The holiday season has begun, and events planned all over Lancaster County are keeping people busy and getting them in the Christmas spirit. St. Edward's Episcopal Church, located at 2453 Harrisburg Pike, Lancaster, will host two events this month.

On Saturday, Dec. 4, the church's annual Christmas cookie sale will return. Cookies made by members of the church's congregation will be sold deli-style by the pound to enjoy and share over the holiday season. Like in 2019, the event will feature a craft sale, where attendees can purchase stockings, quilts, and other handcrafted items. The Christmas cookie and craft sale will take place inside the church from 8 a.m. until the cookies sell out.

On Sunday, Dec. 19, at 3 p.m., Fire in the Glen will perform "A Celtic Christmas" at St. Edward's. The concert is a holiday-themed blend of traditional Scottish and Irish music with classic Christmas melodies and some more obscure holiday tunes from England and Ireland. Fire in the Glen has performed in southcentral Pennsylvania since 1999, featuring Tom Knapp on fiddle, bodhran, and backup vocals; Amanda Wells on vocals, guitar, and percussion; and Rod Nevin on vocals, Highland bagpipes, Scottish smallpipes, pennywhistles, and ukulele. This concert is part of the Cultural Events Series Ministry at St. Edward's, showcasing the church's fellowship outreach. The series began prior to the pandemic, and the performance by Fire in the Glen will be the church's first cultural event since 2019.

Proceeds from the Christmas cookie and craft sale and donations collected at Fire in the Glen's concert will go toward the mission and ministry of St. Edward's to continue supporting the Faith in Action ministry, the Hempfield Area Food Pantry, and the annual Amos Herr Park Community Festival. St. Edward's recently partnered with Church World Service to be a Welcoming Team for a refugee family. In addition, the church will team with COBYS Family Services to provide Christmas gifts for children of families in need through its annual Jesse Tree giving project.

"In every season, and especially during this holiday season, the mission and ministry of St. Edward's is to support the wider community through our fundraising efforts," stated Michelle Bentley, parish administrative assistant. "From cookie and craft sales, to our Jesse Tree giving project in partnership with COBYS Family Services, to our support of the Hempfield Area Food Pantry through robust food and monetary donations, and support of local artists through our Cultural Events Ministry, St. Edward's is an inclusive community, building a spiritual home with open hearts and open minds, joyfully serving God and neighbor in Christ's love."

For more information about St. Edward's, visit https://sainteds.org.