Non Denominational Christmas Services

[on_the_hill]

I had a friend who went to a Lutheran church. A few years ago their pastor decided not to have a Christmas day service so that the congregation’s staff could spend the day with their families.

Seemed like the wrong message to send, but who am I to judge?

 

[on_the_hill]

Another point to consider is the Catholics who prefer a Christmas Eve Mass so they don’t have to deal with going to Mass on Christmas Day.

The mindset is to go the night before to get it out of the way and then open presents and relax on Dec. 25th.

 

[exnihilo]

As mentioned for many non denominational churches the issue is as simple as they don’t have worship services on any day other than Sunday. Also for them worship is really just singing songs and maybe hearing a message. You can do that anywhere with anyone. So there isn’t a particular need to go to a church on Christmas Day.

However there is also the undercurrent of our modern culture. Culturally Christmas begins around Thanksgiving and ends at Christmas Eve. Even at Catholic Churches it seems to me most people go to Mass on Christmas Eve. At my parish there are two less Christmas Day masses than Sunday masses and they are sparsely attended. Meanwhile the many Christmas Eve masses are packed.

 

[TC3033]

there were no services on Christmas Day, but they held services on & around Christmas Eve.

Like I said up thread, this is usually a congregational/board decision. If most (if not all) of the congregation would prefer going on Christmas Eve, then the church will have their service on Christmas Eve. That’s what we always did.

Like @on_the_hill said…a lot of Catholics go to Mass on Christmas Eve rather than going on Christmas Day. Christmas Eve Mass here is always an overflow, you need to be there 20-30 min before Mass to get in a pew. We drove by church on Christmas Day on the way to the in-laws…maybe 10 cars there?

 

[kainosktisis]

I do the Midnight Mass, so we start late on the 24th & end early on the 25th.

I’m in the choir so the date & time is not an option for me.

 

[Peeps]

Conference Baptist (Swedish Baptist).

Also Christian and Missionary Alliance, Assemblies of God, Evangelical Free, Evangelical Covenant, etc.

I grew up and still live in a city where the churches offer all kinds of Christmas family activities. I will admit that the musical offerings have dwindled to only a few churches that hire professionals and solicit temporary Christmas choir members from the community, not just their own church. Almost all the churches in our area have seen a depressing downsizing of their home-grown music programs.

Of course, we are within easy driving distance of Willowcreek, and they g0 all out.

Also, there are so many secular holiday celebrations and festivals that didn’t exist while I was growing up–we even have a Christmas parade now (early in the season, not on Christmas Eve or Day) with giant balloons! And lights festivals, and a symphony orchestra/chamber choir concert and an African-American Readers Theatre program, and lots of local theater companies produce Christmas Carols and Best Christmas Pageant Eve and all kinds of other family-friendly holiday shows–it’s no wonder the churches back away from putting too much time and money in big cantatas, singing Christmas Trees, and operettas like Amahl and the Night Visitors.

 

[on_the_hill]

Of course, we are within easy driving distance of Willowcreek, and they g0 all out.

Just curious where Willowcreek is.

Aside from that, my son’s music teacher is involved with the music at a local non-denominational church and he’s invited us a couple times to visit a service there, including this past Christmas. He’s very enthusiastic about the music presentation, and, he being a former-Catholic, says it’s a lot more fun and relatable than regular church.

I generally don’t feel comfortable in non-Catholic religious settings, but I looked up his church’s website to see what Christmas music would be performed, just in case my son was truly interested in attending. Turns out it wasn’t so much a Christmas music pageant as it was to be a Christmas worship service. We didn’t go.

 

[WingsOfEagles]

Another point to consider is the Catholics who prefer a Christmas Eve Mass so they don’t have to deal with going to Mass on Christmas Day.

The mindset is to go the night before to get it out of the way and then open presents and relax on Dec. 25th.

If the Church feels Mass the night before counts, who are we to judge that those going Christmas Day are superior. They aren’t. Same as the Saturday Vigil crowd being on par with Sunday morning.

 

[TC3033]

I think that makes their point… If a NC church has service on Christmas Eve and not Christmas Day (usually because the congregation would all go on Christmas Eve), why is anyone judging them and calling them irreverent for only having Christmas Eve service?

 

[on_the_hill]

If the Church feels Mass the night before counts, who are we to judge that those going Christmas Day are superior. They aren’t. Same as the Saturday Vigil crowd being on par with Sunday morning.

That’s true, no doubt. I’ve gone to the Christmas Eve Mass for a few years now because we go to my in-laws’ house for Christmas and they like the 'Eve Mass. Of course, it’s still a Christmas Mass. I personally prefer Christmas Day.

 

[Peeps]

Willowcreek location:

Willow Creek Community Church

 

[SarahKate]

Same here. We went to the Christmas Eve Mass, which we enjoy, but to go on Christmas Day would “get in the way” of opening presents…per my kids and in laws.

If I could be at Mass daily I would. I love it so much!!

And I agree that the Incarnation loses much of its awe when Marian doctrines have been shoved aside.

The Baptist church we attend on Sunday mornings to appease my husband and kids (we go to Mass most Saturday nights to appease me) had a HUGE Christmas Eve program in a stadium with a stage and the “worship team” singing all their songs and lots of fireworks at the end and a hot tub for whoever wanted to get baptized. It was apparently quite amazing and very much like going to a rock concert.

Not my personal cup of tea, but I digress…

 

[Hodos]

Perhaps you could contact the pastors of those congregations and ask them directly instead of starting a thread here inviting gossip and speculation as your answer.

 

[Peeps]

Hodos, which of us are you talking to? (Apologies if I’m missing something here.)

 

[Hodos]

Was responding to the OP and the inevitable gossip that followed.

 

[Peeps]

OK, thanks for clairifying.

I tend to agree that we should live and let live when it comes to other Christian communities. As the Lord told us, “If they are not against us, they’re for us.”

 

[Crocus]

Another point to consider is the Catholics who prefer a Christmas Eve Mass so they don’t have to deal with going to Mass on Christmas Day.

I remember as a child, excitedly anticipating Christmas. We would have a nap after dinner Christmas Eve. Then off to midnight mass. The stars never shone brighter on that night, the snowflakes twinkled in imitation. First stop inside was at the crèche to admire the “baby Jesus.” Then mass, for the older kids, familiar as every Sunday of the year but special, due the festive environment; for the littlest, falling asleep at one end of the pew was inevitable.

As an adult, having more knowledge of the liturgy, I appreciate the fact that the gospel readings are different depending on the hour of the day, and are chosen from the following six, beginning with words:

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham.
…
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
…
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus
that the whole world should be enrolled.
…
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
…
When the angels went away from them to heaven,
the shepherds said to one another,
"Let us go, then, to Bethlehem
…
Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying:
"Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;

There may be a little nostalgia associated with midnight mass, hearing the Bethlehem narrative. Nowadays, I tend to prefer the day mass, to hear John’s gospel (fourth option above).

That’s my tradition. I did not check to see what the nearby non denominational church did on December 24-25, but I was surprised and delighted when they chose to substitute neighborhood carolling for their 4th Sunday service. They stopped at every house in our small village, dropping off decorated jars of cookie mix.

A Blessed Christmas to you and all on CAF. (The season lasts until the celebration of the Baptism of our Lord.)

 

[yankeesouth]

Is “non-denominational” a denomination?

Oh yes. I know of a few protestant communities that pride themselves in being ‘non denominational’.

 

[lilypadrees]

Yet, as my friend who used to attend a non-denominational church says, “they are still Protestants.”

 

[Tis_Bearself]

There may be a little nostalgia associated with midnight mass, hearing the Bethlehem narrative. Nowadays, I tend to prefer the day mass, to hear John’s gospel (fourth option above).

Unfortunately when I attended day Mass this Christmas at 10:30 am, discovered that for some unknown reason they were using all the midnight Mass readings at the day Mass. At first I thought the reader of the first reading had simply read the wrong one, but the error continued through the second reading and the Gospel. I think I’ll be attending a different Catholic church next time.