Show christmas Christma sEve eve church service held in stable congregation selects barn after fire destroys church building by REV bennington ROSS BOSS Me relod Re ltd lessed by western newspaper New paper union one of the most unusual christmas eve sei services vices in the country was held in kansas city last year when mem bers odthe jackson avenue methodist church met in a stable desire for a unique setting had not prompted prompt bd use of this stable but the choice was forced upon the congregation by a fire which had destroyed thell their church that morning although organ music was lacking and a 0 small stove did not provide perfect I 1 I 1 rev bev bennington ROSS BOSS M S beat the services evoked enthusiastic response the fire was discovered the morning of december 24 by two small mau boys boy who were reporting early tor for the last rehearsal of a christmas pageant the fire department was hastily notified but the ore fire made the building untenable before it could be extinguished S smoke m oke was still pouring from the water soaked building when members of the congregation dashed into the building to bring out armfuls of hymn books and other church valuables with their ruined church before U y X A A 4 members of t ur the methodist chuch congre congregator gaton in kansas city which held its to christmas eve ev services in a stable last year are re shown hown bon above they hie met in the stable after their church had been badly damaged by fire I 1 them the onlookers offered a prayer ol of gratitude that the damage had not been worse faced paced with the necessity of calling off their christmas eve services the members immediately ely agreed ee ed to the suggestion that they meet in an old deserted stable nearby i prospects of celebrating christmas in a common stable aroused spontaneous ganeous usi i enthusiasm as members worked all day to prepare the build ing tor for services the old stable was swept from the hayloft to its concrete floor A stove was wai improvised to furnish some relief from the biting cold and chairs were borrowed and arranged 1 people pressed in and filled the building as evening approached the christian christan I 1 endeavor r service for the young people was marked by unexpected features which had been prepared to meet the occasion A young author read an origin christmas story and an accordionist led the singing of hymns solemn evening services followed the young peoples worship the choir took its seat on oni one side of the stove next to the accordionist accord lonist and the pastor assumed his post at the improvised pulpit the congregation has long prided itself on its singing but that night the words of silent night and joy to the th world rose to the bare rafters filling the stable seated in a semicircle facing the pulpit in the little old stable the congregation gre gation was told by the pastor how the little Christ child was born in a bethlehem manger the simplicity ty of the surroundings seemed to give this story an even deeper meaning As the moonlight streamed through the window in the old stable the congregation arose and sang all hall emmanuel the congregation was radiant when the service ended and the two small boys who hid had come early that morning to rehearse their christ mas pageant forgot completely that it would have to be postponed |