Communities of Faith

Blue Christmas for loss, grief

FAYETTEVILLE - St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 224 N. East Ave., will have a Blue Christmas service at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The service will include time to acknowledge loss and grief. Nursery will be available. Information is available by calling (479) 442-7373.

Service to impart hope, healing FAYETTEVILLE - Central United Methodist Church, 6 W. Dickson St., will have a Service of Hope and Healing for Christmas at 6 p.m. Sunday in Wesley Chapel. The service will include traditional Advent candle lighting, hymns, Scripture readings, Holy Communion and prayers for healing.

Information is available by calling (479) 442-4237.

Fort Smith church sets toy giveaway

FORT SMITH - Evangel Temple will host its annual Tons of Toys Giveaway at 6 p.m. Sunday. Toys for children ages 3-12 will be given away. Children must be present to receive their gift.

The church is at Towson and Dodson avenues. Information is available by calling (479) 782-9121.

Communities of Faith is a compilation of church and religion news for Northwest Arkansas. The deadline for submissions is noon Monday beforeThursday publication. Please send information, including a phone number, to Christie Storm, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 7, Springdale, Ark. 72765, fax it to (479) 365-2984 or e-mail: [email protected]BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus,” a popular Advent carol, was one of Charles Wesley’s first hymns. Published in 1744, the song took more than a century to gain acceptance, though, being added to the Methodist hymnal in 1875 and Episcopal hymnals in 1871.

• Joy to the World: Sacred Christmas Music Through the Ages

QUOTE OF THE DAY “The church always arrives on the scene a little breathless and a little late.” - BERNARD J. F. LONERGAN (1904-1984), Canadian Jesuit priest, philosopher and theologian