Here are the Christmas eve church services that area congregations provided to The Icon.

o First United Methodist Church
Christmas Eve Service
Traditional Service of Lessons and Carols, 7 p.m.
Pre-service music starts at approximately 6:35 p.m.

o Emmanuel United Church of Christ
Christmas Eve Service
There will be a special production by the children and lots of Christmas singing with the service starting at 6 p.m.

By Mary Pannabecker Steiner

According to Luke 2, a Heavenly host of angels appeared on Christmas Eve. Well, technically, no one is sure of what time they appeared. But they did. And then, of course, along came the Wise Men. Okay, so today - Christmas Eve - two, well, let's just call them Wise angel men, appeared at Bluffton Family Rec center, as I was running around the track.

Note: Robert Kreider, now of North Newton, Kansas, has a special place in his heart for Bluffton, Ohio. Here are some of his thoughts at Christmas.

At Christmas time boyhood images of a Bluffton of more than 75 years ago come surging out of my past. In my ripe old age, I savor these scraps of memory. Speaking of "ripe old age," how does one know when he or she has become "ripe"? Relax for this flow of nostalgia:

You do the math: Luther and Geneva Shetler were married Dec. 22, 1940. So, 2010 minus 1940 equals, that's right, wedding anniversary number 70 this year.

Living in their 10535 Augsburger Road, Bluffton, home, they reminisced earlier today about their wedding seven decades ago.

"We were married at Eighth Street Mennonite Church, Goshen, Indiana, by J.E. Hartzler, who was interim pastor there," recalls Luther. Members of the wedding party were Joe Weaver of Goshen, best man, and Zelma Stamm of Archbold, Geneva's sister, as maid of honor.

Anyone have any ideas on the meaning of this plate? The Icon spotted it in the Family Dollar parking lot.

The Bluffton Icon and Common Grounds Coffee Shop recently teamed up for yet another fantastic contest. This one is simple, and Phil and Fred guess that you've never played it before.

Simply guess how many Icon coffee beans fit in this jar. The winner will be featured in an Icon 15-minute interview, plus may go home with a hearty congratulations from Common Grounds.

Here's how you enter. Stop in Common Grounds. Check out the coffee jar. An entry form is available at the shop. Enter and wait until New Year's day 2011 (actually Jan. 2) to discover if you've won.

Billy A. Chidester, 81, of Bluffton, died at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 21, 2010, at Bluffton Hospital.

He was born June 1, 1929 to Charles and Roberta (Church) Chidester in Cridersville, Ohio. He married Barbara Leigh on April 8, 1951. He later married Thelma Knupp (Feb. 1, 1986) and she died Oct. 4, 2009.

Mr. Chidester retired after 46 1/2 years from the Nickel Plate-Norfolk Western Southern Railroad. He was a member of the Sugar Creek Church of the Brethren, Lima, and was attending College First Church of God, Findlay.

The chorus for Bluffton University's spring Bach Festival will rehearse at 7 p.m. Tuesdays, beginning Jan. 11, in the Gilliom Room of Mosiman Hall on campus. Rehearsals will continue until the festival performance of portions of Bach's "Mass in B Minor," at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 20, in Yoder Recital Hall.

Singers from high school through adults are encouraged to join the chorus, which will be conducted by Dr. Mark J. Suderman, professor of music at Bluffton. Music will be available for singers to borrow at no cost.