For the first time since 2005, Christmas falls on a Sunday — the traditional day of Christian worship — and many pastors across the Space Coast are hoping families will leave the gifts behind for a few hours and pack the pews for services. But recognizing the challenge of drawing parishioners on Christmas, some sanctuaries will be silent as churches plan to take a holiday from traditional Sunday worship.
“(Christmas) is a big family day, and we’re focused on the family,” said Pastor Aaron Olinski of Grace Church Melbourne. “We should be able to worship the Lord in our homes, also.”
Other pastors, however, see Christmas Day as a time to attract individuals less inclined to attend church on a regular basis. A recent Lifeway Research survey of 1,000 pastors across the country shows that 91 percent plan to have services next Sunday.
The break from services echoes recent moves by non-denominational megachurches like the 20,000-member Saddleback Church in California, which canceled Sunday services next week to allow members to spend time with their families on Christmas.
“We decided not to have service on Christmas Day so that people could be together with family, but we also wanted to give every opportunity possible for people to be in church,” Rush said.
Meanwhile, a majority of metro churches will have at least one worship service on Christmas Day.
And church leaders planning Christmas Day corporate worship aren't throwing stones at those who choose not to meet on the holy day.
“I grew up as a preacher's kid, so I get it,” said the Rev. Mark Foster, pastor of Acts II United Methodist Church, 4848 W Covell Road in Edmond.
“I'm certainly not judgmental about someone holding six Christmas Eve services and not being able to get back to do another service the next day, but for us, Christmas and Easter are our two biggest celebrations. That's our story.”
Recurring debate
The debate over Christmas Day worship services on Sunday crops up every five or six years when the holy day falls on the day of the week many Christians traditionally attend worship services. The last time Christmas Day fell on Sunday was 2005.
LifeWay Research, the research arm of Southern Baptist Convention-affiliated LifeWay Christian Resources, recently addressed the issue.
“Having church on Christmas Day when it falls on a Sunday seems as if it would be as much of a given as having Thanksgiving on a Thursday, but this has been an issue of discussion and contention in recent years,” Ed Stetzer, LifeWay Research president, said in a news release.
Stetzer's comments came as LifeWay Research released the findings of a recent study of 1,000 Protestant pastors. The study found that 91 percent of Protestant pastors plan to have services Christmas Day while 69 percent said they plan to host Christmas Eve services.
The survey found that only 6 percent of Protestant churches plan to have a Christmas Eve service but no service Christmas Day. Almost two-thirds (63 percent) of those surveyed said they plan to host Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services.
Most churches in the Oklahoma City area will have services both days, particularly Roman Catholic and Episcopal parishes and other churches that follow the liturgical calendar that traditionally calls for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services.
“We always have a service on Christmas Day whether it is on a Sunday or not,” said the Rev. Patrick Bright, rector at All Souls' Episcopal Church, 6400 N Pennsylvania in Nichols Hills.
Foster, at Edmond's Acts II, said his church plans to hold three Christmas Eve services, including a Traveler's Christmas Eve, and one service Christmas Day.
Bright and Foster said their churches typically offer three Sunday worship services, but only one will be offered Christmas Day.
“Our expectation is that most of our people will come the night before, on Christmas Eve, but since it's our Lord's birthday, we're going to celebrate Jesus on his birthday,” Foster said.
Danielson, at New Life Bible Church in Norman, said his church, 4343 N Flood, will offer two identical Christmas Eve services.
North Church, 1601 W Memorial Road, like People's Church, 800 E Britton Road in Oklahoma City and 351 N Air Depot in Midwest City, is offering several Christmas worship experiences. Callie Settles, an administrative assistant at North Church, said the church will offer four Christmas services Wednesday through Christmas Eve.
“Our biggest reason is for our families,” Settles said of the decision to offer Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day services.
“We want to make sure they have time to spend together, and our staff will be able to time with their families.”
Settles said church leaders think the multiple services might be more likely to draw families who will be traveling to be with family on Christmas Day.
‘Not quite right'
The Rev. Mark McAdow, pastor of First United Methodist Church of Oklahoma City, said he had heard that some churches were canceling services Christmas Day, and “I remember thinking that doesn't seem quite right.”
“It was a given for me. It's the day identified to celebrate the birth of Christ, and I can't think of a better place to be to honor Him and serve those He loves,” McAdow said.
He said his church, 131 NW 4, will have one Christmas Day service, and church members will serve a dinner to homeless families that night.
Danielson's aware his church may be criticized for closing Christmas Day, but he stands behind the decision and also supports other churches that decided differently.
No comments:
Post a Comment