A Christmas Pageant for Everyone - Including You!

First UMC Middletown is putting an innovative twist into their Annual Christmas Pageant this year on Sunday, December 20th, during the 10 AM worship service. Not only is everyone in the Middletown, CT area invited to come and enjoy the pageant, but everyone of all ages is invited to play a role in it, in whatever dress or costume helps them to express their celebration of the Christmas season.

“We want children and adults to feel comfortable being themselves in the story of Jesus’ birth,” said Barbara Marks, Pastor of First UMC Middletown. “If someone wants to come in their work clothes, a sports uniform or a costume of a favorite cartoon character to become a part of the story instead of playing a traditional role, that’s great. When Jesus came to us, everyone came to him as they were to offer their lives to God’s redeeming ways of love. Why shouldn’t we try to do the same for people today?”

The pageant will take place Sunday, December 20th as a part of First UMC Middletown’s Sunday 10AM worship service, held in the Crystal Ballroom of the Elks Lodge at 44 Maynard Street in Middletown. The church is worshiping in this place while they evaluate options for building a new church worship and meeting facility. People or their children wishing to play non-traditional roles in the pageant, can come as they wish to come on that day.

People who would like to have their children participate in the pageant in traditional Biblical roles are encouraged to attend First UMC Middletown’s worship services Sundays at 10 AM on December 6th and December 13th, during which there will be rehearsals for these children. First UMC Middletown will make traditional costumes available for children who dress up or act as one of the characters in the Biblical story of Jesus’ birth. A final dress rehearsal for people playing these traditional roles will he held Saturday, December 19th, 9-11AM, in the Crystal Ballroom.

“ We hope that this inviting approach to celebrating Christmas will be welcome by many people in our community,” said Pastor Barbara Marks, “and we are looking forward to everyone coming to celebrate the coming of Christ into the world.”

#PrepareYe the way of the LORD!