West End news for Dec. 7, 2017

Seniors menu

Being served on Friday at the Monroe County Senior Center, with the Chestnuthill group meeting at Zion Lutheran in Brodheadsville, is chef’s salad with grilled chicken. On Dec. 13, it will be an open-faced creamed chicken sandwich.

Those wishing to partake of the hot meal are to call the site manager at 570-242-6770 by 11 a.m. the day before.

A special program on Dec. 13 will be presented by Jennifer Pandolfo at 10:30 a.m. She the Center for Vision Loss’s Director of Monroe Operations.

QV Christmas

Quiet Valley, Monroe County’s Living Historical Farm, will again present its Old Time Christmas from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Experience Christmas in the 1800s with a winter evening on the farm.

Guides dressed in period clothing lead people by lantern light. There will be a Christmas Putz display, a live barnyard Nativity, caroling, a visit from the Belschnikel, storytelling, complimentary refreshments and more as well as a holiday gift shop with handcrafted items.

For more information, including entrance fees, visit quietvalley.org on the web or call 570-992-6161.

Parking is free. Pets are not allowed, nor is smoking.

Special Masses

Our Lady Queen of Peace Church will celebrate Feast of the Immaculate Conception a Holy Day of Obligation with Mass being offered at 4 p.m. Thursday, and the Adoration in the main church from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Friday. Mass will be at 12:10 and 7 p.m.

There will be no 8 a.m. Mass either day.

Santa visit

The bearded man of Christmas will visit Chestnuthill Township Park in Brodheadsville from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday with music, hot cocoa and cookies. Nonperishable food items for PVEN and new unwrapped Toys for Tots will be collected.

Shut-in caroling

Zion Lutheran, Brodheadsville, will go caroling to shut-ins from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday.

On Saturday the church will hold its usual 5 p.m. worship service, and on Sunday, at 8 and 10:30 a.m., there will be the Second Sunday of Advent worship.

From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. there will be a Breakfast with Santa fundraiser, with goodwill offerings going to Zion’s Youth Group.

Salem-St. Paul’s Lutheran, Kresgeville, will go caroling at 5:15 p.m. Friday to the Getz Personal Care Home in Jonas.

The church will hold its worship services at 8:15 and 10:30 a.m. with Sunday school will at the latter. The Confirmation class will meet at 9 a.m.

At 11:45 a.m. the Sunday school family Christmas party will be held.

Effort UMC youth will be going to local nursing homes to carol on Saturday, leaving the church at 1 p.m.

Cookie baskets

McMichaels UMC will be making cookies baskets at the church on Friday. They will be on sale at the donation-only breakfast, from 8 to 10:30 a.m., being held Saturday.

Pantry open

Effort UMC’s food pantry, known as the Supplemental Food Resource Center, will be open from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday.

This Saturday is the time to preregister for the Christmas dinner box. For those who preregistered, the boxes will be distributed on Dec. 23. There will be no carriers that day. For more information, contact Henry McCormick at 570-629-1890, ext. 109.

Live Nativity

The Southern Pocono Mission Connexion of the United Methodist Church invites the West End community to attend its second annual live Nativity to be held on Saturday and Sunday.

The Connexion, consisting of Effort, McMichaels, Neola and St. Peter’s United Methodist churches, will re-enact scenes from the infancy through the early manhood of Jesus, beginning with his birth and culminating with his baptism by John the Baptist.

The scenes will take place on the grounds of St. Peter’s United Methodist Church, 924 Route 115, Saylorsburg beginning at 5 p.m. each night and concluding at 8 p.m. Hot chocolate and homemade cookies are offered as refreshment in the fellowship hall. For additional information, call 610-393-5321 or 570-992-7311 (leave a message), or check online at www.stpetersum.webstarts.com.

Special program

St. Matthew’s UCC, Kunkletown, will have an informal evening Communion service featuring CIA’s video of the Journey to Bethlehem followed by dessert in the social hall. Cookies for sharing may be brought.

On Sunday the Family Table service will be at noon.

Also on the Sunday calendar are a wrap-a-thon from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Christmas pictures from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

Christmas concert

The Pleasant Valley Choral Society is celebrating 35 years of sharing members’ love of music with friends, neighbors and the community with its annual Sounds of the Season concert this weekend.

The performances will be held in the Pleasant Valley High School cafeteria at 7 p.m. Saturday and at 3 p.m. Sunday.

The audience will be enjoying cookies and punch during the show. For more information about the chorus or upcoming concerts, contact Dottie at 570-688-9067.

Riders meet

The Legion Riders are slated to meet at 10:30 a.m. Sunday for a monthly meeting. At 11:30 they will have their Christmas party.

The event is for Riders and guests. They have been asked to sign up to bring a covered dish, and a $20-$25 exchange gift.

For more information, contact everett.shaver@yahoo.com.

Christmas activity

Effort UMC will bring holiday music to area nursing home beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday as members make a musical visitation. Among the visitations scheduled are Getz’s in Jonas, Pleasant Valley in Snydersville and Mrs. Bush’s in Kunkletown.

At 6 p.m., the children’s Christmas pageant will be presented.

UMW meets

The United Methodist Women of Effort UMC will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Effort UMC for the Ladies Night Out. Bob Decker is the chef of the night. It is only for those who preregistered

The officers for the upcoming year will be: Dee Juris, president; Rosalie Juris, vice president; Jan Decker, secretary; and Nita Nydham, treasurer. Their terms are for three years.

The group will not meet in January so the next meeting will be at 7 p.m. Feb. 12.

Fellowship breakfast

Effort UMC will hold a fellowship breakfast from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Sunday. A freewill offering is appreciated. The breakfast is open to the public.

Cookie walk

Salem UCC, Gilbert, will hold its regular service at 10 a.m. Sunday. Then will come a cookie walk. Participants are asked to bring any kind of cookie to share with other people. They will then be sold for a set amount. There will also be three different kinds of soup available.

Tree lighting

The Kresgeville community Christmas tree lighting will take place at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the Polk Township Veterans’ Memorial and Adam’s Faith Garden.

Knit & Crochet

The Zion Lutheran unit of Knit & Crochet will meet at 1 p.m. Tuesday in the church Parish Hall in Brodheadsville.

New members are welcome. Supplies are available to start beginners, and lessons will be given to those who need them.

Korean Vets

The Korean War veterans will meet at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Legion Post 927 in Gilbert.

Christmas party

The Western Pocono Women’s Club will hold its annual Christmas party/December club meeting on Dec. 12 at the Lakeside Restaurant in Saylorsburg. The party signals the end of monthly club meetings until March 19, when they will hear from Martha Carr from Celtic Hospice.

Touch of Home

Operation: Touch of Home will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the American Legion Post 927 in Gilbert.

The group will be discussing 2018 events.

For more information, contact T. Gower at tlgower@ptd.net.

WEPOSC meets

The West End Park and Open Space Commission will meet at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 13 at the Chestnuthill Park Building in Brodheadsville.

Soccer league

West End Soccer League winter indoor registration is open. Register online; a convenience fee will be charged for online registration. Just click on the link on the WESL website.

Registration will be open until Dec. 15.

A $10 late registration per age group will begin on Dec. 5.

The indoor season will begin mid-January. Anyone interested in coaching a team or with questions can contact bpohlman@wesl.us.

PVEN help

The Pleasant Valley Ecumenical Network is seeking volunteers to help give children in the community a brighter Christmas by volunteering with the Angel Tree Christmas Toy Program. The dates are Dec. 15 to Dec. 20.

Call the PVEN office at 570-992-3136 for specific times, or sign up online at http://www.signupgenious.com/go/4090c4cacac2ba1fa7-angel.

Effort UMC will have its angel tree for PVEN in the narthex so members can bring back unwrapped gifts no later than this Sunday.

Children’s party

The Ladies Auxiliary of the American Legion is hosting a children’s Christmas party for all children of the community Dec. 16. It will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with all kinds of fun and food.

Since space is limited. Sign up at the Legion Post Home in Gilbert and register in the Legion foyer.

And, yes, Santa is supposed to drop by.

The Auxiliary itself will meet at 6 p.m. Dec. 13.

Christmas cantata

The choirs of Effort UMC and St. Mathews UCC have been practicing for months. The cantata this year, titled “Behold the Savior,” will be held at St. Mathew’s UCC in Kunkletown at 5 p.m. Dec. 16, with a repeat performance at Effort UMC at 3 p.m. Dec. 17.

Refreshments will be available.

Farm Equipment

The next club meeting of the Old Tyme Farm Equipment Association will be at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16, at the West End Fairgrounds in Gilbert in the new Museum Building.

Contact Adele Argot at 717-933-4028 or arargot3@verizon.net. Contact the Times News at 800-443-0377 or tneditor@tnonline.com.