the lounge. Enter the more modern section of the church building and turn right at the stairs. The lounge is on the left. The building also has a handicap entrance. For information, contact the pastor at 570-748-6481 or covenantumc@susumc.org.

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