Gifts for the Christ Child

During the Christmas season, our church has had a long-standing practice of supporting organizations that meet local humanitarian needs. This year the Church Council is encouraging your Gifts for the Christ Child to provide food, blankets and cleaning supplies for the Central Aroostook Human Society’s new animal shelter.

Has any creche or Christmas pageant not had sheep, a donkey, and a cow or two gathering around the baby Jesus in a manger? Artist’s renderings of the nativity story have long shown animals standing or lying near the manger. And what about “Away in a Manger”? While the gospels don’t mention animals, they have become essential characters in of one of our most important stories in the life of the church.

The animals in the nativity stories are here to stay. We hope you might help preserve and protect those vulnerable creatures that we may find at our local animal shelter.

How can you help? You’ll find a Christmas tree with gift suggestions at the church. Please check out the “Bones” during Coffee and Conversation. No wrapping is needed!

You may also send a check (note “Gifts for the Christ Child” on memo line), or use our online giving site, and email church office to let us know that you want that gift to be used for this offering.

We will dedicate our gifts on December 22, when we will also share the children’s Christmas pageant.

Christine Standefer, chair of our Welcome and Care Ministry, is a member of the Board of Directors of the Central Aroostook Humane Society. The Council also honors Chris’s service to our community through this offering.