Ujima celebration
Ujima celebration
youngstown
Beulah Baptist Church, 570 Sherwood Ave., will celebrate the principle of ujima, which means collective work and responsibility, during a program at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Various Valley churches will participate with choirs, mime groups, soloists and artists. The church will have a watch night service at 10 p.m. Dec. 31. The Rev. Harold Logan is pastor.
‘Giving Tree’
liberty
The Christmas “Giving Tree” program at the Unity Centre for Spiritual Living, 1226 Naylor-Lloyd Road, has been renamed “Sarah’s Giving Tree” to memorialize the founder of the program, Sarah Tomerlin. She and her husband, Jack Tomerlin, both served on Unity’s board of directors, and her daughter, Cay Tomerlin, currently serves as associate minister.
This marks the 14th year that Unity members, working with Niles Community Services, have bought gifts for children whose names were on tags on a Christmas tree in the church lobby.
Jean Williams, Niles Community Services executive director, said 1,240 children will receive presents provided by many groups and churches as part of their Christmas food and gift program. Niles Community Services, a United Way Agency, serves clientele in Niles, Mineral Ridge, McDonald and Weathersfield Township.
Watch Night
youngstown
Holy Trinity Missionary Baptist Church, 505 Parkcliffe Ave., will host a community Watch Night Joint Heirs’ Celebration and Communion Services at 10 p.m. Dec. 31. The Rev. Lewis W. Macklin II is host pastor.
Religious freedom
FAIRFIELD, Calif.
Lawyers for Travis Air Force Base in Northern California have determined that including a Nativity scene and a menorah in the base’s holiday display does not violate the troops’ religious freedom.
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation wrote to base authorities last week, on behalf of 121 troops at the base, saying the two displays amounted to a military endorsement of religions. It asked that the menorah and Nativity scene be moved to a nearby chapel.
The Air Force judge advocate general decided Saturday that the displays at the Solano County base were part of a broader, secular holiday display.
Vindicator staff and wire reports