New pastor, special services, cookie sale planned at local churches

Mansfield News Journal
·3 min read

This is a busy time of the year for area churches. Several churches in Richland County have announced special upcoming events.

ARC Empowerment Center

The ARC Empowerment Center, 378 Park Avenue West in Mansfield, will host “God Sends a Baby,” a 45-minute presentation by Paul Lintern, of carols and the Christmas story at noon and 7 p.m. Monday.

The event, free and open to all, will receive an offering toward replacing the boiler at the 110-year-old building, which served Central United Methodist until 2000, and Bethesda Fellowship until 2019.

The ARC is a faith-based outreach that focuses on addiction recovery with a variety of support ministries for the neighborhood and recovery community.

Featured in the program is Lintern’s 20-minute telling of the Christmas story, using the words of Martin Luther of the 1500s, compiled by Roland Bainton of Yale Divinity School in the 1960s.

Lintern will also lead a sing-along of Christmas carols with rewritten lyrics, some as commercial carols that now embrace the Christmas story, and others as traditional hymns with newly written Christmas lyrics. Mike Smith will accompany the singing on the pipe organ, which sat unused for 19 years until Smith oversaw its renewal two years ago.

Volunteers from Southside Christian Church offer nativity sets as gifts for children going through the recent “Deck the Halls” event at the ARC Empowerment Center.
Volunteers from Southside Christian Church offer nativity sets as gifts for children going through the recent “Deck the Halls” event at the ARC Empowerment Center.

The ARC is decorated throughout the building, because of an event last Saturday in which nearly 500 children received gifts, hats, books and nativity sets in an event called deck the halls.

Those attending Monday’s events will be invited to tour the building’s decorations. Parking west of the building provides best access to the performance area.

Mount Hermon Baptist Church

At 4 p.m. Sunday Mount Hermon Baptist Church at 292 Charles St. in Mansfield will have the installation service of its new pastor, Elder Link B. Briggs. The guest speaker for the program will be Dr. Anthony Darrington from Gospel Temple Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan. The public is welcome.

First Lutheran - Shelby

First Lutheran Church, 33 Broadway in Shelby, will host a cookie sale from 8 am. to 1 p.m. Saturday. The cookie sale will coincide with First Lutheran’s monthly Community Breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m. Santa Claus will be making a special appearance from 10 a.m. to noon. All children are invited to come meet Santa and sit on his lap at no charge.

First English Lutheran

First English Lutheran Church, 53 Park Avenue West in downtown Mansfield, is celebrating Advent during the four Sundays in December. Each Sunday, a designated family comes forward to share in the lighting of the Advent candles. Sunday worship is at 10 a.m. There will also be a Christmas Eve worship service at 7 p.m. with special music and 7:30 p.m. worship. Rev. Dr. Amy C Little, general secretary of the North American Lutheran Church and daughter of the congregation, will offer the children’s message and the sermon on Christmas Eve. All are welcome.

First English Lutheran is also reminding local senior citizens of a date change for its monthly "Senior Boxes" food distribution. Normally held on the fourth Tuesday, this month's distribution will take place on the third Tuesday, Dec. 19, due to the Christmas holiday.

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Richland County churches to host special events