December 20 – All around are celebrations of the joyous Christmas season. The Community Christmas Cantata was held on Friday evening, Dec. 14, at Centenary United Methodist Church. Some of the choral selections may be repeated when Centenary will host the Cumberland Charge Fifth Sunday Service on December 30 at 11:30 a.m.

On Sunday, December 23, the Antioch Children's Christmas Program will be held at 11 a.m. This will be preceded by the usual church worship service at 10 a.m., led by Rev. Todd Gess.

The Cumberland Charge Candlelight service will be held at Antioch Church on Christmas Eve at 7 p.m.

Browns Church plans to have their Christmas program on Sunday, Dec. 23, at 6:30 p.m. Amanda Doss is in charge.

Browns Church Women met on Sunday afternoon, December 9, in the home of Violet T. Shuart. Gail Doss led the program and Artie Moody led the devotions.

The Antioch United Methodist Women met on Monday, Dec. 10, in the home of Faye Asal, assisted by Joan Page and others. The group sponsored a collection of non-perishables for the food bank through mid-December. The women prepared a number of greeting cards. Joan Page is in charge of the card ministry.

The Antioch volunteers for Operation Christmas Child were in Charlotte, North Carolina, recently to help with the final check on shoe boxes examined were destined for children in Benin and Mali, West Africa.

Antioch's Christmas Child shoeboxes were packed at the church on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 4, totaling 201 boxes. This is the result of what was become a year-round project to purchase the needed items at the best prices.

The Antioch boxes were delivered to a collection center-The Farmville United Methodist Church. They became part of the 53-foot trailer load hauling 13,163 shoebox grifts to their departure location at Charlotte, North Carolina.

Susie Page, of Memphis, Tennessee, is spending a Christmas break with her parents, Bill and Joan Page, and other family members.

One of Anne N. Varner's grandsons, John Marshall Varner, shared with her and others his recent FFA activities. He is Vice-President of the FFA chapter at Prince Edward County High School where he is a senior. Five local representatives travelled to Indianapolis, Indiana, for the 85th National Future Farmers of America Convention and Expo, in late October. The FFA mission is to make a positiven difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. See related picture in The Herald of Friday, December 7, page 11A.

Several local students were recognized for their participation in the Disgispired project sponsored by Longwood University, including: Essence Wiley and Tyler Cox, of Cumberland County; and Cody Short of Buckingham County, formerly of Cumberland. They are pictured in The Herald of Wednesday, November 28 at page 9A.

Opportunities are increasing for Building/Construction Trades in Cumberland County. This fall, the Building Trades classes at Cumberland High School gave presentation at a School Board meeting. Southside Virginia Community College has announced its Spring 2013 schedule will offer classes leading to a career studies certificate in construction trades, to be taught at the Cumberland Community Center.

St. John's Lutheran Church won first place in the Antique Fire Truck division of the Cumberland Christmas parade. Congratulations!

The Thanksgiving season lived up to its family gathering reputation. Steve and Jenny Bobko and Dan and Nancy Fempel jointly hosted their family gathering of twenty-two people. Family came from Culpeper, Beaverdam, Mechanicsville and Norfolk.

A large gathering of extended families gathered at the home of Lawrence and Linda Varner for a traditional Thanksgiving Feast.

Little Miss Violet Watson and parents Ed and Caroline Y. Watson of Charleston, South Carolina, spent the last half of Thanksgiving week here with Diane C. Young. On Thanksgiving Day, they travelled to the home of Hunter and Sue Young at Troutville.

Family members, both local and from a distance-California and North Carolina-visited Audrey Robinson during Thanksgiving week. Several also visited the Michael and Sarah Schemer family on Thanksgiving Day, etc.

May the celebration of this Holy Season bring each of you peace, joy and love.