It’s almost Christmas!

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Arcanum News for the week of Dec. 20, 2021

By Vickie Rhodehamel

It’s almost Christmas and every family celebrates the holidays in their own way — Christmas Eve is no exception — with families incorporating a wide-variety of traditions.

Our family treasures memories of attending a candlelight service on Christmas Eve. While attending church together is a family tradition, there’s something uniquely moving about the dim lighting, the glow of the candles and the words of the age-old Christmas hymns. There’s no other evening quite as magical as Christmas Eve; in fact, my most treasured time of worship is during the Christmas season. I just love raising my candle in this collective effort to praise Him for the Light he brought to our dark world. Last year, due to the pandemic, my family and I stayed home but we plan to attend a service this year and pray for an end to this awful COVID virus. Listed below are the times of special services being held here in our community (these are most of our local churches in the Arcanum area; and all the information I had at my deadline.)

Christmas Eve Service will be on Dec. 24 at 7:30 p.m. at Castine Church located at 624 State Route 127, Arcanum. Prior to the service there will be a time of fellowship and a photobooth at 6:30 p.m.

Faith United Methodist Church located at 101 E. South Street invites you to come and join in a time of celebration of Jesus’ birth at 8 p.m. on in Candlelight and Communion on Dec. 24. Pastor Carley Brewster will preside over the service with a Christmas message.

Pleasant View Missionary Church, 5231 Gettysburg-Pitsburg Road, will hold a Candlelight Christmas Eve to Celebrate His Birth at 7 p.m. on Dec. 24. Anyone is welcome to join them, invite your family and friends to celebrate the birth of the Savior and worshipping our Savior and King.

Christmas Eve at Trinity Lutheran Church, 8520 Oakes Road, Pitsburg, will have two services on Christmas Eve. A family service at 4 p.m. and the Traditional Candlelight Service at 10 p.m. Candles will be lit and Holy Communion will be served at both services. Invite your friends and neighbors and come celebrate the birth of our Savior!

Pitsburg Church of the Brethren and Painter Creek COB will host a joint Candlelight Christmas Eve service at 10 p.m. at Pitsburg. Pastor Ken Oren welcomes you to join them at 8376 Pitsburg-Arcanum Road.

Gordon Grace United Methodist and St. Matthew’s Lutheran ELCA Partnership Church in Ithaca will hold their annual Candlelight Service with Holy Communion at 7 p.m. Gordon Grace/St. Matthew’s is located at 750 Arcanum-Ithaca Road. Pastor Marla Elifritz Brown will lead the congregation in word and song.

Trinity United Methodist Church located at 112 West South Street will hold its annual Candle Lighting Christmas Eve Service at 9 p.m. Pastor Doug Baker and the congregation welcome you to join them to celebrate the birth of the Savior.

Family of God Ministries and Pastor Joe LeMaster welcome the community to join them for “It’s A Wonderful Life” and their Candlelight Christmas Eve service at 7 p.m. They are located at 310 West South Street, Arcanum.

Community of Faith Church of Arcanum and Lewisburg will have a combined Christmas Service at the Lewisburg facility on Wednesday, Dec. 22 at 7 p.m. The campus in Lewisburg is located at 400 North Commerce Street. Pastor Brandon Peterson welcomes anyone from the community to attend their Wednesday evening service.

Can’t make it to church with small children or elderly relatives? Or perhaps you are quarantining? Then bring the warmth of the experience to your living room, just dim the lights, let members of the family read the story of Christ’s birth from scripture in Luke Chapter 2, and then sing your favorite carols by the glow of candles. My family and I wish you a Merry Christmas and send you the spirit of love, joy, and giving, remember to unwrap it on Christmas Eve.

Vickie Rhodehamel is a volunteer citizen columnist, who serves The Daily Advocate readers weekly with her Arcanum community column. She can be reached by calling 937-423-3763, by e-mail at [email protected]. Viewpoints expressed in the article are the work of the author. The Daily Advocate does not endorse these viewpoints or the independent activities of the author.

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