A.D. Players spreading holiday spirit

Back by popular demand, Grace Community Fellowship will be hosting the A.D. Players National Touring Company at a ladies Christmas drama and dessert party at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 3 at Grace Community Fellowship, 1900 E. Boling Highway in Wharton.

The A.D. Players will perform "Halos and Holly" which is a collection of short Christmas plays written by Jeannette Clift George.

Halos and Holly ranges from the solemn to the silly and back again. It compares contemporary Christmas dilemmas such as shopping for a spouse, shopping with a spouse, or just shopping with sometimes warm or poignant reminders of what the first Christmas might have been like.

There will be four short plays lasting about an 1 hour. There will be a five-minute introduction with the following plays woven together:

• Introduction: "Christmas Bells" - A hilarious Christmas carol about the bells of Christmas and how annoying they can be.

• "The Card Catalogue" - Trying to find the perfect Christmas card can be a challenge, even for the best of marriages.

• "Shopping" - A woman secretly instructs a store clerk to help her husband not buy the wrong gift this year.

• "The Journey" - A behind-the scenes look at the journey of a lifetime as a group of wise men travel to find the newborn king.

• "Why the Bells Chimed" - A new adaptation of the old Spanish folk story in which two children learn about gifts, family and sacrifice on their way to church on Christmas eve long ago.

Throughout its history, A.D. Players has been a pioneer in a unique style of theatre. Founded in 1967 in Houston by actress and writer Jeanette Clift George as a theatrical ministry, A.D. Players began as a small group of volunteer actors and has grown into a professional theater, with a full-time staff of more than 40-plus interns. They have entertained audiences in Houston and all across the United States, as well as in Canada, the Bahamas, Europe and Israel.

"The ministry of the A.D. Players is truly superb," said Chuck Swindoll, president of Insight for Living Ministry in Dallas.

"Along with professionalism of their work and the freshness of their style, their commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ is both authentic and undeniable. In a world where mediocrity has become the standard for many artists, it is encouraging to find such a gifted team of men and women who model excellence. Those who appreciate live theater done with a distinctiveness that honors God will find themselves impressed and impacted."

The company tours with various plays for churches, colleges, conferences, civic groups and other organizations.

The touring repertoire also includes special programs targeting at-risk students in the public school system with positive messages of drug awareness, self-esteem and literacy.

Tickets are $10 per person. For tickets or questions call Lisa Hathway at (979) 332-3835 or the church office at (979) 332-3999.