Find the Christmas Spirit in the Heart of Downtown Charleston
Road tour aims to unwrap the true meaning of Christmas with fellowship
and collections benefiting Heart + Hand Outreach Ministries
Those meandering along Capitol Street through charming downtown Charleston (near Taylor Bookstore) with visions of sugarplums might also get a glimpse of the true meaning of Christmas – and it comes with free hot cocoa.
An easy-to-find bedecked tour truck will be the centerpiece of “The True Meaning of Christmas Tour” festivities from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 13.
Charleston is one of 21 stops for The United Methodist Church as it hits the road in 16 states this year to visit cities across the United States to offer free hot cocoa along with an invitation to join with others to unwrap the true meaning of Christmas. St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, Morris Memorial United Methodist Church, Elizabeth Memorial United Methodist Church, Christ Church United Methodist, St. Paul United Methodist Church and First United Methodist Church, South Charleston, will host the come-and-go event. The entire community is invited.
“We want to offer our community a different type of gift: an opportunity to celebrate what Christmas is all about by providing help to our neighbors, boosting joy and building relationships with others,” said Frank Shomo, Midland South District Superintendent for the West Virginia C
onference of the United Methodist Church.
The day’s activities also include collection of items for Heart + Hand Outreach Ministries, with donations of food items, such as soup and pasta, and household paper items, such as toilet paper.
To participate in the service project, bring items to The True Meaning of Christmas Tour stop between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. near Taylor Bookstore on Capitol Avenue and from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Heart and Hand Outreach Ministries, 212D Street South Charleston, Wednesday, December 13.
A survey conducted by Pew Research Center in 2013 indicated that the activities that people least liked at Christmas time are the commercialism/materialism, money/expense, and shopping/crowds. What they most look forward to is spending time with family and friends (69 percent) and religious reflection/church (11 percent).
“This tour is a unique way for the church to reach out to people who are experiencing loneliness or who want to give back to the community at this significant time of year,” said Dan Krause, chief executive of United Methodist Communications, which is coordinating the month-long expedition. “More than 500 volunteers from local United Methodist churches are partnering with us to make this a multi-state effort.”
The True Meaning of Christmas tour is set to stop in 21 cities from December 2-24. Follow the tour online atUnwrapChristmas.org and #UnwrapChristmas.
About the United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church has more than 12.7 million members globally and is in mission in more than 12 countries. It is the second largest Protestant denomination in the United States, with more than 32,000 churches. The church’s mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Its tagline “Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors” embraces who we are and how we seek to put our faith in action. Learn more at UMC.org.