Celebrities celebrate Christmas in church

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Published on Friday, December 23, 2016

By Sheila Runions

Banner Staff

Rivers United Church held its annual white gift service on Sunday, Dec. 11. Besides collecting “white gifts” (a tradition of food and toys wrapped in white paper, but which are now unwrapped or in an assortment of colourful bags and bows) for Rivers Christmas Cheer campaign, it is a day for the congregation to enjoy the efforts of the Sunday school classes. The mother-daughter team of Shelley Foster and Becky Stewart have much to accomplish with these youngsters they teach only once a month. But those efforts paid off in a packed house that morning. In addition to the kids, several celebrities attended the service.

Thirty-two tots paraded down the centre aisle to their spot on stage for re-enactment of the Biblical Christmas story. Some children brought guests with them, which they left behind in front of the choir loft. Those “abandoned friends” were cardboard cutouts, with life-sized faces, of Hollywood heroes. Playing the roles of Mary and Joseph were Brad Pitt and Keira Knightly; shepherds were Ryan Gosling, Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Cruise; the wise men were Morgan Freeman, George Clooney and Hugh Jackman.

As the classes and their chaperones sang We are the World, We are the Children, they waved candles. All children were dressed in a wide variety of colourful ethnic costumes, many representing their own heritage, such as Ukrainian, Aboriginal, French, Filipino, etc. The story of Jesus’ birth — the reason the Christian community celebrates Christmas — was narrated by Rod Foster.