The First Union Church Sunday School class performed a Christmas program Sunday, December 23, reading scripture, singing, and performing the nativity play as part of the Sunday service. A group of preschool-age angels including (from left) Emilie Bigelow, Selah Preston, Caleb Kohlmann, and Jay Freel sang along with the third and fourth grade shepherds behind them (back row, from left) Trevor Kohlmann, Leila Schlosser, Kylie Hill, and Emma Bohn. We hope that Lydia Rudd had a happy birthday on Christmas Day, when she turned 97 years of age. Lydia has not been feeling well, but was feeling a lot better in time for her special day. We wish her well.

The candlelight service at First Union Church was a lovely way to spend Christmas Eve, featuring a Christmas carol service with talented local musicians.

The program included a flute solo by Karissa Schlosser, a flute duet by Lori Jacobus and Karissa Schlosser with Joann Izzard on piano, a bassoon solo by Alan Jacobus, a vocal solo by Grace Dunn, accompanied by Erin Smith on piano, and the bell choir, directed by Alan Jacobus.

The lighting of the candles, with Silent Night at the end of the service, gave a special meaning to the evening.

The week before Christmas was warm and foggy, not a typical Christmas atmosphere.

It's nice to hear of all the charitable activities happening at our schools. There are a few more to report. Laurie Pearson's first grade class gave up their classroom gift exchange this year to buy toys for less fortunate children.

The students usually spend $5 on a gift to exchange in class, but instead used their money to get gifts that were donated to a toy drive in Mackinac County. The students also wrote Christmas cards to recovering soldiers in military hospitals.

Jill Schaeffer's second grade students made up a food basket and donated it to a local family. The students decided as a class what would make a good Christmas dinner, and each student brought in items like potatoes, gravy, and vegetables to add to the basket. A turkey was donated to the classroom for the basket. The students also made cards and walked over to Cedar Cove Assisted Living Community to visit with residents before Christmas.

Carrie Carr's third grade class wrote Christmas cards to a soldier in Iraq.

The entire elementary school collected more than 1,000 items in a canned food drive to donate to the food pantry at Cedar Post in Cedarville. The classrooms competed to see who could collect the most items, and Kathy Tassier's fifth grade class won the challenge, with 360 cans. All items were delivered before the holidays to help stock the pantry for the people who need it most.

We hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year's Eve.

Happy New Year to all!