Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Family Service, Christmas Eve

When I first came to this church over ten years ago, our 5:00 Christmas eve service was the most crowded of all of our Christmas services.

This was the worship service where all of the children's choirs sang.

Those first few years we had over 500 people at that service. It was packed.

But then the children's choir director found that she couldn't get very many of the children to sing on Christmas eve. A significant number of them were spending Christmas eve out of town. So we had to figure out what else to do to make the early service special and different than the late, candlelight service.

I came up with the idea of making the early service into a "Family Service," with music, readings and and worship assistants provided by families. The first couple of years we had a "Family Choir", with parents and children of all ages. This year a few children will offer different prelude music. (Aside: at my first church, on the "children's Christmas program Sunday", every child who was taking music lessons of any kind was given the opportunity to play for part of the prelude. It was a mini-recital all skill levels and ages represented.) Also, the senior pastor offered the old tradition of "The Strawing of the Manger." The youngest children are invited up to prepare the manger for the Christ child. We also have a young family dress up as the Holy Family and be a part of the processional.

My favorite part of the service, though, is when six elementary school children read six verses from the prophets about the coming of the messiah. I love this part, but it is very stressful trying to find enough children who are good readers, want to do it, and will come to the service. It is harder than one might think. And of course, at the same time, I am really trying to see all of my shut ins and write a lot of sermons (this year I'm preaching this Sunday, Christmas eve and Christmas Day).

But here's why I do it:

Long ago, at the 4:00 Christmas eve service in my home church, I got the chance to read when the Pastor's daughter got sick at the last minute.

It was my big chance. I had never felt important in the church before. No one had asked me, a child, to do anything.

I got to read part of the Christmas story.

So, I still want to give other children a chance to feel important, too.

Because they are.

9 comments:

Terri said...

sigh... yes.

Rev SS said...

amen! Love having youth and children participate in worship leadership

revkjarla said...

I love love love the family service...how it really is family service. We used to go to church at 5:00 every year growing up, and it was the "family service" but that was just because families came, not because it was truly inclusive of all ages in the leadership/liturgy.

Unknown said...

It sounds like a great service!

Crimson Rambler said...

just exactly, yes. happy and important.
I've been in the habit of writing thank you notes to participants in the Christmas pageant. Great excitement and surprise when I would write a note to EACH of two children in one household...little things, little things. But they do make a difference.

Jennifer said...

Oh, so many wonderful thoughts here...and in the comments, too!
Many thanks!

Lauralew said...

Crimson Rambler has a great point. That is what keeps children in church.

Unfortunately, I did not raise my child in the mainline Protestant tradition I now embrace. So family services are not something I'm familiar with. I'm feeling a bit wistful reading the comments about that service.

Ruth Hull Chatlien said...

Oh, I love your awareness of how children feel. thank you for being you.

Lindy said...

You're the read deal, Diane.