Advent, Christmas Services
First Church in Jaffrey, UCC
First Church in Jaffrey (Congregational, UCC) will hold its traditional Christmas Eve
worship service on Saturday, December 24, at 5:00 pm, with special music beginning
at 4:45. The service will feature traditional Lessons and Carols, including the reading
of the Nativity Story, carols and choral selections. Gene Faxon, Minister of Music,
will direct the special choral and instrumental music featuring Aurora Pearson, violin;
Eve Kodiak, piano; and Damiel Faxon, cello. Rev. Robin Lunn will lead a special
time for children and will help the children place “baby Jesus” in the crèche. She will
share a story about the importance of the gift of Peace. The service will close with
“Silent Night” sung by all in the candle-lit sanctuary. Electric candles will be available
for the very young.
During Advent, First Church has nearly a dozen different crèches from around the
world decorating the sanctuary. Each week a character from a different crèche has
joined the main crèche on the altar table creating a global nativity scene for Christmas
Eve. Each Sunday in Advent Rev. Robin Lunn and Rev. Shayna Appel have been
sharing tales told from the perspectives of different characters within the nativity
story: the Angel, Inn Keepers, and Shepherds describe their encounters with Mary,
Joseph and the baby Jesus. Christmas Day, Sunday December 25 at 10:30, Rev.
Shayna Appel will lead worship.
First Church is located in Jaffrey Center, 2 miles west of downtown Jaffrey on Route
124. The 1831 red brick church is adjacent to the historic Jaffrey Meetinghouse on the
common. It is handicapped accessible, with ample parking.
