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Carolyn Arends entertains crowds through a tapestry of memories, stories and songs

Stettler Community Hall did not look overcrowded on Saturday evening, Dec. 3 as the Erskine Evangelical Church hosted their annual...
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Stettler Community Hall did not look overcrowded on Saturday evening, Dec. 3 as the Erskine Evangelical Church hosted their annual Christmas dinner, inviting Carolyn Arends to entertain for the evening.

Arends, who was supported by musician Spencer Capier did not disappoint, enthralling the crowd with a wide variety of numbers, from upbeat to lilting harmonies, often asking for audience participation.

Speaking about the event, Pastor Ross Helgeton who was the main organizer and is the head pastor of the Erskine Church said, "Our numbers were lower than any other year, but the entertainment was superlative. Carolyn had the capacity to weave together memories, stories, Scripture and testimonials along with her musical talents and presentation in such a way to bring the Christmas story alive, and remind us of the true meaning of the season, i.e., Jesus."

According to Helgeton, the evening was a ministry of the church to the community, in fact, the church has never actually broken even except for last year because of a couple of donors stepping forward to aid in this ministry and balance the budget.

Having contacted Arends almost two years back after listening to her music, Helgeton had been looking forward to her performance in the community.

"Carolyn's ministry in music was outstanding and Spencer's backup and participation added vigour to her musical presentation," explained Helgeton. "The flow and smoothness of her presentation was noteworthy and her presentation, which was slightly over an hour, seemed to be much less in terms of time – I think we could've all handled more of her music. I've had nothing but positive feedback and several from the audience said that it's the best Christmas banquet that we've had yet."

The evening started with a Christmas dinner catered by Teresa's Catering, which was enjoyed by all and then moved on to Arends taking to the stage.

"I would like to thank everyone who has helped in selling tickets and promoted the event, those who set up and took down and contributed time and effort, Teresa's Catering for their excellent meal and am grateful for everyone who attended," Helgeton said.