Every year, High Street United Methodist Church in Muncie, Indiana, has a Christmas bazaar in November. This year, the bazaar is November 6 from 8:00am to Noon. The church is located at 219 South High Street.
For the last few years I've donated several dolls that were made during the year to this bazaar. Above are a few of the dolls donated this year. There are lots of other neat items, and some delicious baked goods...I know this because my Mother donates her marvelous goodies to this bazaar. Her brownies are impossible to beat :-)
I sang in the choir during my teenage years in this church. When I was in college, I learned to my horror that during a brutal blizzard, a gas main exploded and nearly destroyed the church. The entire inside was gutted, all the stained glass blown out, the doors blown off, and it took three hours to get the fire under control. Amazingly, no one was injured, in spite of the fact that a young man lived at the church as a caretaker.
A year later Christmas midnight services were held in the barren, unheated shell of the church. Work was under way to rebuild, but this midnight service was conducted by candlelight, the only illumination. We sang all the beautiful Christmas hymns in the cold, still structure, and truly the magic of Christmas touched us all.
The following year, Larry and I were married in this church; the second marriage service conducted in the newly restored building. We've been together ever since.
Many very good memories remain to me of this structure and congregation. Many extended family members belong to this congregation; the picture below was painted by my Great Uncle Orla and is a lovely and loving representation of High Street United Methodist Church.
High Street United Methodist Church, painted by Orla Harris