Posted on 12/06/2005 11:07:40 AM PST by Between the Lines
Central Kentucky's largest church will break with tradition and close its doors on Christmas Sunday so that staff and volunteers can spend more time with their families.
Southland Christian Church near Lexington, where more than 7,000 people worship each week, is one of several evangelical megachurches across the country that are opting to cancel services on one of the holiest days on the Christian calendar.
Supporters say the change is family-friendly. Opponents call it a regrettable bow to secular culture.
The list of closed congregations on Christmas Sunday reads like a who's who of evangelical Protestantism: Willow Creek Community Church, the Chicago area's largest congregation; Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Mich.; North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Ga.; and Fellowship Church near Dallas.
The churches, which rank among the largest congregations in America, will hold multiple Christmas Eve services instead.
Megachurch officials around the country consulted with each other before deciding to take the day off.
The decision makes sense in today's hectic world, said Willow Creek spokeswoman Cally Parkinson. "It's more than being family-friendly. It's being lifestyle-friendly for people who are just very, very busy," she said.
Many evangelical churches don't hold Christmas day services, except when the holiday falls on a Sunday.
For some evangelicals, it's the day of the week -- not the day of the year -- that's sacred. To them, closing the doors of the church on the Lord's Day is unthinkable.
Others, troubled by the holiday's increasingly secular tone, lament the change.
While admiring the emphasis on family, Fuller Theological Seminary professor Robert K. Johnston worries that another Christian tradition is fading. Fuller, in Pasadena, Calif., is one of the nation's premier evangelical schools.
"What's going on here is a redefinition of Christmas as a time of family celebration rather than as a time of the community faithful celebrating the birth of the savior," said Johnston, a professor of theology and culture. "There is a risk that we will lose one more of our Christian rituals, one that's at the heart of our faith."
At Southland, the decision hasn't generated much controversy. "We've probably had maybe half a dozen (complaints), which is understandable," said church spokeswoman Cindy Willison. Southland members are encouraged to attend one of three Christmas Eve services instead. A Dec. 23 service has also been added.
Willison says attendance dropped significantly the last time Christmas fell on a Sunday, in 1994. Her church's decision was made "based on analysis of the number of people who attended in previous years and just a desire for us to emphasize family time on Christmas Day," she said.
"It's not anything unique to us," she said.
At least one other major Lexington congregation, Crossroads Christian Church, will close for Christmas.
Crossroads Pastor Glenn Schneiders says Dec. 25 is no longer considered sacred by many Americans -- especially those who are not regular churchgoers. "It's viewed more as a holiday than a holy day," he said.
The unchurched are more reachable on Dec. 24, said Schneiders, who leads a church with average weekend attendance of 1,900 people.
"Studies would say the best opportunity to invite people is Christmas Eve. It's, for whatever reason, the least threatening service of the year to attend ... so what we do is really point all of our energy in that direction," Schneiders said. "We don't think we're compromising. We're actually reaching more people by doing that."
Lexington Theological Seminary professor Bill Turner says it's difficult for some congregations to hold multiple Christmas Eve services and then return the following day.
"You're talking about a lot of volunteers and a lot of logistics to make Sunday happen in a lot of those megachurches," he said. By the end of Saturday's services, "you're pretty well wrung out."
Some churches are scaling down their Sunday schedule on Christmas.
At Louisville's Southeast Christian Church, where 18,000 people worship each weekend, they'll have one service on Christmas in the fellowship hall. Fewer than 1,000 people are expected to attend.
Porter Memorial Baptist Church in Lexington, where 1,650 people typically worship, will also have one service on Christmas.
"We want to be here to worship Christ on his birthday," pastor Bill Henard said.
At a time when some corporations and government agencies are shying away from even using the word "Christmas," Henard said, "We want the world to know that it's okay to celebrate Christ."
Meanwhile, Roman Catholics will be as busy as ever, Lexington diocesan spokesman Tom Shaughnessy said. "It's a holy day of obligation, which means for the faithful, Mass attendance is required."
At First United Methodist Church in Lexington, the pastor will perform a "blessing of the toys," and the congregation will sing Christmas carols, church spokeswoman Marsha Berry said.
"Even if there's a small group ... we'll be there to worship," she said. "What better day than Christmas to experience God?"
I'm sure God understands fully the busy lifestyles we lead. I'm sure God says: "Yeah, if you can fit me in, that's great, but if not, no biggie." When churches cater to the desires of men to the exclusion of God then what are they there for in the first place?
I'm proud to say that our church will be open for worship on Christmas morning. The best part of all is that neither of our teenagers have any problem with this at all. By God's grace they want to go. They couldn't care less that some presents will have to wait. God is truly good.
Still, I am a little disturbed by the fact that come hell or high-water, we have SUnday am and SUnday PM services, but on the day that honors Christ, we skip a service.
I am afraid to tell you this but its true:
We don't really care what your religious community thinks about Christmas.
And what else is new? Most of us who actually study the bible and Christian history already know that Christ was not born on Dec. 25. And yes, we know that the old pope made it that date to purposely interfere with the Winter Solstice, because people generally practice a mixture of religions, and the Catholics couldn't stand thatn. So what? This has become the day we celebrate Christ's birth.
churchLite everywhere.
It's a shame.
That's called a commemoration. A day set aside to remember. And that is what we like to do!
Praise God! A good testimony that I wonder if any of these churches have considered. It seems to me a mega-church would have all the more people just wondering in on Christmas.
It's a given fact that steroids can cause impotence.
But say one negative word about megachurches around here....
If you read the Word of G-d and
believe it as the Holy Word of G-d
you can find these facts.
It very clear that December 25 is a Pagan feast
not one spoken to us by G-d the creator of the universe.
b'shem Y'shua
One has to wonder who's leading the church? When the pastor acquiesce what message does that send to the congregation.
We are having church.
The fact is, the Scripture does not give enough information to establish a precise date of birth. Your opinion is a surmise.
I'm not saying your theory is false, just pointing out that it cannot be proven from Scripture.
This is a myth.
No pagan feast is fixed on December 25th, and the Church chose this day to set aside as a celebration of Christ, so it is not a pagan feast by definition.
You seem to confuse facts with assumptions.
Have a merry merry Christmas!
And I just love your Christian witness....
b'shem Y'shua
I am aggressive on that.
When they come to lock up the Christians, they will know where to find me! No doubts!
It is very crowded and the men have to stand, but everyone will be there. We do this every Christmas no matter what day it falls on.
Who knows, gc...maybe these churches are reverting back to the earlier Reformed standard of not celebrating Christmas ;)
Semper Reformanda, bro!
I agree. Going to church together is one of the most important family activities of the week. More important than dinner together each night.
One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. -- Romans 14:5
When they come to lock up the Christians, they will know where to find me! No doubts!
You know that the Muslims are coming for the saturday people
before they come for the sunday people.
b'shem Y'shua
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