Special Events

A number of special events are sponsored by the Listowel Mennonite Church (LMC).

Parents and Children (age 2 - grade 8)
You're Invited to:

An Interactive Children's Music Concert
Small Tall Music

Featuring Bryan Moyer Suderman

Location: Listowel Mennonite Church
Date: Sunday May 4, 2008
10:00 am - Concert for children and parents (downstairs)
11:00 am - Worship Service also featuring Bryan Moyer Sunderman

For more information about Bryan and his ministry: www.smalltallmusic.com

Ten Thousand Villages Crafts of the World Sale

For one week each fall members of the Listowel Mennonite Church sponsor the  "Ten Thousand Villages Crafts of the World Sale" in an otherwise empty store.  Ten Thousand Villages provides vital, fair income to Third World people by marketing their handicrafts and telling their stories in North America.  For more information see the Ten Thousand Villages web site.

MARKET PLACE - AN ADVENT JOURNEY CELEBRATES THEIR 11TH YEAR

What better way to turn your hearts and thoughts to the real meaning of Christmas than visiting Listowel Mennonite Church for their 11th Performance of Marketplace, An Advent Journey. Dec. 21, 22, and 23 you can walk a journey through to the Bethlehem of 2,000 years ago.

A feast for the senses, this indoor journey takes you to the time of Christ's birth. The church is transformed into a Bethlehem. As you wander the streets the greatest story ever told gradually unfolds.

As you meet your Centurion tour guide you will hear the prophecy from Isaiah, witness Mary's encounter with the angel, hear the excitement of Mary and her cousin Elizabeth, talking about their pregnancies.

The Census taker is out and about counting each visitor for Caesar and when you arrive at the Inn, the Innkeeper invites you in for light refreshments and to receive a small bag of 50 coins to barter at the shops in the Marketplace. Before entering the marketplace, visitors are stopped by the Tax Collector requesting coins for Caesar.

The market is alive with all the senses present...with vendors selling their wares like pottery, baked goods, candies, fish weavings, to spices and herbs. The scribe will write your name in Hebrew ... The beggar sits in the entrance to the market begging for "alms for the poor" and then is dragged away by the Centurions.

Your centurion guide will direct you to the shepherds foretelling their amazing story. The pinnacle moment of the journey is the nativity scene... Joseph, Mary and the baby. Live sheep and a donkey look on as each tour group completes their journey.

As Mary Weber, Committee Head says,

It is truly remarkable the number of people that help with our production. We have an amazing band of over 125 volunteers from the area who make the time, at such a busy time of the year, to give the community the true meaning of Christmas. Visitors can experience the first century middle eastern culture, experience the first Christmas and reflect on their own spiritual journeys.

Over 1,500 people come every other year to see this production and it has become an important part of many people's Christmas tradition. This is our way of making the birth of Christ come alive in a time when the real Christmas story can get overshadowed.

The carpenters are busy making over 800 draydels for our guests to barter for. The weavers are working diligently to have a good supply of fish weavings for purchase. In the next weeks, the bakers and candy makers will be using their skills preparing candy... Cleopatra Kisses or Heavenly tea Cakes, or baking Poor Lad's Loaf or Bedouin Bread. Each guest is able to barter for samples to taste.

New this year is a leather shop and a live miniature donkey. Close to 100 costumes are pressed ready for this year's event.

This is all being done for your visit to Listowel Mennonite Church on December 21, 22, and 23 at 7 pm to 9 p.m. with the last tour leaving at 9 pm. There is a matinee performance on Sunday, December 23 at 2 pm to 4:30 pm with the last tour leaving at 4:30 pm. Performed only every other year it is not an event to be missed.

You won't want to miss this Christmas highlight!

For more information contact:
Mary Weber 519-343-4803
Cell 519-588-5030
Cell 519-580-6270
Director and Drama Coordinator
Original Member

Or Call:
Listowel Mennonite Church
519-291-2350