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Interesting facts about our Christmas displays:
Click on the year number to see pictures from that year.
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I put about 1700 lights on the fence, and Forrest put up the
rest of the 8000 lights. Forrest outlined the church in colors
and the parsonage in clear lights. Swag-style lights went across
the entire front of the church, and there was a star at the peak
of the church. This year I used styrofoam cups to create a phrase
down the fence, and it turned out really well. We also put a star
on top of an old electric pole at the bottom of the hill. Forrest,
Cathy, Mike, Jerilyn, and others all pitched in to cut out and
paint plywood figures meant to represent the life of Christ. This
was the display with the most meaning we have ever done.
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Ian and I put up over 7500 lights. We did the usual outline
of the church, this time in color. We used those new swag-style
lights on the peak of the sanctuary. On the front of the church
we put randomly scattered snowflakes. We put a Bible verse on
the fence, which took more time than anything else. Down the
south side of the driveway, we had a nativity set and a small
forest of green light trees. By the road, we had our "Merry
Christmas" sign up with a star at each end of the sign.
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We had over 8,000 lights up and running on timers.
Unfortunately, I was away at college and couldn't expand much
more, but I got all of the lights up and running in time for the
lighting. The fence was done in a criss-cross pattern of colored
colored lights, while the parsonage, church, and outhouses were
in clear lights. We made about five light trees and placed them
along the side of the driveway and beside the road. We also used
the Merry Christmas and Welcome signs next to the road. I also
decorated a few trees and bushes and a shed. As a final touch, a
snowflake hung from a tree above the driveway. |
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1998 is the biggest expansion that I have done with the
display. I knew it was my last year before college and I wanted
to do my best. We took the green lights from the previous year
and made some green "light trees," which I put up one side of the
driveway. We took the blue lights and made some homemade signs
that read "WELCOME TO SPRING GROVE" and "MERRY CHRISTMAS." The
christmas sign we put down by the road, and the welcome sign was
put halfway up the driveway. I spent a lot of time making a
homemade christmas train along the fence. The train had a one
engine and forty-something cars. It turned out being more trouble
than it was worth, but it was pretty to look at. |
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This year we bought a lot of green and blue lights. The blue
lights were used to decorate the parsonage. The green lights were
used to make a big christmas tree that was placed on the front of
the church. There were over 5,000 lights in the Spring Grove
display this year. The fence was totally decorated with a zig-zag
pattern of lights down to the road. This year we also added a
nativity set, which helps bring out the real meaning of Christmas
(not gifts, Santa Claus, money, economy, or anything else; it's
JESUS!). I also stopped using a staple gun to put up lights. I
put up clips instead, which has really saved me a lot of
time. |
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This year, we decided that the fence should be decorated. So,
we took the lights that we usually put on the parsonage and ran
them down the fence. We got a little past 75% to the road before
we ran out of lights and money. We did manage to run an extension
cord to the end of the driveway and put up lights on the church's
sign, though. The bulb total: about 3,300 lights. |
1995 |
The first year that I (Nathan James) was involved with the
Christmas light display for Spring Grove. Forrest Brandt had
previously outlined the church and parsonage with lights, and I
helped him this year doing it. I fell in love with it. There were
about 2,500 lights put up around the Spring Grove property. We
also put lights on the outhouses. |
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