Camp Ground United Methodist Church will host various activities during December.
“We began the month of December by inviting the congregation on Sunday, Dec. 7, at 4 p.m. to our fellowship hall for a planning meeting for our A Light in the Darkness neighborhood events,” said Bobby Tyson, senior pastor at Camp Ground United Methodist Church. “We have invited the congregation to participate, and we want to gather folks who want to volunteer for every activity that we have planned, as we are doing everything from caroling to communion.”
Tyson added, “My administrative assistant has put together a book containing 20 traditional Christmas carols that we have printed and will sing as we go about. There are more than 10 stops on the route. The afternoon of Sunday, Dec. 14, at 4 p.m., we handed out flyers that contain 2 invitations around the neighborhood.”
On Sunday, Dec. 21, at 4 p.m., the congregation will go door to door in the neighborhood to sing carols. Later on that evening at 5:30 p.m., neighbors can enjoy a home-cooked chili meal in the fellowship hall. There will also be a fire pit to enjoy while eating delicious s’mores.
“We’ve got great vision and hope as we are inviting the neighborhood that is three blocks or so from the church, all around the church, surrounding from the back and across the street over on that side of Skibo Road to come to the church to have a chili supper as long as the chili lasts,” said Tyson. “At least a half a dozen individuals are preparing commercial pots of homemade chili, so we are hoping and anticipating a crowd.”
There will be a Christmas Eve service on Wednesday, Dec. 24, at 5:30 p.m. at the church.
“We will have a live nativity portrayed by the youth on the front portico of the church,” said Tyson. “At 6:15 p.m., we are going to serve holy communion in the front yard, light and lift up real candles and sing, ‘Silent Night.’ Then we’ll go home to be with our families.”
How did this idea come
into fruition?
“We embarked on the past season of Lent with The Art of Neighboring book,” said Tyson. “We looked at this book that talked about trying to be a witness out into your neighborhood by being intentionally invitational.”
He added, “We thought about what we could envision to do at Camp Ground.”
Tyson reflected on the present state of the church and how things have changed.
“The United Methodist Church is in a post-pandemic time and season, and going to church is not what it once was,” said Tyson. “We are wanting to be the church and to reach out into the community instead of being in the church building and just hoping they will show up.”
Tyson added, “We are intentional by taking the first step by reaching out to the community and saying we care.”
The goal is to begin to sow these seeds by offering Christ.
“We want to invite the community and let them know that there is a church that exists and they are welcome to attend and sing the Lord’s blessings,” said Tyson. “We are going outside of our walls to meet people where they are.”
Camp Ground United Methodist Church is located at 4625 Camp Ground Road. For more information or to volunteer, call 910-867-9436.