Advent

First time church Christmas walk this Saturday

By Joanne Flemming
Compass Correspondent

WEYAUWEGA -- A new holiday tradition will begin this weekend with the inauguration of Weyauwega's annual "Christmas in Weyauwega" celebration on Saturday, Dec. 8. As part of the event, a Christmas Walk will give participants an opportunity to visit and learn about the village's three churches.

	A d v e n t Time of Preparation

John Young, coordinator, said the walk between Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, St. Peter Lutheran Church, and the First Presbyterian Church is "at the heart" of the day's activities and is modeled after the ecumenical walk held between Green Bay churches at Christmas. The day will also include cookie decorating for children, a parade, chili supper and a movie night, featuring the classic "It's a Wonderful Life" at the George Gerold Opera House.

"I was in our youth group when it went to a Mass at the cathedral in Green Bay," Young said. "There was a mention of an ecumenical Christmas church walk between the churches (in downtown Green Bay). That inspired me to want to do that here."

A couple of years passed, and people to whom Young had mentioned the idea - including Mary Jane Baehman of the Weyauwega Chamber of Commerce - kept urging him to organize the walk so it could be tied in with the annual Christmas parade.

"Once I did commit to working on it," Young said, "meeting with the pastors of the other churches, and they got involved, the dynamics really came together."

The event begins at 2 p.m. when shuttle wagons will set out from the community parking lot and at the Presbyterian Church to Ss. Peter and Paul for a 2:30 p.m. gathering and a 2:45 program.

The gathering and program at St. Peter Lutheran are scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. respectively. The walk will end at the Presbyterian Church with a gathering and program at 4 p.m.

The 15-minute programs at each church will begin with a welcome, followed by a discussion of the church's history and ministries, and end with a hymn.

Participants can walk the seven blocks between the Catholic and Lutheran churches and the four and one-half blocks between the Lutheran and Presbyterian churches, or ride the shuttle wagons. Guitarists will ride on each wagon and lead Christmas carols.

Following the program at the Presbyterian Church, everyone is invited to remain for the chili supper from 4:45 to 5:45 p.m. Women's groups from the three churches are organizing the meal. The Weyauwega Chamber of Commerce will provide cookies for children to decorate.

The community Christmas parade will begin at 6 p.m. followed by the movie, starting at 7 p.m.

For more information on the Christmas Community Walk, visit the Weyauwega Chamber of Commerce Web site, www.weyauwegachamber.com, or call Young at (920)407-1775.

(Pat Kasten contributed to this story.)