Kids to share ‘Giving and Gratitude’ stories of Christmas

NEWTOWN BOROUGH - The children of Newtown Quaker Meeting will present a special one hour Christmas program based on Stories of Christmas “Giving and Gratitude” Sunday, Dec. 16 at 11 a.m. at the historic Friends Meetinghouse at 219 Court Street, Newtown. The public is invited and childcare will be provided.

For this special day of programs, the traditional Quaker meeting for worship based on gathering in silence will be held at 10 a.m.

“The children wanted to hear about stories of Christmas from families in the Meeting, so they asked them,” said Angie Ratliff of Pennington, N.g., Clerk of the Children’s Education Committee. “These memorable stories will be presented as part of the children’s traditional program at this time of year.”

The program will alternate between stories of giving and gratitude from people’s memories of previous Christmas seasons interspersed with carol singing and music presented by the children. Performances will be given by the children on a variety of instruments, including piano, guitar, and violin.”

The robust Newtown Friends meeting First Day (SundayF School has 96 children registered in its program. All teachers are volunteers and many are parents andLor from the teaching staff of Newtown Friends School, the elementary school governed by Newtown Friends Meeting, and George School, the Quaker boarding school in Newtown.

The children and teachers plan a series of classes around religious themes during the academic year. They also produce special programs for the entire Meeting at Christmas and Easter as well as host dinners at the Meetinghouse to raise funds for community service projects.

Following the children’s program, there will be finger food for everyone in the Gathering Room of the historic Meetinghouse. The public is invited to attend all events. Newtown Friends Meeting was co-founded in 1815 by Quaker minister and artist, Edward Hicks.