Goller brings a new look to an old Share-A-Christmas favorite
Christmas is coming, and the 15th annual Share-A-Christmas Benefit Program at Martins Creek Mennonite Church will once again kick off this season of giving.
Holmes County offers myriad of opportunities to celebrate the Christmas season, but this enjoyable evening of live musical entertainment and skits has been a beloved event featuring some fantastic local entertainers.
The 2017 show that will take place Sunday, Dec. 3 at 5 p.m. will once again feature some incredible performers who will set the stage for the Christmas season for those who attend. However, more importantly the evening will again serve as a fundraiser for Holmes County Share-A-Christmas.
Jann Hershberger's Night of Music has been thrilling audiences for the past 14 years. While this year’s event marks the 15th year for Hershberger’s Share-A-Christmas fundraiser, it will be a unique one because it will be set up like an old-time variety show.
This year’s event will be broadcast on WKLM 95.3 radio, meaning it will reach more people than ever.
In addition Hershberger has invited Pam Goller to add her story-telling to the evening, and together they have created a program that will entertain and enlighten in a very unique and enjoyable way.
“Before TV, before smart phones and before the internet, there was radio,” Goller said. “The setting for our program is styled after an old-fashioned radio show. But here you get to see it as well as hear it. WKLM will record the program as we turn Martins Creek Mennonite Church into a fictitious radio studio.”
Those listening in radioland will enjoy the fast-paced lineup of singers, actors, instrumentalists and commentators who will seamlessly move on and off stage while those in attendance will enjoy the experience firsthand. The audience will even be invited to participate in some of the fun as placards will prompt them to exhibit certain emotions throughout the evening.
The lineup of entertainment will include a special airing of a network game show, a performance from a pristine conductor leading an orchestra, a slightly bossy Sunday School teacher presenting her unique spin on the real meaning of Christmas and a Home Shopping Network representative’s fake shopping channel experience where she peddles Christmas cheer.
The evening also will include a trip back to Jerusalem, where reporter Drew Wolff will chat with a group of Israelites concerned about swirling rumors. The audience will be invited to sing lullabies to the newborn babe born in the manger, and just to add some crusty commentary, a couple of old geezers will continue to pop up throughout the show to add their two cents.
The evening’s events will flow together, thanks to the master of ceremony, who expertly takes the listener through the evening.
Interspersed with the skits will be a musical lineup of local talent that has become a staple for the SAC Night of Music.
“Jann has engaged a talented selection of vocalists and musicians to perform everything from solo pieces to larger group numbers,” Goller said. “The various selections of music were chosen to both surprise and inspire.”
The familiar voice of talented Corey Sheely will kick off the evening as a group of talented musicians will unite with the spoken word to create a rousing and awe-inspiring story of the first Christmas. Goller said it will set the mood for an incredible evening of performances.
During intermission there will be a freewill offering with all of the proceeds going to Holmes County Share-A-Christmas. A staffed nursery will be provided during the program.
Hershberger began the SAC program 14 years ago when then MCMC pastor Carl Wiebe and the church offered every family $100 to create a mission of their choice. That $100 has blossomed into nearly $35,000, which has gone to area families through Share-A-Christmas.
“Jann is a piano teacher, and her husband Lonnie suggested a piano recital,” Goller said. “Instead, Jann decided to gather a collection of community musicians and singers and have a benefit concert.”
That first concert raised $800, and it has grown ever since in what has been an evening of passion and joy for the Hershbergers as they share the love of Jesus during the Christmas season.
Goller, her co-director in this year’s effort, is a retired teacher. Goller has written plays and skits for area Bible school programs, ladies retreats, public school programs and family events.
Whether it is listening to the joyful sounds of Christmas as they celebrate the birth of Jesus or donating to one of Holmes County’s most beloved giving organizations in Share-A-Christmas, the public is invited to attend this unique performance at Martin Creek Mennonite Church, located at 6111 County Road 203, west of Berlin.
For those who can’t attend, experience the Christmas joy courtesy of an old-fashioned radio show on WKLM 95.3 on Sunday, Dec. 3 at 5 p.m.