A Cup of Christmas in Verona

Dec 06, 2012

Photo: Erin Wong and her band entertained at the Sisters by Heart's “A Cup of Christmas” event at the VFMC on December 3.

As a special treat for their regular Christmas gathering, the Sisters by Heart group of Verona offered up women of all ages in the community an evening of holiday cheer and entertainment on December 3 at the Verona Free Methodist Church.

Sisters by Heart is a local community-based women’s group with six committee members, which runs out of the Verona Free Methodist Church. The group was started up nine years ago by Evelyn Snider, who regularly organizes and emcees the events, which cost just $5 to attend. She was inspired by the former VFM Church pastor and his wife, David and Linda Rigby, who had started a similar group at their church in Florida. The group puts on four events each year and the proceeds help to support various services and community groups in the community. Proceeds from Monday night’s event will help support the Verona Community Association's Christmas for Kids, a campaign that collects funds to buy Christmas gifts for children in need in the local community.

The evening opened with a special performance by the Harrowsmith Bell Ringers (photo right), a group of 13 youngsters from the local community under the direction of Karen Snider, who performed two selections of bell ringing carols.

The featured entertainment was singer and speaker Erin Wong and her band The Citadel Worship Team, who come from the Kingston Citadel Salvation Army church in Kingston. Erin and her group have been playing together for close to 10 years and their highly polished sound filled the fellowship hall with inspiring Christian-themed tunes. They received a warm and enthusiastic reception from listeners. The players included Erin singing lead vocals, Josh Wilkins on guitar, Les Carr on keyboards and back up vocals and Sarah McCourt playing cello. The group has recently put out their first CD titled “Adoration” and proceeds from its sales will go towards supporting the Laurie Fund, which helps send Kingston children in need to sports camp. Erin’s talk, which she titled “A Cup of Christmas”, focused on the true meaning of Christmas and the benefits of striving to keep an abundantly overflowing cup of Christmas. She read a definition by an unknown author of the word “peace”, which said that peace “does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work, but rather to be in the midst of these things and still be calm in your heart.” This was Erin's second visit to Sisters by Heart and judging by the quality of her performance and her warm reception, it won’t be her last.