- February 19, 2025
The altar is flanked by two trees.
There are never enough wreaths — there were plenty to cover the panel's of the church's walls.
Marge Jeffers and Christine Ortiz rifle through a box of ornaments.
Steve Whalen prepares to hang angels on a tree.
Jackie Whalen points where to hang other ornaments.
Jackie Whalen directs ornament hanging.
Helen Beljean, Gisela Virgien and Steve Whalen
Jackie Whalen, Denise Watermeier, Helen Beljean, Gisela Virgien and Steve Whalen
Jackie Whalen, Denise Watermeier and Helen Beljean
One box was entirely full of various ornaments.
Christine Ortiz, left, directs Helen Beljean to set up more decorations.
An iPad placed near choir microphones provided the music for the morning. Members were careful not to speak too loudly near the setup.
A finished tree is decorated entirely with angels.
The fall decorations were collected as the Christmas decor went up.
Kathy Morrison and Jane Wittlinger work to untangle outdoor lights.
Joyce Hart assists Jeff Hart in untangling lights to brighten up a palm tree.
Steve Whalen hammers a garland into the wall.
Ethan Ngo and Lynda Menuez tape poinsettias to the gold-festooned chairs.
Frost-trimmed poinsettias lay at the base of a tree.
A gang of merry masked elves worked diligently in and around St. Armands Key Lutheran Church on Nov. 21, putting pumpkins to rest and filling every corner with Christmas cheer.
The church held its annual decorating day, bringing members in to help unload the boxes, untangle the lights and hang the garlands just right. About 20 people showed up throughout the morning to lend a hand, spot a friend climbing a ladder to decorate a tree and grab a donut and some coffee.
Typically, the church doesn’t decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving, but in 2020, you need all the cheer you can get.
“We do it every year, but this year we did it earlier because people need to be cheered up,” Amy Blyth said. “Why not enjoy it for longer?”
Scarecrows and pumpkins were summarily stowed in corners as angels and poinsettias were pulled out of boxes. There was much discussion about which ornaments to hang on which tree, and of the placement of angel ornaments on the church’s entryway tree. As everyone worked, Christmas music played faintly over the church’s speakers, thanks to an iPad placed near the choir’s microphones.