Why We Chose Not To Do Christmas Eve Extra Services

I want to first of all say with this I'm not trying to:
1. Discount the value, meaning, or significance that comes from doing a Christmas Eve service. They can be special times of reflection, longing, and hope. The candlelight vibe is really cool. And it's always fun to sing Christmas songs.

2. Dictate what you and your church do. Every church, and every pastor, has to make these decisions. We're not bound by a liturgy or a mandate from somewhere that says we have to do things a certain way. In fact, if your church is doing some extra services this Sunday afternoon/evening, good! I hope you have a blessed time and that it creates wonderful opportunities for you and your church.

In fact, if your church is doing a Christmas Eve service, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Tag a comment!

With that, we're not doing extra Christmas Eve services at FBC Fairview Heights. We didn't last year either. And we probably won't do them for the foreseeable future. It's not that I have anything against them, and it's definitely not one of those "Pastor Scott doesn't want to do it." I like them. I like Christmas songs. And I've loved the times in the past where a Christmas Eve service got paired with cookies. I'm never going to turn down a good cookie. And neither are you if we're going to be honest.

But the decision to do one or not really doesn't matter what Scott wants, or what our staff wants, or even what some people may want. For us it really boiled down to "Is this best for us at this season in our church's life?" And the answer was no, for a few reasons.

1. We want to make sure that families spend time together - We're pulled in 1000 different directions, especially during the holidays. Your schedule is full of parties, caroling, lights, work events, and the unending cycle of relatives coming and going. It's busy. And when you throw in school events, kids activities, and more, it can be overwhelming. For us, the decision was primarily grounded in the conviction that we want families to be together more, not apart. 

2. It's a gift to our staff, leaders, and volunteers - Christmas Eve services are like funerals and weddings, the shorter the better. The last time I did a Christmas Eve service I think we were in and out in less than 40 minutes. Anything more and the line gets blurred between a service and a hostage situation. There's a lot going on and many families are coming with Christmas dinner in the oven to prepare for family. Make it quick. But that 40 minutes is just for the actual service itself. And there's not just one person involved in it. It takes, at least for us, a small army of volunteers to pull off just getting the church opened and set up. There's a lot of moving pieces and a lot required for us to have even the most basic of services. Rather than ask those volunteers to give up an afternoon or evening with their family to come and work the sound, lights, play instruments, sing, lead, work with kids, and clean up, we want this to be a gift of rest to them.

3. We're tired - For those unfamiliar with FBC Fairview Heights, it's a church that's gone through a lengthy process of change. Our key people have served extra years in leadership and have assumed more additional responsibilities, the available pool of volunteers & servants isn't what it was 10 years ago. And in the last 24 months the church has gone through a pastoral transition, multiple staff changes, a revitalization effort, several funerals, and a significant (and unplanned) renovation project. Before that was a lengthy period of decline, financial hardships, building upkeep, ministry shifts, and more. The weary world, and the weary church, rejoices.

4. We're still having a Christmas service - Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday this year. So we're still having a worship service. And we're still going to sing about the Immanuel. And we're going to rejoice in the Second Advent as much as the First. And we're going to preach the hope of the Gospel. We're even going to sing Christmas songs. And next year when Christmas Eve is on a Tuesday, we'll still be gathering on Sunday to worship and sing and marvel at the Christmas story. And so on. Every Sunday the church gathers is both Christmas and Easter Sunday. We celebrate the coming of Christ, and we celebrate the Resurrection.

You might not agree with this. And that's ok. Your church may do things differently. Awesome. I think there are some great churches doing great work and really making the most out of their calendar on the 24th. I'm grateful for that. At the same time, could I envision a time where we do a Christmas Eve service again? Sure. I've learned over the years to put things that aren't essential into wet concrete. Things can change, including our minds.