“Let’s have another cup of coffee and let’s have another piece of pie.” These lyrics are from a 90-year-old song in Irving Berlin’s 1932 Broadway musical “Face the Music.” They could certainly have been sung at a recent Gloucester event.

Newington Baptist Church under the direction of Pastor Chris Grella held a special Thanksgiving service on November 20. This event had proved successful at a previous church where he served that “we thought we should give it a try at Newington. It’s a way to get everyone together,” Chris explained.

This was a three-phase evening beginning with “a rather short Thanksgiving service in the sanctuary”; then the congregation went to the social hall. Pies, snacks and coffee awaited them. Members enjoyed the pies, as many tastes as they wished, along with the camaraderie of all.

Once the visiting and pie-tasting concluded, it was time for the third phase. Out came everything needed to decorate the church for Christmas. One person reported the follow...

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