The Common is beginning to look a lot like Christmas… Meira Bienstock
BETHEL — Five of the churches in Bethel will be uniting to celebrate Christmas together in The Common on December 19 at 5 p.m. and the community is encouraged to join.
They will be reenacting the birth of Jesus Christ, with the community filling all the roles, such as angels or shepherds, and Pastor Rocco of Pleasant Valley Bible Church will be narrating the reenactment. Afterward, there will be cookies and other refreshments at the Moses Mason House Barn.
At Bethel Alliance Church, there will be a Christmas Eve candlelit service at 7 p.m.
“It’s a night of just worship. We sing songs. We read the story, the nativity story, again, we have a worship team here, reading the words,” says Pastor Kevin Bellinger. “I have a little bit of a message, not a long one during that night … a little sermon.”
The Bethel Alliance Church is of Protestant denomination. The name of that denomination is the Christian and Missionary Alliance.
At Pleasant Valley Bible Church, there will be a traditional Christmas Eve service, singing the Christmas message at 6 p.m., followed by refreshments and cookies. It is a non-denominational church.
“We feature expository preaching, which means I like preaching verse by verse through the Bible,” says Pastor Rocco Gammone. “I’m teaching you exactly what the Bible is teaching in its context and its relevant stuff for us today.”
At West Parish Congregational Church, there will be a Christmas Eve service at 7 p.m., which closes with a candle light service and the singing of ‘Silent Night’. The deacons will be holding the candles this year, due to the pandemic. They will be circling the sanctuary so there will be light in every direction.
“I think [it is the] most beautiful, most special carol and it, for me, I think it symbolizes the light of Christ. The light of Christ coming into the world, and that we are called to take that light to enter to carry it back out into the world,” says Pastor Tim LeConey.
The West Parish Congregational Church is known for its inclusiveness, welcoming everyone. Their slogan is, “Whoever you are, wherever you are in life’s journey, you’re welcome here.”
At Bethel Church of the Nazarene, they will be lighting the advent candles for the weeks leading up to Christmas.
“Grace gives us the hope that there’s a brighter tomorrow,” says Pastor Chuck Mason. “And the reality of all it is if you were to read through the Scriptures, you will see that the disciples suffered from time to time at the hands of other people. So I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the light of the world.”
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