The holiday season is one of the most joyous times for families. It is also one of the most hectic.
Each year, the Tabernacle United Methodist Church hosts its annual “Cookie Walk” to relieve some of that stress and help families focus on relishing in the positives of Christmas time.
The Cookie Walk provides an opportunity for families of the Tabernacle area to get a head start on their holiday preparations by purchasing all of their baked goods from the church.
Dozens of trays filled with homemade cookies will fill the church, as guests will be able to browse the selection and pick their favorites while enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of Christmas.
The folks of the church decorate the building with candles, Christmas carols, linen tablecloths and a fine china layout that enhances the appeal of the cookies for the guests.
“We try to dress it up so it doesn’t feel crazy. It feels relaxed and everything is beautifully decorated. The event is marketed as a chance to take the busyness out of Christmas and make it easier for people to enjoy their holidays,” said Sharon Rogers, Tabernacle United Methodist Church Council chairperson.
This year, there will be a new addition of a Christmas village decoration mounted on a 128-square-foot platform.
The decoration will be courtesy of the pastor, the Rev. Dr. Glenn C. Ferguson, who will be enjoying his first-ever Cookie Walk, a Christmas custom for many families that has been going on for 18 years.
“It’s such a successful event because everyone loves Christmas cookies! They are a part of most of our traditions growing up, and you can’t beat the homemade ones,” Ferguson said.
He could not say enough about how great a job the bakers of these treats do creating such a wide variety to ensure everyone will be delighted regardless of their preference.
The Tabernacle United Methodist Ladies Aid gets heavily involved in this occasion, as it prepares all of the treats for the crowds.
However, the ladies also make it a point to avoid the craziness, as Rogers pointed out everyone shares the workload and they work with each other’s schedules, baking whenever they have free time.
The church enjoys putting together these events that get the community involved because the folks of Tabernacle always make it worth it in the end, according to Ferguson.
“The people seem to really enjoy coming to our events,” Ferguson said. “We’re just looking to have a good time of fellowship between people by opening our doors to the community and inviting people to come in with the hopes that they will one day come back to our church.”
Along with the funds it helps bring in for the church, this yearly occurrence has become a favorite of many of the church members.
“We have a couple of big fundraisers but this has become my favorite over the years,” Rogers said. “I guess it’s the holiday cheer, some familiar faces, some new faces, it’s just fun. Everyone joins in and is not stressed to feel like they have to get out quickly. We just laugh and enjoy the afternoon.”
This year’s Cookie Walk will take place on Dec. 11 from 3 to 6 p.m. and again on Dec. 12 from 9 a.m. to noon.
All cookies and candies are available for $8 per pound.
The church will also be hosting its annual Christmas Caroling event at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 19 and its Traditional Candlelight Christmas Eve Services at 7 and 9 p.m.
