News of some independent churches throughout the country canceling Christmas-day services is, well, news to local houses of worship.
An Associated Press news article reported that while mainline Protestant denominations and Roman Catholic churches rarely scrub services, independent ones are more inclined to do so when they determine that low attendance and heavy demand for volunteers don’t justify the time and effort necessary to organize a Christmas Sunday service.
Of a dozen churches contacted by The Enterprise, only one has canceled services on Christmas Day, which for the first time since 1994 falls on a Sunday. With one exception, churches contacted figure attendance will be sparse, supplanted by other family goings-on.
“I expect to have a packed-out service,” predicted Kurt Helmke, associate pastor of North Creek Presbyterian Church in Mill Creek. “It’s still important that every Sunday we gather as a church,” he explained, adding that the two regular Sunday-morning services will be replaced by one on Dec. 25. Three Christmas-eve services are planned by the church attended by about 450 worshipers on an average Sunday, Pastor Helmke said.
Everett’s New Life Center has decided against Christmas Sunday services, confirmed administrative assistant Rhonda Scandrett.
A Foursquare church that regularly draws 1,700 attendees to its three Sunday services, it needs about 300 volunteer audio and visual technicians, musicians, child-care-givers, coffeehouse workers, pastoral staff and others to stage a weekend service, she pointed out. “We felt comfortable enough as a church that we…place emphasis on family Christmas day. It’s hard for us to place the burden on those who must serve that day.”
New Life offers multiple Christmas services Dec. 23 and 24.
“Not doing that…no ma’am,” announced Kevin Lane, youth minister of Berean Bible Church of Shoreline before the question about canceling Christmas worship services had left this reporter’s lips. The staff talked about others’ decisions to do so but never considered doing it, he added.
“Christmas is one of those absolute, sacred days of worship,” declared Lane. “It’s ‘Christ-mass’, after all. I work a lot of hours outside the office. I appreciate the concerns…about all the work (a Christmas service) takes… But I don’t consider the worship service ‘work’.”
Like most churches contacted, Berean has replaced its regular Sunday services on Dec. 25 with a single morning one. Look for a Christmas eve one there, too.
There will be a Christmas-morning service at Edmonds United Methodist Church, but it’ll be no surprise if it’s “pretty poorly attended,” said Shirley Bomgaars, senior administrative assistant. Given the church’s ambitious holiday calendar, “everybody is exhausted” and busy with family on Christmas morning, she added.
Westgate Chapel in Edmonds will offer a single Christmas-morning service and two Christmas-eve ones. So many worshipers are expected the church encourages them to attend just one service, said Cheryl Zorko of the regional-missions staff.”I don’t think we would ever cancel a Sunday service, ” Zorko said of the church that draws about 2,000 attendees every Sunday. “It (Christmas) is a family day, but we don’t want to get away from gathering together (as a church) for it.”
Holy Rosary Church expects full houses at its two Christmas-eve and two Christmas-day masses. Christmas mass is conducted on whatever day the holiday falls, according to Colleen Lemeshko, parish secretary.
Alderwood Community Church in Lynnwood plans on paring its holiday services to a single one on Christmas morning plus two on Christmas eve. “I don’t think there’s any Biblical mandate” for Sunday services, but…there is a level of comfort here” for it, said Pastor Fred Williams.
Those interested in attending Christmas and New Year’s services are encouraged to call or consult the Web sites of individual churches for times and formats.
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