By Susan Shinn Turner
St. John’s Lutheran Church

SALISBURY — Christmas on Church Street returns Friday, Dec. 16, from 6 to 8 p.m.

“It’s an opportunity for people to gather together and experience the spirit of the season and the spirit of Christmas,”  St. John’s Lutheran Church Greg Williams says.

Because the city is short-staffed, the event will take place entirely at Bell Tower Green.

“We’ve rented the entire park,” he says of the downtown churches. “It will all be pedestrian friendly, and we won’t impede traffic flow.”

Participating congregations include: St. John’s, St. Luke’s Episcopal, First Presbyterian, First Methodist, First United Church of Christ, At The Cross Ministries, Crown In Glory Lutheran Church, Gethsemane Baptist Church, Soldiers Memorial AME Zion Church and Trinity Presbyterian Church.

Each will create a scene centering on the birth of Christ, set up around the edges of the park. A person or a recording at each location will tell the story of the scene as small groups gather.

As with last year, a mass choir will sing at the bandstand. Mean Mug will also be on hand with its food truck for hot chocolate and coffee.

Additionally, Williams says, “Each congregation is reaching out to a traditionally African-American congregation to invite them to share in the creation of the scenes and in the mass choir.”

This will be Williams’ first year to experience Christmas on Church Street.

“I’m most looking forward to the gathering of friends and neighbors in the community and meeting new people,” he says. “We want people to take a break from the rush of the season.”

The congregation extends a special thank you to Franco and Brenda Goodman for donating this year’s Community Christmas Tree.

“It will be a great setting with the bandstand on one corner of the park and the tree at the opposite corner,” Williams says.

Susan Shinn Turner is staff writer for St. John’s Lutheran Church.