The South Danbury Christian Church continues its Speaker Series on Friday, December 13, with a compelling talk on The Science of Earth’s Climate: Past, Present, or Future by Sue Houston of Danbury. “This isn’t about politics or policy matters,” explains Sue, a member of the science faculty at Proctor Academy. “This is about the science of the climate; it’s about what we know, what we don’t know, and how we know what we know.”

Based on a course she teaches at Proctor, her presentation will focus on what science understands about natural changes and also about some of the effects of humans altering their environment. “This talk isn’t about guilt and dread,” Sue notes, “but we will be talking about some significant changes.”

This last event of the 2013 Speaker Series begins at 6:30 PM and is free to the public, with light refreshments (donations accepted) served at the end of the program.

The following Thursday, December 19, the South Danbury Church will present its more-famous-than-ever annual Christmas Pageant. As described by last year’s article in Yankee magazine, the pageant includes “popcorn strings decorating the tree in the corner of the church, the familiar carols, the children in the church’s hallway tugging their Wise Men’s and shepherds’ costumes on over their regular clothes in preparation for the Nativity tableau. It’s a small-town story that feels nostalgic and old-fashioned and familiar…”

In addition, Donald Hall, who has written about the pageant many times — in poems, essays, and in the picture book, Lucy’s Christmas — will be on hand to read some children’s Christmas poetry. And, if we have all been very good, it is rumored that Santa may also pay a visit.

The Christmas program begins at 7 PM and will be followed by some holiday refreshments. Snow date for the pageant is Friday, December 20. The South Danbury Christian Church is located at 1411 US Route 4 in South Danbury. For more information about both events, call 768-3191.