Grace Community Church, Overbrook, will present a drive-in style telling of the traditional Christmas story Wednesday, Dec. 16, through Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020. The presentation will be shown at 6:30 and 7:30 each evening on large movie screens in the parking lot of the church. Admission will be free and the event will comply with social distancing guidelines. People will remain in or near their vehicles and the sound will be broadcast using an FM radio signal.
This telling of the story of the birth of Jesus will be through shadow puppetry and story theater. The show was created by Grace Spencer, who used a combination of scripture, music and puppetry to tell the traditional story. To make the preparation and rehearsal and the presentation of the production as safe as possible during the pandemic, a small cast and crew was utilized, and the final production is a movie of the story told by narrators and illustrated by shadow puppets.
Frank Rhodes, chairman of the congregation, said he is excited the church developed a creative way to share the Christmas story this year, when traditional presentations and events are not being held.
“On behalf of Grace Community Church, I invite everyone to come and find the real joy of Christmas while seated in your car,” Rhodes said.
Spencer is a senior theater major at Northwestern College, Orange City, Iowa. She has experience with puppetry and traditional musical theater performances. Last year she used shadow puppetry, song, and scripture when she provided a program for the women’s Christmas tea at Grace Community Church. She was encouraged by the response, and this year she pitched the idea to a group of elders when they were looking for a way to present the Christmas story to the community.
Grace Community Church is located at 310 E. 8th St., Overbrook. Admission is free and no reservations are necessary. Large vehicles such as buses and campers are discouraged. There will be attendants stationed at the entrances to the church parking lots at 6 p.m. to direct traffic for the first showing.
For more information, or special assistance is needed, call 785-670-6456.
Participating retailers agree to sell gift cards to the Friends at a discount. Individuals purchase the cards for full face value; redeem them for full face value, and the Friends keep the difference as revenue.
Emergency responders in Osage County are partnering up to collect new and unwrapped toys for Osage County children in need. Toy collection began last weekend and will continue until Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020. Toys collected will be donated to Osage County Help House for distribution.
“The most effective way to slow the spread of the virus is to isolate or quarantine yourself away from others in your household,” said Devan Tucking, human services branch director, Kansas Division of Emergency Management. “These non-congregate shelter options are being provided because we know it is not always possible to isolate or quarantine someone in a single-family residence where people must share a kitchen, a bathroom, laundry room and other spaces.”
In addition to the angel ornaments, the city will also be assisting adopted families from the Burlingame area through ECKAN (East Central Kansas Economic Opportunity Corporation). The Christmas tree at city hall will have tags on the tree with the adopted families’ Christmas wishes. Anyone who would like to help with the adopted families’ wishes, is asked to do the following before Dec. 14: Choose your ornament from the tree located at city hall starting Friday, Nov. 20. Hand the ornament to Amy, Anne or Patty, who will record your name and phone number along with the number on the ornament. Go purchase a gift and return to city hall by Dec. 14 with the ornament from the tree.
