ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, December 21, 1995 TAG: 9512210043
SECTION: E-3 NEIGHBORS EDITION: METRO
PEACE IS POSSIBLE NOW, an interdenominational celebration for the new year, is scheduled Dec. 31 at Unity of Roanoke Valley, 3300 Green Ridge Road. Beginning with music at 6:30 p.m., it will include a meditation by a Unity leader, Andrea Fisher, and worship leadership by her husband, the Rev. Jim Fisher, pastor of the church. The Roanoke celebration will be part of a worldwide observance involving many religions that began in 1986. Call 562-2200 for more information.
THE REV. BRUCE A. NOFFSINGER has announced that he will leave the Hollins Road Church of the Brethren pastorate by June 30, 1996. Noffsinger, whose resignation was accepted by the board of the church, said he has not decided on his future ministry. He has been at the church for five years.
NORTHMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 3911 Greenland Ave. N.W., has scheduled a Christmas Eve candlelight service at 9 p.m.
THE WESLEYAN CHOIR of St. Paul United Methodist Church, 502 Gilmer Ave. N.W., will present the cantata, "Down from His Glory," Sunday at 11 a.m. Earle H. Woodliff is director and organist, and James Riddle is the narrator.
ST. JAMES EPISCOPAL CHURCH'S Christmas Eve service will include a Nativity music concert at 10 p.m. with Communion at 11. A toy blessing service is planned on Christmas Day at 10 a.m. The church is at 4515 Delray St. N.W.
THE 20TH YEAR for a Nativity tableau on the lawn of Connelly Memorial Baptist Church will be marked with presentations Friday and Saturday nights from 6:30 to 8:30. The Christmas Eve showing will be from 5:30 to 7:30 and will be followed by candlelight Communion at 8. The church is at 3907 Hershberger Road N.W.
TWO CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES with Communion will be held at 7 and 11 p.m. at St. John Lutheran Church, 4608 Brambleton Ave. S.W. Both include special music by the children's and adult choirs.
A CHRISMON TREE, containing gold and white Christian symbols, will be dedicated Sunday at a 5 p.m. ceremony at First Presbyterian Church. The service will feature the four youth choirs. Special music will begin at 10:40 p.m. for the candlelighting service starting at 11. The church is at 2105 S. Jefferson St.
ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, Elm Avenue at South Jefferson Street in downtown Roanoke, will have three Christmas Eve celebrations. All will include Holy Eucharist. A children's pageant will begin at 4 p.m., followed by worship at 8 and 11 p.m. The late service will be preceded by special music at 10:30. Communion also will be available on Christmas Day at 10 a.m.
CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCH OF STARKEY has chosen as its next pastor the Rev. Dr. Robert Baldwin. Baldwin, a former hospital chaplain and pastor of several Roanoke area congregations, succeeds the Rev. Dr. David Henderson, who has gone to Bedford.
JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM, described as a "walking tableau," will begin Friday at 6:30 p.m. in the parking lots of three of the four Raleigh Court participating congregations: Christ Lutheran, Raleigh Court United Methodist and Virginia Heights Baptist. Neighborhood walkers, whether church members or not, may join the procession to a lawn creche at Raleigh Court Presbyterian, 1837 Grandin Road S.W. The separate processions will be led by figures in the Nativity story.
CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH, 2011 Brandon Ave. S.W., plans a carols and candlelight service for the family on Sunday at 7 p.m. Communion will be celebrated at an 11 p.m service.
CAVE SPRING BAPTIST CHURCH, 4873 Brambleton Ave. S.W., will begin its Christmas Eve worship with special music at 5:30 p.m. Communion will be offered at 6 p.m.
A FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS SERVICE is planned on Christmas Eve at Westhampton Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). It will begin at 8 p.m. and is intended for the family. The church is at 2515 Grandin Road S.W.
ST. MARK'S LUTHERAN CHURCH, 1008 Franklin Road S.W., will begin its 11 p.m. Christmas Eve Communion with special music at 10:30 p.m. Carols will be sung at a Christmas Day service at 10 a.m.
COVENANT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 1831 Deyerle Road S.W., has scheduled its Christmas Eve services at 5 and 7 p.m. The King's Ensemble will play at the early service. The later one will be by candlelight. From 4:30 to 5, from 6 to 7 and again from 8 to 8:30 p.m., youth of the church will present their traditional Nativity tableau on the lawn.
NINTH STREET CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN, 1103 Ninth St. S.E., plans an 11 p.m. service Sunday. It will include special music, Communion and a monologue by the Rev. John Huffaker. It will be by candlelight.
FOUR CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES will be held Sunday at Vinton Baptist Church in downtown Vinton. Contemporary worship will be held at 9 a.m. with traditional style service at 11 a.m. At 4 p.m., a children's program will proceed a 6 p.m. candlelight service with special music.
CHRISTMAS MASSES are scheduled three times at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, 314 Turner Road in Salem. On Christmas Eve, they will begin at 6:30 and 10 p.m. The Christmas Day worship will start at 10 a.m.
ON CHRISTMAS EVE Salem Presbyterian Church will have a family service at 5 p.m. The Children's Choir, directed by Jean Potts, will perform a cantata, "Silent Night - the Birth of a Carol." Communion with special music is scheduled at 11 p.m.
ST. PAUL'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH in downtown Salem will present its annual Nativity tableau at 10 a.m. Sunday in lieu of the usual two services. Christmas Eve Eucharists by candlelight with special music will begin at 4:30 and 10:30 p.m. A Christmas Day Communion will begin at 11 a.m.
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, Langhorne Place in downtown Salem, will begin its Christmas Eve family service at 5 p.m. followed by the candlelight Lessons and Carols worship at 10:30 .
THE REV. DR. JANET L. RAMSEY, a former chaplain at Brandon Oaks Retirement Center and an ordained Lutheran pastor, has joined the staff of the Center for Family Counseling. A recent doctoral graduate of Virginia Tech, Ramsey also is a graduate of Yale and the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. Her background also includes the pastorate of St. Timothy Lutheran Church in Vinton and an internship at the Salem Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Send information to Frances Stebbins, Neighbors, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, 24010-2491 by noon Wednesday. The deadline is advanced for the Dec. 28 edition because of the holidays. Please include a daytime phone number.
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