Summerlea United Church
St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church
225 50 Av, Lachine, Québec, H8T2T7, Canada. 514-634-2651
Bienvenue! / Welcome!
Folks | Pages
White Gift Sunday 2004
Posted Dec 7, 2004

White Gift Sunday 2004 took place December 5. The service included a monetary donation to the Lachine Food Bank, a play by the Sunday School and presentation of white gifts and gifts for children picked by the congregation from the Outreach Gift Tree during the past two weeks. Music was by the Intermediate Choir directed by Summerlea music leader Connie Osborne. Our thanks to the Intermediate Choir, to the Sunday School students who practiced for the play and to Sunday School leaders Susan McKenzie and Linda and Roy Rodd. Following are a few rather fuzzy photos of the event. Our apologies for the poor quality. You can pick a small photo to see a larger version (sized to fit on a typical 800x600 screen without scrolling), then pick Back on your browser to return to this page.

As folks arrived they found the sanctuary decorated for Advent, with tree, wreaths, strings of lights, angels in the windows and angel banners in the Chancel. Thanks to Richard and Sheila Hébert and Lewis Guynan for the decorations and to Barbara and Jim Miller, Sheila Hébert, Mary Guynan and Helen McDowell for the angel banners in the chancel.

Valerie Coffin presented a cheque to Margaret Payette of the Lachine Food Bank, who in turn thanked the congregation on behalf of the Food bank for the cheque and for the on-going donations of food for the hungry which is ever more needed in Lachine.

Nancy, Morgan, Hunter and Bobby Fisher lit the second Advent candle.

The Intermediate Choir provided the music for the service L-R: Shauna & Meghan Overbury, Amélie Poitras, Jennifer Worsnip, Michelle McKenzie, Gabrielle Poitras.

Then it was time for the Sunday School to present their play about the real meaning of Christmas. Peter Maklan and Cassandra McKenzie played the two youngsters left at home for the evening while their parents went Christmas shopping.

They soon fell asleep and a dream sequence ensued, with modern Christmas gifts being proffered by several youngsters. The items offered included an ElectroPet, BeanoBaby and SpiceRacks, raising some chuckles from the congregation. John White, Caroline, Elizabeth and Robert Rodd offered the pseudo toys under the watchful eye of angel Erin Overbury.

1. Alayna Roy, Cassandra and Peter Maklan offered the story of the first Christmas. 2. Elizabeth Rodd and cousin Eric were Mary and Joseph with the baby Jesus. 3. Erin Overbury was a very expressive angel, while the Intermediate Choir sang, Shauna Overbury, Amélie Poitras and Meghan Overbury shown. 4. The youngsters Peter Maklan and Cassandra McKenzie got the straight facts about the spirit of Christmas giving from the angel, Erin Overbury.

The play will be presented again at the 7 PM family service on Christmas eve, by which time the photographer hopes to have learned the significance of all those funny toy names.

After the children's play, it was the turn of the congregation to show the Christmas spirit in presenting white gifts (food) and children's gifts for those in need.

At the Acadia entrance to the church the Christmas crêche was in place, having been set up the previous Wednesday during drenching wet snow and rain by Richard Hébert and George Provias.

Top | Folks | Pages