The Chrismon tree has been very meaningful . . . It adds to the worship and the Christmas season . . . We enjoy seeing the people come around and admire it and enjoy it.”
— Ann Maddox, FUMCFW Chrismon tree committee member since its inception
Every year after Thanksgiving, people everywhere start to hang lights, decorate trees, and get into the Christmas spirit. Here at FUMCFW, we are no different!
We kick off the Christmas season with the decorating of our own Chrismon tree in the Narthex. If you attend our Sanctuary worship services during Advent, you can’t miss this stunning beauty. Like many other church members, you might even take Christmas photos in front of it to send to family and friends.
What you may not know, however, is the remarkable story behind it. Tracing a centuries-old tradition, Chrismons are a variety of Christian symbols used to proclaim the birth of Jesus Christ. (The words “Christ” and “monogram” are combined to form the word, Chrismon.)
Our own 15-foot Chrismon tree celebrates the birth of Jesus with more than 600 Christian monograms that were handmade by volunteers from our congregation. Church members of all ages crafted these lovely gifts, so the Chrismon tree is a product of our whole church family.
Since 2009, a faithful committee of volunteers have come together to decorate our Chrismon tree to honor both this great Christian tradition and our own First Church Family members whose handmade Chrismons adorn this enormous tree. This year, Carolyn Grieser and husband Gerry, who have been members at FUMCFW since 1999 invited their family to help decorate.
Carolyn’s son, Mark, and her two grandsons, Max and Grant, felt the Christmas spirit when they drove to FUMCFW all the way from their home in Carrollton to help decorate the Chrismon tree in the Narthex on November 30th. Together, they hung each Chrismon with care to carry this FUMCFW tradition on into the future.
FUMCFW is so lucky to have a team of faithful committee members who carry out this beautiful labor of love. Our committee members invite you to stop by and admire our Chrismon tree and all of its precious symbols as we begin our celebration of the Advent season made possible by the love and commitment of those who created and maintain this beautiful FUMCFW tradition.
