The Soda Shop Message Boards

Christmas Day is falling on a Sunday this year. Is your church having services like normal? What do you think about canceling church on Christmas Day?

Eleventh Doctor wrote:What do you think about canceling church on Christmas Day?

Wait, that's a thing? O_O

Um, no, I don't think that's right. I thought in the past there was always church on Christmas day, regardless of the day of the week it fell on.

My church usually only has a service on Christmas Day when it falls on a Sunday; otherwise, we have a Christmas Eve service, which is probably meant to acknowledge the fact that a lot of people travel on Christmas. Instead, we have a couple of celebratory events—one is a fairly formal event, with the whole choir and orchestra performing Christmas music, and the other is basically a concert by all of the youth choirs and then a carol hymn-sing by candlelight.

My church is having a service, but no Sunday School, and it's later than normal. Wasn't Christmas on a Sunday a couple of years ago, too?

Connie G. wrote:Wasn't Christmas on a Sunday a couple of years ago, too?

That's the thing with Christmas...

But Christmas doesn't always fall on a Sunday.

So Belle, yes a couple years ago when it last fell on a Sunday several articles went viral about churches that were canceling church on Christmas. This year the same thing is happening.

A related question, what do people's churches normally do for Christmas?

Eleventh Doctor wrote: So Belle, yes a couple years ago when it last fell on a Sunday several articles went viral about churches that were canceling church on Christmas. This year the same thing is happening.

I meant more of in the 1900s, etc. I remember reading lots of books about prairie family's going to church on Christmas, regardless of the day of the week.

Ah, I have no idea. I do know that the Puritans banned Christmas in the early Americans and it wasn't widely celebrated, except by Catholics and high church Protestants, until much later. It wasn't until post-Civil War that Congress even recognized it as a holiday.

Well I just found out today that my church has cancelled Christmas Day services, and is instead playing a recording online.

I still don't know what I think of it though.

Did your church give a reason?

It could be that if people want to watch it without having to deal with leaving their home. I guess. Maybe people will watch it while they open presents?

My church does a facebook live of all the sermons, so regardless of the reason you could watch it from your home. I would say there were more people at my church last Sunday then there normally are

Eleventh Doctor wrote:Did your church give a reason?

They did not give a reason, but my guess is so that the pastors and everyone involved in the /7/ Christmas Eve services they had could spend time with their family.

Do you think there is importance in having church on Sunday or Christmas Day itself or is having one or in your case multiple Christmas Eve services sufficient?

Eleventh Doctor wrote:Do you think there is importance in having church on Sunday or Christmas Day itself or is having one or in your case multiple Christmas Eve services sufficient?

I think it is important, because going to church is important. But, myself and my family don't always go to church every single Sunday. I think the Christmas Eve service was okay, they served communion, took an offering, it was just like a normal service, but it was also super rushed, to get everyone in and out in an hour and a half so they could start the next service.

This particular church is also a very popular one in the area of town it is in, and surrounded by apartment buildings and subdivisions. It makes sense that it would be frequented by a lot of people on Christmas Eve, and I think in their catering to all of these new people, they forgot about their main congregation.

In fact, for their Easter service, they even said, "Come to the service on Friday or Saturday, and leave Sunday morning for the new people. Just stay home."

What do you think about it just being like a normal service? Should Christmas services be special in some way?

What do you think about the church telling people to stay home on Easter?

Eleventh Doctor wrote:What do you think about it just being like a normal service? Should Christmas services be special in some way?

I thought it being a normal service was fine. What I didn't like is how rushed it was, however.

I mean, Christmas services should acknowledge the fact that it's Christmas, but I know some churches just focus on a message to save unsaved people. I think the service should keep in mind it's entire audience, not just a fraction of it at a certain time.

Eleventh Doctor wrote:What do you think about the church telling people to stay home on Easter?

I don't think it's right...it should instead maybe have a way for the usual attendees to engage with the new people or something..telling everyone to stay home rubbed me the wrong way.

Why on earth would a church tell someone to stay home on Easter? o_0