Central Church Kilmore, which began regular services in February, presented a short carols program on the afternoon of Saturday, December 14 at Kingsgate Village. This was, from all reports, the first carols service held at the village.
The program was a mix of traditional carols such as Hark! The herald angels sing and Silent night and modern songs, including an Aussie adaptation of Jingle bells which includes the line ‘Oh, how good it is to ride in a rusty Holden Ute.’
The choir, mainly members of the church, was augmented by three young soloists, one of whom sounded strangely like Michael Buble in his rendition of It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
Mark and Debbie Roper provided the instrumental backup and presented an item of their own.
The church’s leader, Pastor Bob Menadue, also gave a short Christmas message based on the Bible, focusing on the theme of hope in the midst of the pressure associated with the busy round of Christmas events.
“Hope is like a light shining in darkness, and the use of the word ‘hope’ can increase a person’s capacity to recover from mental trauma,” he said.
“Hope helped give Mary and Joseph the strength to travel the long distance to Bethlehem for the birth of the child Jesus. Jesus brings light and hope to a distracted and conflicted world.”
The audience of around 30, mainly Kingsgate residents, stated that they especially appreciated the enthusiasm and atmosphere created by the singers, who are already planning a return visit in 2025. Meanwhile, Central Church Kilmore continues to meet at the Soldiers Memorial Hall every Sunday at 4pm.
