Danna Shirley
I was a semi-new Christian in 1988, just helping out in the church office and wherever I was needed. I couldn’t sing or play an instrument or pray lofty prayers but as a worker bee, I typed the bulletin and organized. So when an announcement was made to plan our Christmas activities that year, I attended the meeting.
Fountain of Praise had been newly renovated from a former automotive repair shop so it was a long, narrow building. The fellowship hall was also long and narrow and was petitioned off from the sanctuary. As we all sat around the tables facing each another, throwing out ideas for programs, I looked at the end of the fellowship hall and saw it open up into a huge living room with comfortable couches and chairs, a large area rug, coffee tables and lamps, a warm fireplace with a lovely decorated Christmas tree beside it filled with festively wrapped packages underneath.
When I explained my vision, everyone agreed that was what we would do . . . decorate the sanctuary like a living room at Christmastime and invite everyone to come to our “Christmas Party.” The church offices had plenty of furniture and what we didn’t have, people brought from their own homes. The invitation read “Bring Gifts for Baby Jesus” which would go into our nursery.
The night of the party came and everyone who had ever attended our church received an invitation. It was a delightful setting. The room was lit with candles and lamps, rugs and throw pillows—nice and comfy cozy. Gifts arrived and were put under the tree. Everyone made themselves at home eating snacks and drinking punch. We sang Christmas carols and the children opened the gifts for baby Jesus.
Then we invited everyone to say how they had come to visit Fountain of Praise or how God had ministered to them through our pastors, Bob and Anne Tolar. It was a wonderful evening of sharing and good memories.
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