Hancock church serves 'Breakfast in Bethlehem'

December 24, 2009|By DAN DEARTH

HANCOCK -- Hancock United Methodist Church morphed into a nativity scene during Breakfast in Bethlehem on Thursday as angels, shepherds and wise men gathered to serve pancakes and sausage links to hungry worshippers.

Shannon McKinley, one of the event's organizers, said the breakfast was held to celebrate the birth of Christ.

"The goal is to share God's word, and have everyone realize that the greatest gift was his child and not the presents wrapped under the Christmas tree," McKinley said. "Too many kids think the Christmas story is the movie."

McKinley said the church provided breakfasts for about 50 people, who were asked, if they were able, to donate nonperishable food items for the local food bank.

After the meal, about 15 children were treated to a pageant that told the story of Christmas from the point where Mary and Joseph enter Bethlehem to Christ's birth in a manger.

"I thought it was wonderful," 11-year-old Adriana Baker said. "It was unique. It showed how it would have happened in real life."

Adele Douglas, 87, said she, too, enjoyed the pageant.

"We were little children once," she said. "We know what people did for us. We want to help them, too."

Douglas said the event was a good way to create fellowship.

"It's especially nice at Christmas, when people don't have anything," Douglas said. "We do care."

Church member Barbara Hinckle, 70, said she planned to start her Christmas celebration at the breakfast and end it later that day at the midnight church service.

"I like this because you have a chance to talk to friends," she said. "You just come and relax and enjoy the company."

Hinckle said the church also had a Christmas dinner and play scheduled for last Sunday, but they were canceled because of last weekend's snowstorm.

She said the dinner has been rescheduled for Jan. 3.

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