Limeville United Methodist Church (UMC), 5783 Limeville Road, Gap, will present a free Kids' Christmas Event on Saturday, Dec. 11, from 3 to 5 p.m. Children will be able to visit with Santa, hear the Christmas story, make crafts and enjoy cookies and hot chocolate. Santa will be on hand and available for photos.

A Christmas tree lighting ceremony will also take place outdoors at 4:45 p.m., and Santa Claus will help light the tree. Hot dogs will be served following the ceremony.

Local families are welcome to participate and can drop by anytime during the afternoon. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Other than the tree lighting, activities will be held indoors. "We will use fellowship hall and our Sunday school classrooms. Santa will sit at the Christmas tree in the sanctuary for pictures," said congregation member Debbie Baldwin, event organizer. "Basically we use the whole church building."

For the craft activity, children will make baggies of "reindeer food" with a poem attached. "They will make up little bags with oatmeal and glitter in it that they can sprinkle on their lawn for Santa's reindeer," Baldwin explained.

The church has held a children's Christmas program for the past six years. The event is not a church fundraiser. Rather, the activity is held to serve local families and introduce them to the church. "Everyone who came (to the Christmas event) in other years has really enjoyed it," Baldwin said, noting that last year's event was limited to outdoor activities because of the pandemic. "It's a community-based (outreach). Everything is free."

The church also hosted a successful Kids' Carnival in September. "We had 119 kids for our children's carnival," Baldwin noted.

The Sunday service at Limeville UMC is held at 10:15 a.m. Sunday school is offered prior to the service at 9 a.m. All services are livestreamed on Facebook.

The church recently renovated its Sunday school wing, where it will begin to offer a children's group in January 2022 for youngsters ages 3 to 12. The program will be open to all children in the community. "The kids' program will meet on Mondays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.," said Baldwin. "We are planning (to offer) singing, a Bible story and a craft." Final details about the new youth group will be finalized this month.

The public is also invited to attend Christmas Eve services at Limeville UMC on Friday, Dec. 24, at 3 and 10 p.m.

For more information, call 717-442-4010 or visit http://www.facebook.com/LimevilleUMC.