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Local church briefs

Holiday Open House HOWARD — St. Mark Lutheran, 850 Snydertown Road, Howard, will bring back its Holiday Open House event on Dec. 6. The event will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and includes an appearance by, and photo opportunities with, Santa and Mrs. Claus! The open house features craft vendors who will be selling items that would make Christmas gifts or to keep for yourself. Some of the items include original ornaments, dog scarves and leashes, pet treats, small wooden benches, cutting boards, sensory blankets and so much more! The event also features food sales, including breakfast ...

The forgotten figures in the nativity story

As we approach Christmas I want you to think about nativity scenes. Typically they seem to include everything from Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus to the shepherds, wise men and the assorted animals. I used to be a nativity scene snob, insisting that the wise men (magi) didn’t belong in them since it’s quite clear from Matthew’s gospel that they didn’t arrive until somewhere around two years after Jesus’ birth. However, one day it occurred to me that perhaps nativity scenes aren’t meant to be exact historical representations but rather theological statements. In other ...

Local church briefs

Hanging of the Greens MARSH CREEK — Summit Hill Wesleyan Church will have a Hanging of the Greens Service on Sunday, Nov. 30, during the 10:30 a.m. worship service. Come for Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. The church will also have a Candlelight Christmas Eve service at 6 p.m. Come join with Pastor Stan and others as we celebrate Christ’s birth. Let your Light Shine for Jesus! Looking ahead to the New Year, the church will have a Family Movie Night on Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. The church is located at 1725 Summit Hill Road, rural Howard. Call Pastor Stan at 814-937-1092 for more info or ...

Finding Faith: Seasons of life

As we enter the Holiday Season of Thanksgiving and Christmas, so many emotions, memories and traditions can flood our hearts and minds. After all, “It is the most wonderful time of the year!” For many people, this is the one time of the year we reach out to those we know and love, such as by asking “what am I thankful for?” during the Thanksgiving meal; the legendary “Christmas” letter or family Christmas photos. There seems to be a familiar thread of thought as we share the updates in our lives with similar words “how did this happen?” or “how did I get here?” ...

Beech Creek Wesleyan Church to host Chiz Rider Nov. 23

PHOTO PROVIDED Beech Creek Wesleyan Church, 217 Main St., Beech Creek, will host Chiz Rider in concert on Sunday, Nov. 23, at 9 a.m. Chiz Rider Ministries maintains an active national touring schedule of over 260 concerts a year as well as several international performances. Chiz’ trumpet ...

Pastor at Pathway to Christ Church offers unique way to share Scripture

McELHATTAN — Pastor Laura Gilbert serves the Lord offering messages of God’s word at the Pathway to Christ Church in McElhattan. She offers a unique method of sharing Scripture with hand-sign to songs, poem writing, song writing and visual onscreen illustrations of the miracles of ...