New Year's Eve event in downtown Murfreesboro

Dec 30, 2015 at 12:11 pm by bryan


Downtown Murfreesboro has been beautifully transformed with sparkling lights and colorfully decorated shops for the month-long holiday celebration. This year the festivities will culminate with "New Year's Eve Night Watch Celebration-- a night with a full, 21 piece orchestra the Music City Swing Band along with lively pre-show entertainment. In its seventh year, Night Watch has become the safe-happening event to start fresh the New Year.

The event will be held at the First Presbyterian Church in the Commons Room in Downtown Murfreesboro on the corner of College and Spring Streets from 7 to 10pm, doors open at 6:30pm. Make plans to join the Celebration at Murfreesboro's oldest Church this New Year's Eve. As we fearlessly approach the New Year with anticipation, the theme for this year's Night Watch is "Redeeming the Lost!"

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Local talent will perform in concert from 7-8 PM will include familiar selections performed by some of the best musicians and singers in our county.

Then from 8-10 PM the warm, spirited sounds of the Music City Swing Band will help us dance and swing our way into 2016 with fun and excitement.

In addition, the evening will be highlighted by leaders from the community with prayers and best wishes for 2016, ending with the ringing of the Downtown chimes and church bells with a "Virtual New Year's" at 10 PM.

A city-wide Community Service Fair featuring local service agencies will be a part of the event. We'll also be announcing this year's Community Service Award recipient during the evening, celebrating the work of an individual noted for his or her outstanding contributions to improving life circumstances offering substantive help, hope, and encouragement to persons in need.

WHY A NIGHT WATCH CELEBRATION? The assignment goes beyond the fun of this New Year's Eve celebration. We are issuing a declaration of God's plans for 2016 for our community. To say the least, 2015 has been a challenging year. Fearlessly and joyfully, we are poised to start a New Year with hopeful anticipation. A suggested Love offering of $5 will be received or 5 cans of food contributions may be made at the door for the Greenhouse Ministries, the local Food Bank and Feed America First.

WHAT TO BRING:

  • The whole family...Night Watch is a safe-family friendly
  • Admission to NIGHTWATCH is FREE, however we encourage everyone to bring a suggested love-offering of $5 or "5" cans of food
  • Collection Boxes will also be available for Canned and Non-perishable Food Bank items and blankets, coats, hats, and gloves, and new (packaged) personal care sundries for Greenhouse
  • Your "Leftover" Christmas Cookies to share ~ get rid of them in time for your New Year's Diet Resolution!
  • A FLASHLIGHT for everyone in your family or group; Bells, Tamborines or any other cheerful "acoustic" noisemakers.

In ancient times the watchman played an important role in the city. The watchman carefully alerted the city when good ambassadors were approaching so that the gates could be opened and they could enter. Also, the watchman warned the city in advance of an enemy's approach. They alerted, summoned, and forewarned the people of the city so that they could arm and protect themselves.

What an appropriate place for us to pray God's will and vision for 2016 where one of the few Civil War relics remain--the church bell at the First Presbyterian Church is within earshot of the lawn of the Rutherford County Courthouse where one of the most horrendous battles occurred in 1862. In fact, on another New Year's long ago, from December 30, 1862 until January 2, 1863, the time of the Battle of Stones River, many loyal watchmen sentinels were positioned on the roof of the Courthouse and were assigned to protect and alert the city population from the advancing Union army. In that incident, the First Presbyterian Church was burned to the ground during the Union occupation. The charred remains of the bell were recovered and installed in the new church. That bell still exists and will ring in 2016 along with other downtown church bells and the Courthouse bell.

Here we are again, praying as God's vigilant sentinels with the assignment to declare God's will and vision for Rutherford County in 2016. We are welcoming, inviting, and encouraging the community to come celebrate and become faithful watchmen.

Finally, as all the Church Bells around the Square begin to ring and celebrate the arrival of 2016, we hope that others in surrounding neighborhood will join us in creating a sweeping City-Wide Celebration by coming out of their homes to ring bells, bang on a pot, or sound their car horn. We intend this groundswell of jubilant noise to represent an affirmation that - as People of Faith, we are NOT ALONE, we have reason as we share our Trust in God and renew our commitment to one another and our community through the coming year!

For more Information and to VOLUNTEER: Contact Gloria or Thom Christy, 615-893-2369 or (615)668.0475 ~ Event Progress Updates can be found daily on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NW2016/

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