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 think what makes this different is that the mega-churches are not set up for handling difficult children, or I guess, a lot of really difficult problems. My guess, and it is a guess, is that mega-churches tend to be lite Christianity for people who are pretty well off, spiritually and financially and just want a weekly feel-good session and no church responsibilities beyond the collection plate. I don't think the mega-churches felt their congregants would show up on Christmas Day because that would be heavy Christianity, not lite Christianity.
It's the traditional congregations that take people in whatever walk they come and try to help them. We deal with all sorts of problems, the strong helping the weak when they can, the weak helping others as best they can. For us, Christmas Day Sunday is like any other and this is the first time our congregation has abbreviated its meetings.
Today I spent some time with a widow of our congregation, helping her select a grocery order for me to get for her. Tomorrow I am meeting with three families who need help for Christmas. Later this week I will visit other families and assess their needs at this season. Last week I took several outfits to a woman who wanted to attend church but felt she had nothing appropriate to wear. Then I picked her up Sunday morning and took her to church. That same week I sat in the hospital several nights with a woman in my church. We are preparing to decorate the house of a family devastated by the father's debilitating disease. A friend of mine will take a fellow congregant to the doctor on Friday. Others will do Sub for Santa activities. Everywhere in traditional congregations there are people who practice Christianity every day of the week by sharing the burdens of fellow congregants and Sunday is no different.
I don't know much about the mega-churches but I suspect the membership is not quite as diverse as ours. I think they are probably more like social clubs where people come to hear the "good news" but seldom get to know their fellow congregants, let alone get involved in their personal trials. Because of that, I think if church gets onerous, the mega-churches will lose members and so the churches will not try to make Christmas Day "onerous" by expecting people to attend.
So what makes this year different is that churches are becoming less and less willing to demand the kind of sacrifices that build faith. And members are less and less willing to make those sacrifices.
And your analysis says something about the faith commitment of these churches.
Not something worth dying for if you can't even manage your children on a holiday.
My church will be open. I'd be deeply disappointed if they decided to close.
True. I can't argue with you on that. When church has to be easy for people to come, it becomes easy for people to leave. All I know is the more I have to sacrifice for my faith, the stronger it becomes. The only comfort I want is that coming from The Comforter.
Merry Christmas!
Exactly! It's not something to live for, if it's not worth dying for! And it's certainly not worth dying for if its functioning as a feel good club with little committment.
My church, which runs about 7-8 thousand each Sunday will have services as usual. Sin is preached every time there is a sermon.
Amen!
My church, which runs about 7-8 thousand each Sunday will have services as usual. Sin is preached every time there is a sermon.
We have 7 or 8 at our church too.
I heard this on FoxNews Channel yesterday and was absolutely flabberghasted. What are they thinking?
Oh, yeah, bottom line ________________
All these people are welcome to stop in at the Midnight Mass at their closest Catholic Church. Consider this an open invitation to any of the Masses on Christmas Day too!
It's time to come home!
Mary, the Mother of God, pray for us.
St. Paul the apostle, pray for us.
And that is how it ought to be.
I think it's special to have Christmas on Sunday.
I think it's special to have Christmas on Sunday.
I agree. But was out voted.
You usually go to someone's
house on their birthday for a party.
If not at least invite Him to your house.
(BTW I didn't mean 7 or 8 thousand
at our church.):>)
We typically have approximately 7-8 thousand or more each Sunday as well.
We're having services Christmas Eve this year. I can't say that I like that decision; however, I am sure that Saturdays services will be packed. Whenever it takes place, I am looking forward to a beautiful time of worship with my church family.
Yep.
God doesn't need us at church. It's the other way around. It is there that we come together as the Body of Christ, and meet with God.
That's why He set it up that way.
You do not present a very positive Christian witness.
You need to repent and seek the face of G-d.
Y'shua requires us to love even our enemies.
Y'shua also requires us to preach His Name.
b'shem Y'shua
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