Mission del Sol Presbyterian Church will be ringing in the Christmas season with a concert Saturday, Dec. 17, featuring Aletheia, a string quartet, as well as the church’s chorale and bell ensemble.
Susan Hernandez, a church volunteer who’s involved with the New Connections program, said the concert is a way to bring the community together for an evening of celebration, music and friendship.
Mission del Sol has undergone a change in leadership in recent years, something that can be a challenge to any church, she said. The concert, Hernandez said, is one way of bringing people in and reigniting energy.
“One of the biggest things we’re trying to do is reach out to the community,” Hernandez said. “Maybe we’ll touch some people that don’t have a faith community and they’ll come to us. “Or maybe we can just reach out to our neighbors and enjoy time together through the holidays because we’re all like-minded and trying to celebrate this time of year. That would be our biggest reason why we’re having the concert.”
Mission del Sol staff reached out to the more than 20 churches in the vicinity to extend invitations to the Christmas concert, asking pastors to encourage their flock to attend.
They’ve also publicized the event of Facebook and local media.
Aletheia, the local string quartet on deck for the 90-minute evening of holiday entertainment, was formed in 2013 and takes its name from the Greek spirit of truth and wisdom.
The group performs at weddings, galas and other special events and has shared its gifts with the Tempe History Museum and Marcos de Niza High School. Members of the quartet are teachers in public schools and private lesson studios who believe in the importance of music education.
