The Patriot Press

December 18th, 2020

2020 has been an unpredictable year. School went virtual. People have been instructed to wear masks, and the word "Quarantine" made it into our vocabulary. More guidelines for the unknown COVID virus was recommended, and more adjustments than not have been made. So, this year more than any other, one might feel the need to make Christmas extra special, especially if you did not spend Thanksgiving with family or have not been able to see them in sometime. Members of The Patriot Press wanted to give you some ideas on how to do just that, so we hope that you enjoy our last newsletter of 2020 and enjoy some of the activies we have provided for you.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from your CCA family!

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The Christmas Story: Luke 2: 1-20

The Christmas Story: Luke 2: 1-20


In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in clothes and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

The Christmas Story: Luke 2: 1-20
The Star of Bethlehem

The Star of Bethlehem

LOOK TO THE SKIES! During the December 21st Solstice, the Bethlehem Star will be visible for the first time in 20 years. It is incredibly rare that something like this can happen. The planets will look like one brilliant star as Jupiter’s and Saturn’s 12- and 29-year orbits bring them together. “You’d have to go all the way back to just before dawn on 4 March 1226 to see a closer alignment between these objects visible in the night sky,” according to Patrick Hartigan, an astronomer from Rice University in Texas. So, for 45 minutes after sunset on December 21st look to the sky to see the Star of Bethlehem!

The Star of Bethlehem

Local Christmas Church Services

  • First Baptist Church is having an online Christmas Eve service at 4, 5, 6, 7, and 11:30 PM. These services are 30 minutes long, and will be streamed on their website, https://firstbaptistclinton.church/, and on their facebook page.

  • Trinity Lutheran Church, 1267 E Hwy 7, Clinton, MO 64735, has a candlelight service at 7 PM on Christmas Eve and a 9 AM service on Christmas.

  • Allen Street Baptist Church, 210 W Allen St, Clinton, MO 64735, has a candlelight service on Christmas Eve at 5:30 and 11:30 PM. This is their 25th annual candlelight service.

  • Northeast Baptist Church, 619 E Lincoln St, Clinton, MO 64735, is having a candlelight service on Christmas Eve at 6 PM.

Holiday Light Diplays

  • Let There Be Lights - Drive Thru Christmas Light Display

Location: Branson’s Promised Land Zoo

Address: 2751 Shepherd of the Hills Expy, Branson, MO 65616

Phone: 417-544-0427

Cost: $25 per carload, $45 for mini bus

Website: https://www.plzoo.com/branson/lights/

  • Bagwell Lights

Location: Springfield

Address: Bagwell Lights, Springfield, MO 65804

Website: https://www.facebook.com/bagwelllights/

  • Christmas In The Park

Location: Longview Lake Area

Address: 3901 SW Longview Rd, Lee's Summit, MO 64081

Phone: 816-503-4800

Hours: Sunday through Thursday 5:30-10:00pm, Friday and Saturday 5:30-11:00pm

Cost: Free admission; however, arrive early. The line for this has been 2+ hours long!

Website: https://www.makeyourdayhere.com/406/3445/Christmas-In-The-Park

  • Candy Cane Land

Location: Prairie Village

Address: 7900 Outlook Ln, Prairie Village, KS 66208

Hours: November 28th - January 1st

Website/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCLChristmasLights/

  • Swope Park Tunnel of Lights

MUST MAKE RESERVATIONS - https://wintermagickc.com

Address: 7332 Oakwood Dr. Kansas City, MO 64132 United States

Hours: November 1st - January 2nd 5:00 - 10:00pm

Cost: $20 for standard vehicle size; goes to scholarships for summer camps.

Website: https://wintermagickc.com

  • Farrington Park

Location: Farrington Park Windsor

Address: 116 S County Line Rd, Windsor, MO 65360

Phone: 660-647-3130

Hours: Open nightly November 28th-December 6th 5:30-9:00pm

Website or cost not found

Donations are accepted.

  • Country Acres Christmas Lights

Location: Knob Noster

Address: 1290 NE 140, Knob Noster, MO 65336

Hours: Open everyday 5:30 to 11pm till December 31st

  • Leawood Drive Neighborhood

Location: Clinton

Friday 12/18 the Grinch will be in town with Santa from 7-9:00 and a letter to Santa can be mailed until 12/19 in the box. There is a lot of traffic so please drive carefully.

Publication's Class Christmas Trees

Last Minute Shopping in Clinton

Around Christmas time, procrastination is common. Some on your list might not need anything or be hard to buy for, and others might just need a little something extra special. Clinton has some great shops available if you are needing a last minute gift…

  • Crave Boutique

    • 411 Kansas Ave, Clinton, MO 64735

    • (660)-223-2420

  • The Bluebird Mercantile

    • 104 S Main St, Clinton, MO 64735

    • (660)-383-1818

  • Simple Pleasures

    • 107 S Washington St, Clinton, MO 64735

    • (660)-383-1810

  • Green Street Market

    • 112 E Green St, Clinton, MO 64735

    • (660)-885-3441

  • Bread of Life Books & Gifts

    • 130 S Main St, Clinton, MO 64735

    • (660)-885-2909

  • Cummings Menswear

    • 111 W Franklin St, Clinton, MO 64735

    • (660)-885-8322

  • Everharts Outdoor Supply

    • 511 Hillcrest Dr, Clinton, MO 64735

    • (660)-885-4436

  • Chel's

    • 210 S 2nd St, Clinton, MO 64735

    • (660)-383-9000

Favorite Christmas songs of CCA music classes

  • This is Christmas- by Kutless
  • The Little Drummer Boy- by For King and Country
  • Glory-by Matt Maher
  • I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day- by Casting Crowns
  • Born is the King it's Christmas- by Hillsong
  • Adore- by Chris Tomlin
  • Noel- by Lauren Daigle
  • Joy to the World- by Bethel Kids
  • He Has Come For Us- by Meredith Andrews
Common Christmas Traditions

Common Christmas Traditions

Christmas time is a time full of traditions and memories. Some common family traditions during the Holiday season are:

Picking out new Christmas ornaments

Advent calendar countdown & Bible readings

Hiding a Christmas pickle in the Christmas tree

Making homemade hot chocolate

Going ice skating

Driving to see neighborhood Christmas lights

Secret Santa gift exchange

Decorating Sugar Cookies or Gingerbread Men

Putting together a gingerbread house


Holiday traditions are memorable & special. If you don't have any traditions of your own, it's not too late to start one. Just pick something and start making memories with your family!

Common Christmas Traditions

CCA Christmas Traditions

This week we decided to ask some of the students what their Christmas Traditions are and what they are excited for this year! Here are the responses we received:


Priscilla - “On Christmas Eve we always get matching Christmas pajamas. Christmas means thanking Jesus for the gift he gave us and spending time with family,”. Something Priscilla is looking forward to this Christmas is, “Going to my grandparent's house”.


Ryan - “Christmas means Jesus being born. My family goes ice skating together every year,”. When asked what he was looking forward to this year Ryan said, “Going ice skating and spending time with my family in other ways”.


Kade - “We always make gingerbread houses and gingerbread, and while we are making the houses every year we drink eggnog and eat lots of candy while making them as well. Christmas is a time to watch Christmas movies, talk in depth about Jesus, go to church late at night, and eat lots of food.” Something Kade is especially looking forward to this year around Christmas time is, “2021”.


Angelina - “My family attends a church service, afterwards we eat food together such as nachos and pigs and blankets. This year especially because of covid Christmas is a time to spend time with my family. I am very excited for Christmas break!”.

The Magic Tree

The Magic Tree

Did you know that Clinton has a magic tree? It is on the north side of the courthouse. The Clinton Rotary Club sponsors the magic tree and it will be lit from now until New Years. Donations received will go to the Literacy Council, the Clinton Animal Shelter, and to the Truman Lake Women and Children's Program.
The Magic Tree
Ice Skating

Ice Skating

If you are looking for some places to go ice skating, we’ve got you covered!

  1. Crown Center Ice Terrace, Kansas City, MO, opens at 10:00 am, closes at 9:00 pm every day except Friday and Saturday, which closes at 11:00 pm

  2. Summit Ice, Lee’s Summit, MO, Open 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm from Monday to Thursday, 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm on Friday, 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm on Saturday, and 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Sunday

  3. Independence Community Ice Rink, Independence, MO, General Admission is $8, Child admission is $6, Senior (55 and older) $6, Group (20 or more) is $7, 10 Session pass is $50, and Skate Rentals are $3

Ice Skating

CCA Band Concert on December 17th

More pictures are available on the CCA Facebook page. We are working on uploading the video to Facebook, and it should be ready to view soon.

CCA Christmas Chapel on December 18th


Chapel today was brought to us by Michelle Houk. Her and her husband are missionaries in Nepal. Michelle, pictured below, is wearing an official dress of the people there. They live in the mountains. It is very cold. The middle belts (colors & patterns) tell the people group they are from.

Michelle talked about the UUPG—unreached, unengaged, people group which is small in population. Jared & Michele visited one of these groups when they first moved to Nepal. They spent 3 months learning the language. When the road ended for the bus they were riding, they were told to walk and they would find this people group. They walked for 5 days. There were little villages along the way to stay in.

A lady that she met and snapped green beans with had never heard the name of Jesus before. Jared and Michelle never met a person in Nepal that had heard or knew about Jesus. Romans 10:14 says, "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?"

Jesus told Jared and I to go through Matthew 28 which says, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Jesus tells us to go, so we felt led to

Christmas is coming. It is the birth of Jesus. In Nepal, most people in the city have almost all heard of Christmas, but not of Jesus. They celebrate Christmas by decorating. They have the scary Santa, who wears a plastic face masks that has big, red, poochy cheeks, but the Santa is very skinny with a scruffy, white face.

The most important thing about Christmas, to Michelle is John 1:14 which says, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

Publication's Favorite Recipes

Hot Cranberry Punch:
  • 4 cups cranberry juice
  • 4 cups pineapple juice
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 tsp whole cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick

Directions: Combine all ingredients in crock pot and heat until desired temperature. Do not drink the cloves, remove them after heating.


Oreo Balls:

  • 38 Oreo Cookies
  • 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
  • 1 cup white chocolate or milk chocolate
  • Crushed peppermint, Oreos, or melted chocolate to decorate (optional)

Directions: Crush Oreos in food processor or by hand. Combine crushed cookies and cream cheese and mix until combined. Roll mixture into balls and place on wax paper lined baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes. Melt the chocolate in small microwave safe bowl. remove balls from the freezer and dip into the chocolate. Drizzle chocolate or top with coatings if desired.


Rolo Pecan Pretzels

  • One bag of rolos
  • One bag of regular mini or square pretzels
  • One bag of whole pecans, I use unsalted, but you can use salted

Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an ungreased baking sheet with pretzels, add an unwrapped rolo on top (you will use the whole pkg of rolos) and bake for 2 minutes (these get hot fast). Remove from oven and lightly add a pecan to the top. Put in the freezer for 10 minutes, then enjoy!