Highlands Church to host special services, coal-fired steam train, vintage car display
–On Saturday, December 23, the first of five Christmas Eve services will start at Highlands Church at 4:00 PM with a coal-fired steam train at 3:15 PM and vintage car display.
–Highlands Church will hold its first Christmas Eve service of 2017 at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 23. This will be the first of five Christmas Eve services to take place at Highlands Church from Saturday, Dec. 23 to Sunday, Dec. 24.
In-between services, church member Jim Sabin will give free train rides to kids and parents around a 70 foot track on his coal-fired steam engine. It took two days to set up the train tracks on the church lawn, but Jim’s friends who also are train hobbyists came to the rescue to set up the train. Beside the train, as people enter the worship services, there will be a vintage car display of Model-T Fords courtesy of Frank Graves and his friends who are classic car enthusiasts. These old-fashioned attractions will bring together Highlands’ 1920s Christmas Eve theme.
“It’s going to be really cool the way we set it up, it will look like we went back in time to Christmas 100 years ago,” said Ben Kosharek, Worship Director at Highlands. “We’re all just so excited to be able to set a scene for people and really get them into the Christmas spirit.”
These Christmas Eve services will be the first ones held in the newly renovated Highlands Church worship center at the Highlands plaza across the street from Walmart in Paso Robles.
“One of my favorite parts of every Christmas Eve is at the end when everyone sings Silent Night while holding a lighted candle. The entire room fills up with light and it is that special moment when everything slows down,” says Highlands new Lead Pastor James Baird who started out at Highlands last February.
“I like the candlelight because it has become a tradition and has happened at every single Highlands Church service. That’s how you know it’s Christmas Eve…sharing the candles with your family,“ says Marne Caruana one of Highlands Church members.
Because Highlands is expecting over 1,500 attendees this weekend for Christmas Eve, with approximately 300 people attending each of the five services, they have been providing free Early Admission Passes through their website. Once all the passes have been issued, every service will still have room for as many as 100 general admission, first-come, first-serve attendees.
Highlands Church is located at 215 Oak Hill Road, Paso Robles with offices located downstairs.
