Happy Holidays Wine Tasting

Those 21 and over are invited to join in on a complimentary tasting of fine wines for the holiday season. Come learn which varietals complement traditional holiday foods. Bring a friend and make an outing of it.

The wine tasting takes place from 3-6 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 17, at The Market and Welcome Center at Pineland Farms, 15 Farm View Drive, New Gloucester. Call 688-4539 for more information.

New Gloucester Bible Church Christmas season

The New Gloucester Bible Church, 218 Lewiston Road, will be hosting several events throughout the Christmas season. All are welcome.

On Saturday, Dec. 12, the Kids’ Christmas Party for children 3 through 12 will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at their Fellowship Hall. The AWANA Christmas Party will take place from 6-7:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 18. A Christmas program will start at 6 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 20. The annual Christmas Eve Candlelight Service will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 24. To wrap up the year, a family New Year’s Eve party will kick off at 8 p.m., Friday, Dec. 31, at their Fellowship Hall. Please bring finger foods to share.

If you have any questions, call Pastor Dan at 926-3140.

Congregational Church candlelight service

The First Congregational-Christian Church of New Gloucester, 19 Gloucester Hill Road, will be holding its annual Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, beginning at 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 24. The service will be held in the lovingly refurbished 1838 sanctuary and led by Pastor Linda Gard. The Christmas lessons will be read by members of the congregation and interwoven with the singing of traditional carols accompanied by Director of Music John Terison at the church’s 1858 organ. Additionally, there will be anthems by the Sanctuary and Chime choirs.

The entire community is invited to gather for this most lovely parish tradition. This service will close a special year for the congregation, which throughout 2015 has been celebrating the 250th anniversary of its founding in 1765.

Holiday assistance through local charity

Each year, the Caring Community of Gray-New Gloucester accepts applications for holiday assistance and then solicits sponsors to provide food baskets. The CCGNG then matches up applicants with sponsors. Sponsors consist of individuals, families, neighborhoods, civic organizations, school groups, businesses and churches.

Sponsors can request if they would prefer to help an individual, a family of two, four or more. The CCGNG provides information and guidelines for sponsors to inform them of what to do and what is needed. Sponsors provide a Christmas meal and gifts for children up to 18. The cost to provide a meal is about $25 for an individual, $50 for a two- to four-person family, and $75 for a family of four or more.

There is a big need for sponsors. This year, 100 Thanksgiving food baskets were distributed, which fed 188 adults and 313 children, and last year more than 160 food baskets were distributed at Christmas time.

To become a sponsor, contact Mike Marcotte at gngcaring@gmail.com. Every year there are more families than there are sponsors, so monetary donations are needed as well. Donations can be sent to CCGNG, P.O. Box 1244, Gray, ME 04039. Contact Christina Foster at 233-0828 or winkers92@yahoo.com, or go to www.msad15.org/community/caring-communities, for additional information.

Town facilities holiday hours

All New Gloucester town facilities will be closing at noon on Thursday, Dec. 24, for Christmas Eve and closed Friday, Dec. 25, for Christmas Day. They will be closing at noon on Thursday, Dec. 31, for New Year’s Eve and closed on Friday, Jan. 1, for New Year’s Day.

This is one of the food baskets donated by the Gray-New Gloucester Middle School’s National Junior Honor Society. As is its annual tradition, the group donated 20 food baskets at both Thanksgiving and at Christmas in conjunction with the Caring Community of Gray-New Gloucester.Memorabilia from the First Congregational Church of New Gloucester was on display at the New Gloucester Historical Society’s History Barn during the past several months, in celebration of the church’s 250th anniversary. Some of the exhibited items were a vintage hymnal; one of the first keys to the church, which was handmade out of copper; and a 3-inch cubically-shaped red-stained and varnished wooden box for offerings, possibly for missions. The box was discovered in the wall of the church vestry a few years ago.