By SHELBA NIVENS / Community Columnist

This year’s Christmas celebrations at churches around the Chelsea community covered everything from a trip to the manger with Mary and Joseph to a trip to the post office with modern-day children.

The play, “Christmas at the Post Office,” presented by the children at Chelsea Community Church, was written by pastor Greg Davis and directed by Christian Adkins and Children’s Pastor Joni Matherne. Standing in line at the post office, children Taylor Maxwell, Eliza Berens, Haley Greene and Jacob Dorrie talk about their families’ troubles and discover that God still loves them and they need to have faith in Him.

Children presented a Christmas program at Union United Methodist and the Church at Chelsea Park, while actors at Liberty Baptist took their audience on an incredible journey with the walk-through drama “One Starry Night.” They visited shops in Bethlehem, made crafts, listened to stories, then journeyed to the manger with Mary and Joseph.

Children at New Heights United Methodist attended a “Happy Birthday Jesus” party, while children at Mountain View Baptist, where Rev. Grady Covin is pastor, presented a musical.

At Chelsea Church of God, the play “An Angel’s Story” took the audience back in time to see how Gabriel might have seen things while delivering to Mary the message about Jesus.

Youth at Liberty Baptist enjoyed a party with the theme “Tacky Christmas in the Loft,” where they wore their “tacky” sweaters.

While the Student Ministry at Chelsea Community Church hosted 70 young people at a “Lock-in.” According to Student Pastor Alan Higdon, five gave their hearts to Christ.

Although busy with special services, churches are not forgetting people outside their walls. Grace Presbyterian and Chelsea Community Church held Parents Night-Out, where parents left their children at the church while they went shopping or tended other Christmas-related tasks.

Chelsea Community Church’s “Life Well” program serviced over a hundred people with food, toys and clothing. Chelsea Church of God is working with “Heavenly Smiles” benevolence program providing food and gifts for needy families. And Grace Presbyterian is collecting baby items, especially baby wipes, for Sav-A-Life Shelby. People wishing to help may contact Rev. David Stephenson at 678-2663.

Some churches, including Union, will have communion on Christmas Eve while others, Chelsea Church of God included, on Christmas morning.

Several will hold abbreviated services on Christmas Day. Some Sunday morning service times will differ from the usual, so worshippers may wish to double-check beginning time at their places of worship.

Shelba Nivens can be reached by email at Shelbasn@juno.com.