First Presbyterian Church at Caldwell Advent Festival

Families and individuals in the community are invited to participate in an Advent Festival at the First Presbyterian Church at Caldwell on Sunday, December 2.  The free afternoon event will begin at 2:00 in the church’s Fellowship Hall. It is not necessary to be a church member to attend.

The Advent Festival offers more than a dozen craft stations where participants can make tree ornaments and other Christmas decorations for the home.  All materials are supplied at no cost, and projects have been chosen to appeal to multiple ages and abilities.  Leaders will be available at each station to give directions and help when needed.

Many new projects are planned for this year, along with some repeat favorites, such as cookie decorating and a paper crafts table for younger children.  New ideas include a flowerpot nutcracker, a tube sock snowman, and a beaded Bible bookmark. 

Special hand-crafted candleholders made of wood will also be a new feature.  Participants will take home a holder and candles to be lit each Sunday during Advent, the period leading up to Christmas.  After participants have made as many crafts as possible in the allotted two hours, the event will conclude with a brief devotional time noting the First Sunday of Advent and featuring the lighting of the first candle.   The festival will end with a carol sing led by church members Kris George and Rey Mercado.

“This is the best way to get fully into the Christmas spirit,” says West Caldwell resident Jack Stoddard, a church member who is co-chairing the festival with his wife, Lynne.  “This is a favorite tradition for our church family and we are happy to welcome community residents to share the fun.    Many church volunteers have contributed ideas and energy to plan and carry out the Advent Festival.  We all hope that the festival will be a great way to create warm memories of the holiday season,” he says.

Parents are encouraged to attend the festival and work on the craft projects with their children, as this is intended to be an opportunity to promote family togetherness.  However, many of the crafts are suitable for adult individuals.

Although there is no cost to participate in the Advent Festival, pre-registration is necessary.  The organizers must know how many are coming in each age group to make sure that the right quantities of materials are prepared.   Signing up can be done during the Coffee Hour after the 10:00 Sunday worship service, or by calling the church office at 973-228-0310. The registration deadline is Sunday, Nov. 25.

The historic stone church is located at 326 Bloomfield Avenue in Caldwell, at the corner of Bloomfield and Roseland Avenues.