Our church isn't having a Christmas Eve service, which is too bad, really, cuz I kind of enjoy them. I don't know what I'll do. Maybe try to find another service somewhere, maybe just stay home and watch TV.

Update: My Mom and I may be going to my sisters UCCanada church for Christmas Eve.

Update: My Mom, wife, and I have decided to attend a local charismatic church on Christmas Eve.

We always get our own candle to light when we turn off the lights and sing Silent Night.  We usually have children do the Nativity as well.  Love it!

i'm struggling as I read this post. 

I haven't been to church in a while, which is a shock when you realize how involved I was.

I don't want to be a "C" of "C&E" Christian, but, I am aware that my Dad will want to be there with our family. 

cahllenged.

I've seen this mentioned a few times. What's a C&E church?

Community and Education?

Christmas and Easter?

Kimmio,

This is the one.

Grace and peace to you.

John

Pinga - it is hard when we (for whatever reason)  lose a community.  It seems to happen a lot with congregations for a variety of reasons.  Your note brought to mind some people I know who have found it too painful to continue attending their church.  With this being a small town people don't have the option of going to a different congregation in the same denomination. 

Would it 'work' for you to just go along with whatever the rest of the family want?

A C&E Christian refers to someone who only attends church at Christmas and Easter. I've heard some refer to them as "World Series Christians" - like people who only become baseball fans during the World Series and otherwise ignore the game. I've heard of pastors who have closed there Christmas Eve service  by wishing people a Happy Easter. Horrible way to make people feel welcome. I rejoice in C&E Christians, and just hope that somehow someone is touched enough by a C or E service to want to come at other times.

I will be looking for a service that does eucharist or stay home.

I will be at the church of my childhood for Christmas Eve, as that is where my sister and her family still attends.  It's a typical family-friendly service with lots of music performed by the youth and kids.

If I were staying home for the holidays, it would be similar but I would be surrounded by my church family insead of my biological family.

Seen on an Anglican church sign a few years ago:

Still open between Easter and Christmas! 

I thought that was a cute one.

My UU fellowship has stopped doing them (not much interest) so I'll likely attend a United Church, maybe the candlelight family service at Wesley-Knox.

I'm actually involved in the service at the fellowship on Dec. 22 and will likely reflect on the Christian Christmas Story in some way at that service.

Mendalla

I will be at our farm and the local town has a service but it isn't at a. Time when I wish to go.

So we will light the candles on our tree, listen to classic carols and talk about the year past, the year ahead and family we are missing

My own church has three services usually though I haven't seen the schedule yet.

They have a 5 pm service for families , another at 6:30 or so and kiddies are invited to wear pjs

Then we have a traditional communion service at 11. It is always wonderful

Jae, I think you live close to me in Toronto. You might want to. Check out Kingsway Lambton united

Ping a, I am sorry you are feeling disconnected. Have you met with your minister to discuss?

I will go twice, to two different churches.
:)

All this talk is getting me excited for our Christmas Eve service :)

umm, we dont' have a traditional minister, lastpointe. 

It is an interesting model that is being trialed in the church and I wish that I had the energy to support it as I am fully supportive of what is being done.

It is not the leadership in ministry that is a challenge for me - I appreciate the many gifts that are being given and I know from when I have been there, that I am welcomed and missed by folks. I also know the services are wonderful as are some of the creative items going on.

I know there are many like me who have wandered away from the church, we show up, wondering if things are the same , if the protocol and methods of doing things have remained the same, or we see the emails that indicate that nothing has changed from an organizational standpoint.....and so, we just stay away and over time the threads that kept us there get thinner and thinner.  I was one of the last of my community of friends to wander off, tired.  we may see each other at christmas eve.  we will say "sorry that i haven't seen you" and then laugh when we realize neither have been there...and then, move on.  we will talk about getting together, and we likely won't or if we do, it won't be about church...because hcurch became more about operational and less about faith.

We have a Christmas Eve service at 7:00 p.m.  It is family orientated.  Lots of carols. Some special singing and piano playing by some of the youth of our church.  After the service we come home and put our Christmas jammies on and take our Christmas Jammie picture and then turn out all the lights and light candles and have all the Christmas lights on and just sit and relax and enjoy.

We have several families from our church who come at Christmas and Easter.  I don't like to call them "C & E Christians", because I do not like to judge what their personal faith is.  Because they only come to church on Christmas and Easter does not mean to me that they are only Christians at that time of the year, but that probably their faith is in God all year long.  It is something within the church, personally for them, that is not meeting their needs or just not a need in their faith walk.

I welcome them!!!  If that is what they need to enjoy these special holidays I think it is great.  I don't think church is or should be about "getting more people to come".  Yes we need a congregation to keep the church going.  And when our membership dwindles, we will close.  But right now, we are able to keep going by the generosity of those who come, every Sunday, and those who come at Christmas and Easter, and those that never come, but they choose to still support us.

Pinga, if it works for you, mentally and emotionally, go on Christmas Eve, and enjoy what you enjoy about it.  Allow yourself to be ministered to by the things  you need, and for that night, let everything else go.

We have a 7 pm readings and carols service with a choir geared for families.  Our 11:00 pm service is a communion and candlelight service, usually with a soloist and a violinist or similar guest musican.  There are some members who only attend this service each year. The last few years have seen a substantial increase in NECEs (Not even Christmas or Easter).

Jim, when you say there is a substantial increase in NECEs, does that mean you have less people coming....ie people that dont' show up at all

My Dad calls himself an ETC - meaning he only attends church on Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I'm not yet sure what I'll be doing on Christmas Eve. I'll probably attend the 7PM service at my own church and then a midnight service at a neighbouring church like I did last year.

Makes sense. Especially on this thread. :) Thanks.

Church was a quite a big busier on Christmas last year, I noticed. The year before I went to a Christmas carolling night just before Christmas and it was packed. There were a few guest choirs and I think their families and supporters were there. Not sure if any came back.

In the Catholic Church, I have heard they call the ETC's "Turkey Catholics".

 They attend only on the occasions associated with eating turkey. 

I do not remember participating in a Christmas Eve church service in the last 20 years that had a packed church, and the three Christmases I have been to church services in Calgary, there was always room for more people, sometims a lot more people.  I have not been here long enough to have evidence for my claim that NECEs are increasing in number, but it would be consistent with the increasing number of SBNRs (spiritual but not religious).  What matters is that the people who come do feel well fed by their experience of worship.

Aah, i thought you were indicating that they were decreasing, ie the move from regular to sporadic to c&e,to not at all had begun

I will not be attending any type of service, at any time. on Christmas Eve.  I'm sure the local UC won't be having a service on that day.  When Christmas Eve and Day fell on a weekend they just closed everything down, so I'm sure they won't bother midweek.

Nostalgia and some good memories try to draw me closer, but experience tells me that it will not be 'the same (nor should it be). 

For me this is a sentimental period of the year - recalling childhood days - long (and more recent) dead relatives -  carolling around the neighborhood - the joy of giving gifts to loved ones - traditions etc.........

If you enjoy those things why arenèt you doing them this year as wellÉ

Well Jae - I will recall childhood days - dead relatives - traditions - gift giving this year.  The carolling around the neighborhood has been vetoed by my partner and my kids for many years.  Despite many attempts I haven't been able to find others in the community who are interested in doing it either.

Kay - if you lived in my community, I would invite you to join my group of carollers as we go out singing on December 20th.

Thanks for the invitation - I will imagine myself joining my voice with yours.  If I was there in person would my antique hurricane lantern be welcome to light the paths?

Of course Kay!

Are there no people for you to enjoy Christmastime with now? You mentioned a partner. Is there no one for you to exchange gifts with now? Why does thinking about childhood and relatives who have passed preclude you from the joy of worshipping in church?

Jae - I'm not sure which of my words you are reading to draw the conclusions you seem to be drawing.

I have already mentioned my partner and adult children - there are also grandchildren.  I have already said that I will enjoy gift giving.  I have already said that there will not be a UC service to attend. 

Hi All, 

Some years ago when my son became ill the anxiety of the gifts and tree and decorations seemed to make things much worse.

So our family decided that we would downplay the more commercial elements of the season.  No tree with gifts under it on Christmas day.  Now we celebrate the feast of St. Nicholas.  Borrowing from the Dutch celebration this is the day we put our stockings out.  We did not transport Zwart Piet.  

I will preside over a service of lessons and carols in Waterford and my family will attend Church in Brantford.  They enjoy not having to live in the bubble of being the preacher's wife and kids.

Christmas morning has become the most meaningful part of the holidays for us in the last few years.  Primarily because we gather at a Church in Brantford and prepare breakfast for 70 to 80 people who are either living on the street or nver far from it.  Our kids have never really lacked for stuff.  Big ticket items were subject to a token economy scheme and the kids worked to earn those things.  Christmas is supposed to be more of an emphasis on family and giving than it is getting.

We close our holidays with the feast of Epiphany in January where we put our shoes out and they get filled with candy of some kind. (Boxing week sale Candy mostly).  We also set aside $200-$300 dollars that will go to local charity.

SPCA is exempt from this practice as the last time the wife and daughters went with a cheque for $40 dollars it turned into an adoption with an initial outlay of $250 dollars and has risen exponentially as that puppy has eaten through a living room set, gained something like 60 pounds and routinely catches cute little bunnies that wander into our yard.

Dealing with the dead bunnies is not a costly preposition.  So far we manage to get to them while they are still trophies and not meals.  It is the emotional fall-out from the two daughters who are horrified to find Peter Cottontail dangling from the maw of a pup who is inordinately pleased with her hunting prowess.

We tried carolling in Newfoundland and Labrador.  That was a bit extreme.

We still see family and get together for meals.  it just isn't our highlight.

Grace and peace to you.

John

No offense intended Kay. One of the paragraphs you wrote just sounded to me like Christmas for you was just about recalling days gone by, as though you had nothing to look forward to this year. I'm glad that's not the case, and I apologize for misreading.

This will be my first Christmas with one child away. That will change things but we hope things will continue to be special. We really love having real candles on the tree for Christmas Eve. Light the candles , have champaign or perhaps this year scotch and talk

My 3 adult children will all be here. I like it when we attend church togethr-it's usually just Xmas.

I've always had them with me for Christmas Eve.

(Sometimes their dad picked them up Christmas morning).

My mom has a phrase similar to C and E

People come to church to be hatched, amatched and dispatched  -or as I'm sure you figured it out-Baptism, marriage and funerals

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Intriguing. What do you think it means, and what do you think I think it means?

It's a joke - a Princess Bride reference, about how, in my estimation, those in charismatic churches lack charisma.

"Smarmy", I could accept.

haha, I got it and couldn't help but hear the tv voice ;)

Christmas eve - there are 2 services at the church, one at 7 and a candlelight/communion service at 10.  I always help lead the 7pm and it is more casual/young/community oriented.  I'm working on that now, with somenon-traditional ideas.

I want 'modern faith' and to think about Joe & Mary in a world like ours.  I'll modify the 2nd or 3rd verses of carols that need some updating, but mostly it will be warm, cozy, fulfilling and friendly.  "Traditional" will mostly be in the atmoshere and familiar tunes & story.

Then I head home for some wine & munchies & Xmas music with my family.  Shoes off, feet up, time for some holidays.

Ah, I see, The Princess Bride. I don't like that movie, and have never watched it all the way through. When I say "charismatic" I mean a church that particularly emphasizes the Spirit-gifts.

You don't like the Princess Bride? Inconceivable!

Mendalla

PS. Yes, it's another PB joke

This is Jae, after all. Get used to disappointment.

Hi chansen,

Like starting a land war in Asia disappointment or matching wits with a Sicilian when death is on the line disappointment?

Grace and peace to you.

John

You do realize that I am now thinking the best way to spend Christmas Eve might be watching The Princess Bride (except I'm the only PB fan in my family so it means I'd be spending it alone ).

Mendalla

So how was your Christmas Eve service?

Mine was great - the power was restored to our church about 1:30 in the afternoon - so contingency plans had been put in place to hold our service elsewhere if needed - but gladly we were able to gather in our own 'church home' by our 5:00pm service time.  The sanctuary was bustling with families and noisy children; there were stories and song and humour and prayer and eager anticipation. Afterward we gathered outside to sing Silent Night to the world, as is our tradition.  I was delighted to have most of my family with me in church, as they do not usually attend church.    I didn't make it back for the later communion service, but I trust it was lovely too.  

Did you get to the MCC service Jobam?  Not sure if they had power or not at RTHall.