7960755057?profile=original‘Come to Bethlehem’ is an interactive town with people dressed as they were in Jesus’ time. Photo provided

By Janis Fontaine

    With Thanksgiving this month we realize Christmas is just around the corner. With that in mind, Cason United Methodist Church is making plans to present “Come to Bethlehem,” 7-9 p.m. Dec. 2-4 at the church, 342 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach.
    Visitors can walk through the streets of Bethlehem, which are being designed and decorated to look as they did at the birth of Jesus. Visitors can meet historical characters in authentic dress in the interactive town and marketplace and visit a  Nativity with live animals.
    A quiet area is available for personal prayer and reflection. The church sanctuary, with historic stained-glass windows and Christmas decorations, will be open to visitors.
    Afterward, folks can enjoy cookies and Christmas music. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.
    For more information, call 276-5302.

Enjoy gardening?
    Cason United Methodist’s community garden is buzzing with activity and help is always needed. Church leaders say a community garden is a nonthreatening place for interaction among people of all ages and cultures, income levels and physical and mental abilities. Medical professionals say edible gardening is a healthy activity that rewards you again when you harvest heart-healthy organic produce for the dinner table.  
    There’s a small fee to become an organic farmer with your own plot, and all gardeners are asked to donate a portion of their bounty to the food pantry. Donations of labor, gardening tools, landscape supplies and mulch are always welcome. The season began in August and continues until April. No experience is needed to participate.
    Contact garden coordinator Candy Evans at 374-2434 or by email at onatripw3@gmail.com for more information.

Beer, conversation and God
    Pub Theology meets at 7 p.m. Nov. 7 (the first Tuesday of each month) at the Biergarten, 309 Via de Palmas, No. 90, Boca Raton, and 7 p.m. Nov. 16 (the third Thursday) at Barrel of Monks, 1141 S. Rogers Circle, No. 5, Boca Raton. Conversation, fellowship, open discussion. 395-1244; www.fumcbocaraton.org.

Annakut Darshan


7960754886?profile=originalHundreds of members of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Temple in Boynton Beach took part in the Hindu New Year’s celebration on Oct. 20. The Annakut festival occurs on the first lunar day of Shukla Paksha (bright fortnight) in the Hindu month of Kartik. The same day is the fourth day of Deepawali (Diwali), the Hindu festival of lights. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star


Jewish chef signs books
    James Beard Award recipient Joan Nathan will talk about her 11th book, King Solomon’s Table: A Culinary Exploration of Jewish Cooking From Around the World, Nov. 13 at the Miami Beach Jewish Community Center, 4221 Pine Tree Drive, Miami Beach.
    Nathan will offer petite tastings from the cookbook and sign books from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tickets are $36, which includes a signed copy of the book. Get tickets at MBJCC.ticketleap.com/joan-nathan or call 305-534-3206, Ext. 232.

The Interfaith Café meets
    Join the theological discussion from 7 to 9 p.m. Nov. 16 at South County Civic Center, 16700 Jog Road, Delray Beach. Light refreshments are served.
    The meeting is free, but donations are appreciated. The Interfaith Café meets the third Thursday of the month, and volunteers are needed to assist with a variety of duties to keep this program going.
    For more information or to volunteer, email Jane@Aurorasvoice.org.

Parish’s annual fall festival
    St. Mark Catholic Church hosts its annual Fall Vendor and Craft Event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 19 at St. Mark Place, 643 NE Fourth Ave., Boynton Beach. This free indoor event features one-of-a-kind gifts, many handmade, plus artisan foods including tea and jam, plus a pancake breakfast and food truck, and raffles.
    Vendors include Avon, Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, Origami Owl and more. For more info, call 734-9330 or visit www.stmarkboynton.com.

Duo Beaux Arts performs
    Music at St. Paul’s presents Duo Beaux Arts at 3 p.m. Nov. 19. Duo Beaux Arts features pianists Tao Lin and Catherine Lan, who will perform a program of Francis Poulenc’s Sonata for Piano Four Hands and Claude Debussy’s Petite Suite as well as solo piano works by Mozart, Scarlatti, Ginastera and Schubert.
    A pre-concert conversation with Tao Lin and church music director Dr. Paul Cienniwa begins at 2:30 p.m. Admission is $20, free for 18 and younger. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is at 188 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach. Call 278-6003 or visit www.music.stpaulsdelray.org.

Connections service features Christian music
    Contemporary Christian music performed by the worship band is at the core of Trinity Lutheran’s “Connections” services. This modern worship experience is informal and is held a little bit later, at 11 a.m. Sundays.
    If music is your passion, consider arriving an hour early at 10 a.m. for elder Steve Cruz’s discussion of Christian music, including the latest hits on Christian radio.
    Trinity Lutheran is at 400 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach. Call 278-1737 for more information.

Send religion news to Janis Fontaine at janisfontaine@outlook.com.

You need to be a member of The Coastal Star to add comments!

Join The Coastal Star

Activity Feed

The Coastal Star posted an event
18 hours ago
The Coastal Star posted an event
18 hours ago
The Coastal Star posted an event
18 hours ago
The Coastal Star posted an event
Nov 14
The Coastal Star posted an event
Nov 14
The Coastal Star posted an event
Nov 14
The Coastal Star posted an event
Nov 14
The Coastal Star posted an event
Nov 14
The Coastal Star posted an event
Nov 14
The Coastal Star posted an event
Nov 14
The Coastal Star posted an event
Nov 14
The Coastal Star posted an event
Nov 14
The Coastal Star posted an event
Nov 14
The Coastal Star posted an event
Nov 14
The Coastal Star posted an event
Nov 14
The Coastal Star posted an event
Nov 14
The Coastal Star posted an event
Nov 14
The Coastal Star posted an event
Nov 14
The Coastal Star posted a blog post
Nov 12
The Coastal Star posted a blog post
Nov 10
More…