Non Denominational Christmas Services

[WingsOfEagles]

Being non-denominational, they do not recognize the liturgical calendar in the same way that Catholics (and Protestants no far removed from Catholics) do. The attitude is likely one more of, “No one is going to go Sunday morning and again for Christmas two days later. It’s so close together, we’ll just have a Christmas service.” Sadly, this thinking is probably somewhat true for the attendance at a non-denominational church.

 

[Wannano]

I have often wondered about this. The only non-Catholic churches I see that have services on Christmas Eve/Day are Anglican/Episcopalian ones. Protestant churches do not seem to have them. It makes me wonder if they have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas and only view it in the modern, secular way. It is as if they are saying we cannot intrude on people’s Christmas by having church services.

I guess you are welcome to speculate and make generalizations that may make you feel good but do not necessarily portray reality.

On the flip side of the coin, the Protestant world does not in general see their buildings swarmed by the “once or twice” a year attendees at Christmas and Easter. The reason for that happening is speculative as well.

 

[WingsOfEagles]

On the flip side of the coin, the Protestant world does not in general see their buildings swarmed by the “once or twice” a year attendees at Christmas and Easter.

Is this actually better? So Protestants never get the (semi) non-practicing types in the door, while Catholics manage to. You can’t plant seeds if they never show up.

 

[Pattylt]

One small speculation I can make as we have a Baptist Church several doors down from us is that the weekly Sunday services only have about half the parking lot full but at services yesterday, they were overflowing. I’ve heard all denominations complain of many parishioners only showing up twice a year. I think it’s an issue all denominations would acknowledge.

 

[Wannano]

Sure, like I said it is all speculative and I am against making judgements of anybody not retaining the real meaning of Christmas.

Peace to all!

 

[twf]

Man made, yet sanctified by centuries of pious Christian observance and the authority of the Church.

 

[lanman87]

Well, the local church I attend had a Christmas Eve Candlelight communion service at 5:00pm yesterday. It was packed to overflowing. Of course, we normally have two Sunday morning services so it would be overflowing on Sunday morning if we only had one service. Plus, we had lots of visitors as folks brought their family that was in town. It was a very sweet and Spirit filled service.

The rural Southern Baptist Church I grew up attending didn’t know the difference between advent and an adverb. When I moved to a more populated area the Baptist Church I attended lit the Advent Candles every week and had special Advent messages during December and had a Christmas Eve Service.

After college I attended an Assembly of God church for several months to go with family to church. I remember they had a really cool “come and go” communion service on Christmas Eve. Families could come to the church chapel anytime on Christmas eve and receive communion. They had a deacon/elder in the chapel all day and late into the night that would pray with the families that came and serve them communion.

Anyway, the point is, in the Evangelical world, every church is free to create/change their own traditions for Christmas. You will find a wide variety of ways to celebrate the birth of our Lord if you look around.

 

[Peeps]

The Protestant churches that I was part of until I became Catholic (in my 40s) put Catholic Christmas celebrations to shame!

We started the celebration in October, when we started working on the Christmas Cantata, which was often presented not just once, but twice or even three times! Once they even did the opera “Amahl and the Night Visitors.”

And there was the children’s Christmas pageant. The kids often spent the entire months of November and December practicing once a week. There were songs to be learned, sets to be built, costumes to be sewed, etc.

The actual Christmas worship services had the best music and best preaching all year (except for Easter). Often there were candles.

And many of the churches had a Christmas Eve communion service where carols were sung, testimonies were given by many of the members, and the communion was solemn.

And then there were the parties! Almost every Sunday school class (children’s, teens, young adults, young singles, adults, parents, seniors, etc.) had their own party, usually in the home of someone with a gift of hospitality.

And often the church offered at least one, usually more, Church Breakfasts or Church Dinners.

And the Ladies Fellowship Group usually had a “Christmas Tea,” which was more than just tea! Little sandwiches, appetizers, fantastic (Swedish or German!) desserts.

AND there were all the caroling parites, often at nursing homes or at the Rescue Mission, but sometimes in neighborhoods.

This year, several of the Protestant churches in our city held outdoor manager scenes for several weeknights. One church builds an entire “Bethlehem Market Place” with live animals (camels and donkeys) at the manger scene. And one church even had a Family Christmas Weekend featuring music, games, food, and ICE SKATING! Yes, right on the church grounds–ice skating!

So don’t tell ME that Protestants don’t celebrate Christmas well!

 

[lilypadrees]

Having a Catholic parent and a Protestant parent, I was able to observe the differences in the way they observe Christmas in their services.

Of course, I preferred Mass because we celebrate Advent as well as the Christmas season. Joy filled and reverent.

The Protestant church I attended the longest was Southern Baptist. Unlike yours, ours did know about Advent but didn’t celebrate it.

There were no Christmas Eve services in any of the Protestant churches near us. Sunday or Wednesday, church wasn’t a priority for anyone.

Actual Christmas Eve services on Dec 24th only became a reality in recent years. I remember the announcements on TV as they gave the names of the churches holding them. And the reaction. People were livid. How dare they hold services when you’re supposed to be with your family and friends. Church is for Sundays and Wednesdays only. And don’t even think about services on Christmas Day. Nope. Not gonna do it.

But the church lists grew each year. Now most of the Protestant churches here have something special for Christmas Eve.

They still don’t have Christmas Day services unless Christmas falls on a Sunday. But it’s been nice seeing things slowly change for them.

The non-denominational churches? I don’t know if any of them are open for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day services. The friend who went to one of the ND churches was always visiting her family then.

 

[MagdalenaRita]

So don’t tell ME that Protestants don’t celebrate Christmas well

I am wondering what denomination was this? It sounds like it might have been a very large church or denomination. I haven’t seen something like this happening before except in very large churches with maybe a school attached but I could be wrong.

 

[TULIPed]

We get plenty of “Chreasters” at our church every year. Happy to have them. Great way to be responsive to the Great Commission from our King.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I am wondering what denomination was this? It sounds like it might have been a very large church or denomination. I haven’t seen something like this happening before except in very large churches with maybe a school attached but I could be wrong.

I’m unclear from the post as to whether this was one church doing all of the things listed, or a group of Protestant churches each doing a couple things, or maybe an ecumenical group sponsoring a few things. Or was it a megachurch.

I’m pretty familiar with a number of Protestant churches as I’ve had close family who are Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, and non-denominational. One of our properties is also literally between two large Protestant churches, each about 10-20 feet from my yard, so I see what they do, and some of the Protestant churches in my area publicize their Christmas events in community groups as a welcome/ evangelization gesture. All of these churches do things for Christmas, but no one church puts on such a huge number of events. Many times they’re kind of doing what they do every week, such as meals or club meetings, but with a Christmas theme. Often they will have a kids’ Christmas party with Santa, or a nativity pageant, and many of the Protestant churches (as well as some of the Catholic churches) sponsor one or more choral performances with ecumenical choirs.

I did notice that one of the two Protestant churches seemed to possibly be having some kind of Christmas Eve worship or party, as I saw people leaving the large church complex. The other had its usual Sunday service on Sunday (I hear them sing through my walls) and has been dark since.

 

[edtaylor51]

I think it’s really hard to lump all Protestants into one group in any conversation, as they vary so greatly. Anglican/Episcopal will be closer to Catholics than Pentecostals on most structural or governance matters.

For what it’s worth, the Lutheran Church down the road from my house had an over-flowing parking lot on Christmas Eve. They had to use the Baptists church’s parking lot across the street for the overflow. The Baptist church was dark and presumably empty. Interestingly, the Synagogue next door was pretty full too. I know a lot of Jewish congregations will get together on Christmas Eve so the kids aren’t bored…order chinese food, watch movies, etc. Then on Christmas Day, they will work at food kitchens.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I am always happy when I see churches other than Catholic drawing crowds on Christmas or Christmas Eve. This year I was in a college town for Christmas that I normally don’t spend Christmas in. The students had all gone home, all the bars were closed (the only time all year that they close to my knowledge) and everything else was closed too, including all the fast food and pizza joints. The only places open on Christmas were two convenience stores, a Chinese restaurant and the two Catholic Churches a few miles apart doing a land office business. I’ve never seen this town look so empty. If not for the people going to Mass, it would have looked like aliens or the rapture just beamed everybody up.

 

[ltwin]

So don’t tell ME that Protestants don’t celebrate Christmas well!

Never said that. My own church growing up had the Sunday before Christmas services in the morning (with a kid’s Christmas play) and a night service (with a teenager Christmas play) followed by a church dinner in the fellowship hall where all the kids were given gifts. Some years, we had a “singing Christmas tree”. My point was all of this stuff was done on days other than Christmas day or Christmas Eve.

 

[TomH1]

Can you please ensure that when you quote someone that you quote the correct person. I recommend you read post 67 again, and you will find the quoted words were written by Wannano not me.

 

[TomH1]

I guess you are welcome to speculate and make generalizations that may make you feel good but do not necessarily portray reality.

I am not speculating. I can show you many, many Protestant churches in the area where I live that have absolutely no services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. As for generalisations I feel it reasonable to extrapolate because I see no reason why the Protestant churches in my locale should be different in their behaviour from others.

It does not make me feel good or feel anything else. It is just something I wonder about. My posting about it does not alter what happens or does not.

On the flip side of the coin, the Protestant world does not in general see their buildings swarmed by the “once or twice” a year attendees at Christmas and Easter.

As you are opposed to speculation can you please substantiate this claim.

It is true that every year at Christmas and Easter Catholics do attend church who would not otherwise. Rather than complain about this we should seize it as an opportunity to evangelise these people. I would be very surprised if this phenomenon were unique to the Catholic Church.

 

[Wannano]

I was reacting to your speculation that perhaps the Protestants have lost “the true meaning of Christmas” since they may not have services on Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day.

Ok, I will allow myself to speculate that whether it be a Catholic or Protestant phenomenon, the fact that hordes only crowd the churches on Christmas and Easter may indicate that many have lost the “true meaning of Christmas.”

 

[TC3033]

As for generalisations I feel it reasonable to extrapolate because I see no reason why the Protestant churches in my locale should be different in their behaviour from others.

Interesting…I’ve been told on here multiple times that I’m not supposed to do that with the local Catholic church(es)…

That’s one big thing I’ve picked up here. Try not to compare one location to the next to the next to the next. Where my wife and kids are members the 4:15 Christmas Eve is standing room only, Christmas day I saw 5 cars in the lot when we were driving by…other places Christmas Day will be packed.

At our non-denom church where I grew up, we always had candle light service on Christmas Eve and no services on Christmas Day. This was mostly in part by the congregation deciding we all preferred to gather during the evening of Christmas Eve vs. Christmas Day.

 

[kainosktisis]

But that to me is like the difference between having Daily Mass & celebrating the Holy Eucharist vs Sunday Services & having Communion whenever (1x/mo.; every quarter; once a year - I get that sometimes long ago because of shortages of pastors that this might’ve been practiced for a time, but now that it’s no longer as that situation called, it’s still practiced as a tradition.)

My husband & kids worship at a local Nondenominational church, & last Christmas, there were no services on Christmas Day, but they held services on & around Christmas Eve. After attending mass with me whenever he can, even my husband looked at the omission of that celebration by his church as questionable. It seemed to be more of a convenience to the pastors than actually remembering what that day even means. He felt like more reverence was given by the Catholics for it than the other Christians. I must agree with him on that.