Compiled by Jim Nieman
Timber Lake Christian Church, Moberly, Mo., is sponsoring a new Christmas attraction this year—the Moberly Mega Tree. The 40-foot, animated pixel tree’s lights are synchronized to music broadcast onsite through a sound system and via a radio transmitter that can be heard at 101.9 FM by those who park near the tree.
“The vision for the mega tree came out of a desire to tell the real Christmas story in a fun and unique way in our community,” said Brian Sevits, worship and administrative minister. “We brought a little bit of what you might see at a theme park or bigger city to rural Missouri.”
Free shows run daily from 6 to 10 p.m. until New Year’s Eve. Upcoming weekend events include Games and S’mores Night and Live Music and Dessert Night. (Food Truck Night was this past Saturday.)
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Chuck and Frances Jolly were married in the parking lot of Choateville Christian Church in Frankfort, Ky., on Saturday. The couple opted for an outdoor, “drive-in” wedding—complete with popcorn and candy—due to precautions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The couple were married on the 51st wedding anniversary of the bride’s parents. CCC pastor Mike Napier conducted the ceremony.
“Is it chilly? Sure,” the new Mrs. Jolly told the State Journal, “but at least everyone’s safe.”
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Johnson University will livestream its “Simply Christmas” program at 7:30 p.m. this Friday. It will feature singers and musicians Brantley Gilbert, Mandy Harvey, Andrew Peterson, and others. Associate dean of students David Wheeler will host. Go to johnsonu.edu/simply-christmas.
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Manhattan (Kan.) Christian College will host a “Marriage and Ministry and Manhattan” seminar on Jan. 8. Cost is $40 per couple ($50 after Dec. 25). “We’re in a unique pressurized season of ministry, and marriages are vulnerable,” MCC writes. “Take some time to reconnect to your lifetime ministry partner.” Kevin and Lisa Ingram will serve as facilitators.
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Pattonsburg Christian Church, located just southwest of Toluca, Ill., is celebrating its 175th anniversary this year, according to a Shaw Media story. Jonah Steele, a graduate student at Lincoln Christian University, recently was named the church’s minister.
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Leaders of Mattoon (Ill.) Christian Church are hoping to make repairs to their building that was seriously damaged by an arson fire Nov. 28. Pastor Ken King told the Journal Gazette & Times-Courier that the church lost two Sunday school classrooms, a bathroom, Communion room, and a back stairwell. Additionally, there was some fire damage to the sanctuary and smoke damage throughout the building. The building will require extensive electrical rewiring. The brick structure, constructed as a Baptist church, dates to 1925; it has been home to MCC since 1967. A local man who has frequented the church’s food pantry has been charged with setting the fire.
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Leslie Starasta, information services librarian and associate professor with Lincoln (Ill.) Christian University, is serving as president of the Association of Christian Librarians.
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Several community partners came together recently to support Community Cheer’s annual “Boxing day” in Martinsville, Va., according to the Bulletin. Among the 40 or so volunteers who helped box-up $35,000 worth of food for the needy—along with such things as toys for young children, gift bags for those ages 11 to 17, and blankets—were members of the youth group from Rich Acres Christian Church.
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Poinciana Christian Church, Kissimmee, Fla., hosted a free drive-through Christmas story on Saturday evening, complete with music, Scripture, and actors. “Journey to Bethlehem” was limited to one night this year due to the pandemic.
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As part of a senior research project at Milligan University in Tennessee—and due to COVID-19 restrictions—senior Hannah Meyers produced and directed William Shakespeare’s comedy Love’s Labour’s Lost for presentation via Zoom. This past spring, Meyers was planning to direct a stage musical but reconsidered when the coronavirus stubbornly hung around. The Zoom production can be viewed at the Milligan Fine Arts Facebook page.
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