Worship tonight

St. Peter’s UMC will open its doors tonight for a community Thanksgiving worship service, combining with the United Methodist congregations of Effort, McMichaels and Neola.

Everyone is invited to worship at 7 p.m.

St. Peter’s UMC is located at 924 Route 115, Saylorsburg.

Special schedule

Pleasant Valley Assembly of God Church in Brodheadsville has announced the church offices will be closed today and there will be no evening services.

On Thanksgiving Day, the church offices will also be closed. On Monday, the church offices will be closed and there will be no PVCO dinner.

For updates, check wwwpvag.net.

Eldred office closed

The Eldred Township office is closed today for the Thanksgiving holiday and will also be closed Thursday and Friday. The office will resume normal hours on Monday.

Thanksgiving Mass

Our Lady Queen of Peace will have a Thanksgiving Mass at 9 a.m. Thursday.

During Advent, the church will celebrate Mass daily on: Mondays at 12:10 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday at 8 a.m.; Saturday at 4 p.m. until March 2022; Sundays at 8 a.m., *11 a.m. and 3 p.m. (Spanish).

Those marked *are Livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube, and are available in the parking lot on one’s car radio at FM 90.5.

Confession times are 6:30 to 7 p.m. Mondays and 4 to 4:45 p.m. Saturdays.

Thanksgiving dinner

American Legion, Post 927, Gilbert, is hosting its annual Thanksgiving dinner, open to the community, from noon to 4 p.m. Thanksgiving Day.

All are welcome.

Blood drive held

There will be an American Red Cross Heroes Blood Drive at the American Legion Post home in Gilbert from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. Friday.

Appointments are still available. Go to www.redcrossblood.org.

Kris Kringle Fest

Beginning Friday, the West End Fairgrounds in Gilbert will be a busy place for the weeks up to Dec. 23 as the Carbon County Fair is holding a Kris Kringle Fest at the West End Fair.

Those weekends will feature a walk-through light show, music, food and crafts. There is an admission cost.

The light show will be nonstop from 5 to 9 p.m. every Monday through Thursday through Dec. 23.

Among the artists appearing are Dave and Brenda Rehrig, Bill and Melodye Reese, Jenny Hackett, Stacey Gable and performances by Joe Krushinsky and Angela Nardini.

Merry Movie Night

St. Matthew’s UCC, Kunkletown, is having a Friday Fun Night for kids, teens, and parents this Friday. It is a kickoff for the holiday season with a Merry Movie Night from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday in the gathering room.

Included will be a Christmas movie, cookies and hot chocolate.

Bring a blanket and pillow to make a comfy spot on the floor.

Two happenings

Effort UMC is having two activities on Saturday. At 9 a.m. the decorating the church for Christmas begins.

At 10 a.m. the church food pantry, the Supplemental Resource Center, will open and be open until noon.

Advent services

St. Peter’s UMC, Saylorsburg, will celebrate the First Sunday in Advent on Sunday at 10 a.m. and also United Methodist Student Recognition Sunday, during which the congregation will recognize its college and high school students.

Zion Lutheran, Brodheadsville, has announced the following for Advent worship: in-person worship Saturdays at 5 p.m., Sundays at 8 and 10:30 a.m. Masks are required.

Sunday services at 8 a.m. are broadcast via Zoom, and the 10:30 a.m. Service is broadcast via Facebook Live.

A simple prerecorded Facebook service is also available each week.

Bingo Monday

The American Legion Post 927 again hosts a community bingo event Monday in its main hall, with card sales beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Special meetings

McMichaels Methodist reminds all that the church hosts several help meetings.

Serenity Narcotics Anonymous meets every Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the church. The meeting is open to all who need to talk and fellowship with those who understand what you are experiencing and you can get the help you need and desire to overcome your problem. The meeting is free and confidential.

A.A. will be meeting every Wednesday at noon and every Saturday at 6:30 p.m. If you require assistance with this issue, consider joining one or both of these meetings and receive the that is needed. There will be others who understand.

Bicycles needed

No Kids without Wheels, at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, is in need of four new 12-inch bicycles for each of two boy and two girls.

Donations may be brought to the Brodheadsville church by the pole barn.

Township positions

Eldred Township Supervisors will be making appointments in January for vacancies on various commissions and committees, which may include some or all of the following, as well as others to be determined: Planning Commission, Vacancy Board, Auditor.

Residents interested in serving the township on one of these or on another committee are asked to mail or drop off a letter stating one’s interest and qualifications at the township office by Dec. 20.

Letters of interest that are mailed should be sent to Ann Velopolcek, P.O. Box 600, Kunkletown, PA 18058.

Anyone who would like more information is asked to call Ann at 610 610-381-4252, ext. 2

If already serving on a board or committee, one does not need to send a letter indicating that one is interested in continuing in that position.

Exhibit closing

Monroe County Conservation District’s Kettle Creek Environmental Education Center Art Gallery display, Rachel Keslosky’s Living with the Seasons, runs through Tuesday.

The Stroudsburg area resident uses her photography to showcase her experiences of the changing seasons of the Poconos.

For more information, call the Kettle Creek Environmental Education Center at 570-629-3061, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. most Saturdays.

Giving Tuesday

Pocono Mountain’s United Way‘s Giving Tuesday will begin with a virtual kickoff at 8 a.m. this Tuesday.

It is an international movement day of volunteering and donation, a global day of generosity.

Every $1 donated to Pocono Mountains United Way yields up to $7.53 in impact, explains Michael Tukeva, president and CEO of the local organization.

Family Night

Our Lady Queen of Peace church is hosting an Advent Family Night Tuesday. Crafting begins at 6 p.m.

It will be a time of family fun, learning and preparing for the infant Jesus.

There will be Advent wreath making, decorating cookies, making an ornament, creating an Advent chain, and enjoying warm homemade cookies and hot chocolate.

Thrift store news

The Eldred Township Thrift Store is closed until Dec. 1, when it reopens.

ID theft seminar

Rep. Jack Rader invites the community to attend an seminar from 5 to 7 p.m. on Dec. 1, at Chestnuthill Township Park Building in Brodheadsville. The guest speaker will be Dave Shallcross, director of Senior Protection from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.

RSVP is required by calling 570-643-7683 or 570-620-4341 or online at www.RepRader.com/events.

Mass announced

The Rev. Robert Simon, Pastor at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, will begin a series of talks about the Mass on Dec. 1, and continued on Dec. 8 and Dec. 22, titled: Raise up your Heads, Lift up your Hearts.

That presentation will take place at 6 p.m. in the main body of the church.

PVEN services

In addition to the Food Pantry and the Clothing Closet, the Pleasant Valley Ecumenical Network has a Diaper Pantry.

The Diaper Pantry serves both children and adults. It is the adult portion of the Diaper Pantry for which the PVEN needs the most help since the children’s supplies can be covered by grants, but the adult portion not.

Needed there are adult briefs, underwear, bed protection pads, etc.

Anyone having or willing to purchase those items can bring them to the PVEN at 2234 Route 209, in Sciota, across from the Flag Store.

There is a collection bin on the porch of the Clothing Closet where donations may be left any time.

Anyone needing more information may reach out to Colleen Walsh at the PVEN at 570-992-3136.

Lifeline program

From the Monroe County Area Agency of Aging comes word of the Lifeline telephone assistance program. It is a government benefit program that provides eligible low-income consumers with a discount on monthly service for voice (telephone), Broadband internet Access Service (or a combined telephone/internet service product from a landline or wireless provider). For more information, call 800-234-9473 Monday.

Gifts due

People who have decided to help struggling families residing in Chestnuthill, Eldred, Hamilton, Jackson, Polk and Ross townships through the PVEN Angel Tree for Christmas program are reminded that those gifts, with an angel tag attached, are due at their respective church by Dec. 5, unless the church has changed that date.

Singing rescheduled

The Cherub Choir singing at Our Lady Queen of Peace has been rescheduled due to the first grade Sunday religious education class having been canceled for the next few weeks.

That singing of the song King of Kings has been rescheduled for Dec. 12.

Santa visits

Santa is coming to the West End, courtesy of being hosted by the West End Park and Open Space Commission.

See Santa arrive on a West End firetruck at 6 p.m. at the Chestnuthill Township Park, 221 Route 715, Brodheadsville, on Dec. 3.

Enjoy hot cocoa, cookies, a craft, and a visit with Santa through 8 p.m.

Santa will also arrive on a Blue Ridge Firetruck at Ross Township Park, at 258 Anchorage Road, Saylorsburg, at 4 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 4.

Come and enjoy a tree lighting, hot cocoa, cookies, a craft, and a visit with Santa at his stop there.

These are both free events.

Nonperishable food and new, unwrapped toys will also be collected at both for the PVEN, the Pleasant Valley Ecumenical Network.

Santa will also …

Visit Effort UMC at the Fellowship Breakfast in the church on Dec. 14, sometime between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m.

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