WEPOSC meeting

The West End Planning & Open Space Commission is slated to meet at 6:30 tonight in the Chestnuthill Park Building in Brodheadsville.

PVEN meeting

The Pleasant Valley Ecumenical Network will meet via Zoom at 10 a.m. Thursday.

Polk Supervisors

The Board of Supervisors for Polk Township are slated to meet for a general meeting at 8 a.m. Thursday.

Busy Post home

The West End Memorial American Legion Post 927 has many groups meeting in the next seven days.

The Legion Auxiliary will have its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday.

On Sunday, at 10:30 a.m., the Riders will have their monthly meeting.

SAL meets at 7 p.m. for its monthly gathering on Monday, and Valor PTSD meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Fire Company

West End Volunteer Fire Co. Chief Don Zipp has reported that the company volunteers responded to 41 incidents in November, a 5 percent increase over 2019.

That brings the year-to-date service count to 484.

He has also announced that he will be retiring as chief of the department at the end of the year. He has held that position for four years and will be turning it over to the chosen new chief, Eric Hoffman, effective Jan. 1, 2021.

Christmas caroling

Zion Lutheran, Brodheadsville, anticipates going Christmas caroling Friday, with a snow date of next Friday.

While so doing, COVID-19 safe practices will be followed, including wearing masks, safe distancing, no carpooling, etc.

Next Wednesday, there will be the traditional wreath-making, beginning at 9 a.m., all things remaining as is.

Donations sought

Effort UMC’s food pantry is seeking donations of turkeys, hams, canned vegetables, stuffing mix, etc., for a Christmas meal. All donations may be dropped off at the church.

It is suggested that donors call first to ensure someone is here to receive the donation.

The pantry will be serving families in need from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

Special service

Salem-St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Kresgeville, will hold a 4 p.m. tree-lighting program at the church and Veterans Memorial on Sunday.

Shawl Ministry

Effort UMC’s Prayer Shawl Ministry will meet from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday to do its good work. The members meet in the church’s former Day Care Kitchen area so appropriate social distancing can be followed.

GOP Meeting

The West End Republican Club is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Cherry’s Family Restaurant in Kresgeville.

Optional dinner time for those wishing to eat and meet is 6 p.m.

Carryout is available.

Frozen meals

Monroe County Area Agency on Aging is now able to offer frozen meals to seniors if they are in need of food.

Frozen meals can be picked up at the senior center one would normally attend on a weekly basis. Should a senior be in need of food, contact the Loder Senior Center at 570-420-3745. That center is overseeing the food ordering for all of the senior centers.

Food distribution

The West End Food Pantry, located in Kunkletown, has its December food distribution set for 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 19. It serves families in the following ZIP codes in Monroe County: Kunkletown, 18058; Kresgeville, 18333; Gilbert, 18331; Saylorsburg, 18353; Brodheadsville, 18322; Effort, 18330; Sciota, 18354; Stroudsburg, 18360; Long Pond, 18334; Albrightsville, 18210; Reeders, 18352; Bartonsville, 18321; and Tannersville, 18372.

And from Carbon County, the pantry can help people in Aquashicola, 18012; Palmerton, 18071; Bowmanstown, 18030; Parryville, 18244; and Lehighton, 18235.

Anyone having questions that are not answered on the website for the West End Food Pantry can contact karena@westendfoodpantry.org.

Roast beef dinner

McMichaels UMC will hold a donation-only roast beef dinner from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Dinner includes roast beef, homemade filling, gravy and green beans.

Drive-thru pickup only. All are welcome.

Polk tree lighting

On Sunday at 4 p.m., an annual tree lighting event is scheduled for the Polk Township Memorial, Adam’s Faith Garden and Salem-St. Paul Church at Route 209 and Trach Road in Kresgeville.

Santa, songs and stories, family fun, arts and crafts, and refreshments are a part of the event.

Participants are asked to bring canned food items for local food banks.

Social distancing and masks are required.

All will be outside.

Blue Christmas service

St. Matthew’s UCC, Kunkletown, will hold a Blue Christmas service at 7 p.m. Monday, for all those who are grieving or having a difficult time finding joy this Advent/Christmas season. It will be a service of prayer, candles and communion. The worship will be in the gathering room.

Blood drives

The only nearby American Red Cross blood drive with open time slots as of Sunday is at the Wesleyan Church in Stroudsburg on Dec. 29. It is being held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Miller Keystone‘s Give-a-Pint program will be collecting at the Western Pocono Community Library in Brodheadsville from noon to 6 p.m. Dec. 16.

Call 610-691-5850/800-B-A-DONOR for more information.

Special project

Salem-St. Paul’s Lutheran, Kresgeville, is creating a special Christmas Eve video.

Joan McKinsey, project coordinator, is asking families to submit family photos for the project.

The first part is photos of families in church, particularly at Christmas. The second is family traditions at home, but no Santas, elves or reindeer please.

Pictures should be sent to debra0702@msn.com by Dec. 16.

Anyone with questions can call McKinsey at 570-216-2301.

Advent Sunday

St. Peter’s UMC, Saylorsburg, will mark the four Advent Sundays with hymns, carols and traditions.

The congregation continues to meet both in-person and virtually every Sunday morning at 10 a.m.

Anyone wishing to attend virtually can log on to https://www.facebook.com/stpeterssaylorsburg/live/ or https://twitch.tv/stpsaylorsburg to join the service.

Eldred Township

The regular meeting of the Eldred Township Board of Supervisors scheduled for Dec. 16 is rescheduled to 2:30 p.m. Dec. 22.

The final budget for 2021 will be approved at this meeting along with any other business that may come before the board.

Christmas Eve

• Effort UMC will be holding four services this year for Christmas Eve: 4 p.m., Early Service: 6 p.m., outdoor family service with live Nativity; 8 p.m., Christmas celebration service; and 11 p.m., a service of lessons and carols.

As seating is limited, reservations are recommended. Register at www.effortumc.org or by calling the church office at 570-629-1890.

• St. Matthew’s UCC, Kunkletown, plans to have four Christmas Eve services. They will be at 3, 5, 7 and 10 p.m.

The 3 p.m. service will be a simple service of carols, prayers and communion. The 7 p.m. service will be a Country Christmas Eve service with Randy Cramer and a few band members. It will include a sermon, with Pastor Scott preaching, and communion.

The 5 and 10 p.m. services will be lessons, carols, Communion and candlelighting, using electric candles.

All of the services will be limited to 57 people total in the sanctuary, including participants, so reservations are required to be seated in the sanctuary. Call the church office and reserve a seat or email Rose at stmatts@ptd.net. Once the capacity is met, others may worship in the social hall or gathering room where the service will be livestreamed to the church’s televisions.

If new restrictions are required by the increase in COVID-19 positivity rates which requires a return to online worship, there will be two options, the 5 p.m. or 7 p.m. service. They will be able to be viewed on the church website at a later time if preferred.

Attendees are reminded to bring their own communion elements - bread/cracker and wine/juice - to all of the Christmas Eve services. The church does have prepackaged elements, but finds them a bit tricky to open.

• McMichaels UMC anticipates Christmas Eve services being at 3 and 5 p.m. Christmas Eve weather permitting. If it is raining or snowing, the services will be inside. Otherwise they will be outside for approximately a half-hour with a contained fire and Christmas carols.

One must still wear a mask and dress with a warm coat and gloves. Attendees may bring a chair or stand but Scripture will be read, a few carols sung and distance fellowship practiced. No music will be provided except recorded songs.

If it rains or snow is on the ground, worshippers must go inside.

The service will also begin at 3 p.m. and again at 5 p.m. and only be a half-hour long. Scripture and music will be provided, no instruments, only recorded songs will be played.

Masks must be worn inside or outside. The plans are to keep the sanctuary cool, so attendees are reminded to dress accordingly as the church has been advised to do this.

Christmas card bags will be handed out to families after the services.

• Zion Lutheran, Brodheadsville, will have two services on Christmas Eve. They are scheduled for 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Masks must be worn and physical distancing is required.

Since seating is limited, reservations are required.

Call the church at 570-992-6988 or email zionulc@ptd.net to request a reservation.

Contact Adele Argot at 717-933-4028 or arargot3@verizon.net. Contact the Times News at 800-443-0377 or tneditor@tnonline.com.