If Willow Creek wants to close for Christmas, good for them...how about sending all their thousands of members out to feed the homeless and bring gifts to children who will certainly get none...?

Since when did "church" have to happen in a particular building, with staff, volunteers and parking attendents?

The Christ in Christmas should spur us toward sharing the heart of God with our world, especially this time of year.

Peace and Goodwill

I believe this is an "artificial" war. The reason that pragmatic choices would actually come into play is because the theology of these evangelical churches allows the freedom. For instance, churches, such as mine, already have services on Saturday as well as other days of the week. Is that consumerism or because there is theologically not a value in one day over another? Puritans really are in the background in this discussion whether we are cognizant of it or not.

The Puritans closed their churches on Christmas Day, not on Sunday. That is the point! It's not closing on Christmas that is the issue, it's shutting down the Lord's Day worship. These churches are closing for pragmatic reasons as opposed to honouring the Lord on the day set aside for such activity. It's shameful. No wonder the church has no impact on society; we resemble the world and the world can't see the difference.

The Willow Creek quote is funny, the one about the effective use of staff and volunteer resources. To some it sounds crass, but that's just how WC people talk--like they've all been to the "MBA in a Box" seminar.

This story an example of what happens on a slow news day. I don't see how large churches re-adjusting their worship schedules to allow families to spend Christmas day together is such a big deal. I mean, it's Christmas. It's not as if churches are shutting down for Ground Hog Day.

I think the media doesn't get it that Sunday morning is not a "sacred" hour; churches can meet at other times and still have church. And I don't think they get it that Christians can experience worship outside the four walls of the church building. And I don't think they get it that, in this one case, maybe the best place for believers to be is home, celebrating Jesus' birth with their families.

Hello Skye, I pray all is going well for you at your church. I am going to have to take issue with you on this thought. I attend a large church (15,000 on Sunday) and have volunteered there for 4 years. I would say it takes around 1,000 volunteers to run the services every week, and to try and operate when many of those are traveling during Christmas would be extremely difficult and ineffective. I have been in a church that is filled with people that just occupy seats. They never volunteer their time at church, and all they want to do is sit there and be fed. I guess that churches like that would not have an issue with being open on Christmas.

This is a fairly new concept to me, and it was a little strange at first. This is where I stand now, and am open to learning from you.

Thomas,

I think we are actually on the same page. I think the megeachurch closures are happening for pragmatic reasons- as you say, it takes at least 1000 volunteers to operate a service. That is a difficult thing to pull off on Christmas Day.

However, critics of megachurches want to read other motivations behind the closures- including capitulation to consumerism.

Off the main subject here, I am saddened not by the use of the phrase "Happy Holidays" (which, by the way, encompasses both Christmas and New Years) but by the fact that Christians get all in a huff and organize boycotts because of it. Does this really hamper one's personal walk with Christ? No. Does this hinder one's ability to share the love of Christ with a neighbor? No. Should we expect a large retailer to care? No. I am reminded of the lyrics to an old Petra song called "Witch Hunt":

We're on another witch hunt
Looking for evil wherever we can find it
Off on a tangent hope the Lord don't mind it

We're on another witch hunt
Taking a break from all our gospel labor
On a crusade but we forgot our Savior

Skye,

I understand that we are on the same page in our understanding of the reason why mega-churches close. I would like to know what you personally think about this issue. I have tried to get feedback from other Christians, but most just give emotional responses because they can't believe a church would ever close the doors.

>>>I think the media doesn't get it that Sunday morning is not a "sacred" hour...

I do get it, and agree with that (and what followed) completely. My difficulty is that, at any other time, we have set Sunday apart and given it special purpose. We have chosen to do that, we the church, and the world knows it. In fact, 'we' often argue about it when the modern-day Judaizers or Seventh-dayers want us to start keeping the Sabbath, we teach about it when our kids want to go to the beach instead -- not because Sunday IS MOST important, but because we as believers and as churches have chosen to make it important, significant and perhaps even a critical expression of devotion before the Lord. (And of course, there is certain arguable weight given in the NT regarding the historicity of a Sunday gathering.)

Our services will be happening as usual on Sunday, December 25 -- and the body is very excited about it. It is what we do. However, we will be cancelling services next spring, on Easter Sunday. It's just a day, and because of the time of year and nicer weather we really want to encourage families to spend their time together.

It's a tradition -- a fairly recent one -- to have Christmas Day services. It's also a tradition -- though older -- to set aside Sunday as a day of worship. Neither is solidly biblical or has precedent in the earliest church. So what's the big deal about deviating from a tradition to give the church -- the people -- an opportunity to celebrate the coming of the Messiah with their families? After all, these churches did hold Christmas services. They just held them early. What comes first, people or tradition?

you say that the Puritans closed church on Christmas because they didn't celebrate it? I'll bet they didn't celebrate it with presents, large dinners and excessive decorations either...what logic is this? either you celebrate Christmas or you don't. the question is HOW. by closing church and opening presents (secular celebration) or by gathering to worship. now if you are going to tell me that those who aren't having a service are telling people to gather to worship with family at home- then i am going to ask you: why is that not the recommended option for all worship? why do we have the building for ANY sunday? you just can't get around the fact that they are closing because of inconvience. period. and what a message that is.

Because some of you are interested in my personal take on the idea of closing for Christmas, I think revealing my own church's approach to Advent might be most telling:

1. For the past few years we have strongly encouraged our members to complete their shopping in November before Advent begins. This frees up time in December to focus upon Christ, family, and others rather than material things.

2. During Advent we shut down all childrens, student, and adult classes on Sunday morning and invite children into the worship services--again to help families connect at this special time of year.

3. We convert the lower level of the building into a coffee house with dozens of service projets-- stations where families can particpate in ways of serving our church, local needs in the community, or international ministries. (This can be everything from baking cookies for shut-ins to supporting Aids relief work in Asia.)Most project are hands on, and may include partnering with other area churches and ministries.

4. We avoid large Christmas productions that will burden family schedules at an already hectic time. Instead we encourage families to participate in service projects together.

5. This year we have covered the many windows in our sanctuary with black cloth to create a dark and ominous atmosphere for Sunday services. Sermons are from OT prophecies about the coming Messiah. The focus is to help people feel and reflect upon the darkness in the world and their own lives.

6. We are having two Christmas Eve services, and maintaining our normal Sunday schedule on Christmas morning with two services as well. Christmas day we will remove all of the black cloth and let the sunlight back into the church as we celebrate the coming of Christ- the Light of the World.

All of these things are intended to help form our people around values that we see as counter cultural but in conformity with what God desires his people to be.

Let me put the shoe on the other foot. If gathering together on the Lord's Day to celebrate his traditional birthday is negotiable and optional because any day can be the Lords' Day, then why not celebrate Christmas Day with family on any other day other than the Sunday of December 25th?
I can understand an abbreviated schedule to accommodate both, but to compromise on the Lords' Day which was recognize by the early church as having significant importance in order to accommodate a Christmas celebration that is defined more along lines of family than spirituality is something we should avoid.
We've already seen Thanksgiving and the Resurrection holy days ratched down to being more about family (and I seriously doubt that most Christians are doing anything expansive in their homes of a spiritual nature to celebrate Christmas) than about being and celebrating as the people of God.
It seems that Mother's Day and other Hallmark holidays have more prominence in the church than the celebrations of the highest order we should be emphasizing.
Come on folks, surely you can sacrifice a little bit of scheduling difficulties and logistics in order to gather with your brothers and sisters and celebrate being the church of God.

I think the ultimate question is, does this mean that Sunday corporate worship is optional? I think any of these churches will have a hard time in the future saying that it's a Christian duty to attend church services on Sunday. Given, the fast-pace life these days, on any particular Sun. you could be closer to your family by staying home and focusing on each other instead of spending time getting dressed for church. But isn't the focus of CHRISTmas, supposed to be CHRIST? I think it's a slippery slope - and there are many babes in Christ who will get the wrong messae from this move.

Question: what about those of us who have family members that aren't Christians? Have any of you experienced the resentment that can come from being busy with church work at the expense of family time? Is it more of a loving sacrifice to ask others to rearrange their schedule to come to a church service or for me to rearrange my schedule to spend time with them? Obviously Christmas isn't the only time of year that I can have meaningful moments with my family, but it is a day on which many families greatly enjoy being with each other. I will probably attend church on Christmas day (in the evening) and am not sure about Christmas Eve. If worship is about more than just singing, then it is all right that we aren't sitting around the living room singing "Silent Night", and I feel ok spending Christmas morning or Christmas Eve with family members that I don't get to see that often, some of whom have traveled great distances, in order to share our lives with each other.

Better cancel Easter Sunday, Mother's day and Father's Day, wouldn't want something as trivial as worship getting in the way of all that family time together.

To Tim and others, in the end, we each must be convinced in our own minds. So whatever the Spirit leads -- as long as it is the Spirit leading -- is going to be right. Right even if it is different from what I might do.

As the discussion continues however, including Tim, your hypothetical 'sitting around the living room singing Silent Night' comments, and our collective philosophical musings -- this isn't about our fanciful thoughts, and might not even be about our Christian liberty (didn't hear Jesus talking about that a lot.) However, it is about Jesus Himself!!

I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His suffering becoming like Him in His death... (Ph. 3:10)

"When we believe that we should be satisfied rather then God glorified in our worship, then we put God below ourselves as though He had been made for us rather than that we had been made for him." --Stephan Charnach

"When we take consumerism and bring it into the experience of our church life, than we are virtually done; because the whole experience of worship can never begin with what I am about to receive, but always begins with what I am about to give." --Alister Begg

(I received the quotes via email and have not been able to verify their origins.)

Food for thought, that's all. May Jesus be the Lord of every decision we make, every priority we set and every relationship we pursue. Every day. Every day. "For I resolved to know nothing...except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." (2Cor. 2:2)

rolo, perhaps you have considered that a person can walk in and out of a church without having ever worshipped God? The appearance of worship can be there while the heart is elsewhere. You make it sound black and white - if you skip church on Christmas to be with loved ones then it is obvious that you don't care an ounce about worshipping God??? I don't think so.

We're having church on Sunday. I guess I am a hopeless romantic and hope that the families may want to incorporate worship of the Christ Child into their family traditions. But hey, I pastor a church of 120, what do I know?

Merry Christmas and may you find God's blessings where ever you find yourselves on Christmas day!

If the church hadn't set up Sunday Morning as being the all important time of worship then we wouldn't have this problem. We really should expand our ideas about worship (when and where) and realize that gathering in a church building on Sunday morning is not a biblical requirement. Being committed to one another and deliberately sharing our worship and resources is a biblical requirement. I will be doing that with my family on Christmas morning. The next Sunday, I'll be doing that with the folks from my church. I can't imagine that God will be offended by that.
As for the AFA and Happy Holidays thing, it's ridiculous to persuade corporations to use Jesus to sell more stuff. I don't begin to understand that thinking. It misses the entire point of Christmas.

Just one more reason I love that my church meets on Tuesday nights...no sacred cows called Sunday

Willow is not having Sunday services. Sunday is the time they do their outreach. This IS NOT when they do their indepth teaching for the edification and education of existing believers (and some may argue this rarely happens anyhow, but that isn't the point here). Their congregation IS meeting at their regular times for teaching, which is Wednesday night. In many other churches, where they do not have Saturday night services, they are for Christmas. They have moved their service ahead 12 hours. This hasn't fundamentally changed the function of the church by doing this. If the same church decided to meet 2 hours later, nobody would say boo, it wouldn't even make the news. People are making a stink about nothing (for the most part). It is possible some church somewhere is doing this for the wrong reason, but I think the majority are reasonable in making this their choice. I'm not a Willow apologist, I've never even been to Chicago, but it seems to me many people (not so much here) are taking pot shots like country boys at stop signs on this non-issue.

Big Chris

Yikes Dave, that was kind of smug. You'll likely just have sacred cows called Tuesday (coming to a church near you December 25, 2007.) And when you do, your church will probably ask themselves some of the same questions... questions that those who have already had a cow in 2005 won't have to be bothered with that year. Just one more reason I love that my church meets on Sundays (and Mondays, and Tuesday, and Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and Fridays and Saturdays too...) we get to honestly ask the Lord what He wants us to do every year. Sweet!

I came to Christ, volunteered at Willow and served on staff for 10 years. I think what most everyone fails to realize is Willow Creeks 8 Christmas Eve services between Tuesday 12/20 and Christmas Eve (including 3 on Christmas Eve) of which are staffed by hundreds of volunteers church wide, as well as it being required of the entire staff (more than 500) to serve at all of the services - no one takes off early for Christmas. Typically more than 30,000 will walk through the doors for these services. This does not include 9 services being held on Christmas eve at 3 other locations across the Chicago area. And these services are anything but gala Christmas pageants. They were some of the most meaningful services I attended there - spiritually, worship wise, and community wise with my family, small group, and friends. And they are all geared towards seeker outreach to non-believers- countless thousands of people have come to Christ at these services, or come back to Christ, or started their spiritual journey on the arm of someone who invited them to these services. The hard true fact of the matter is that most seekers would choose not to go to church on Christmas Sunday Morning - but will attend a Christmas eve service. And services are provided all throughout the week prior so that people leaving to go out of town, etc. can attend and bring their friends. Oh - and Willow gives it's entire Christmas eve offering to outreach ministry outside the walls of Willow which is a church tradition (at least when I was there.) As well, anyone that would investigate Willow's homepage (http://www.willowcreek.org/) would find that they have sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to relief organizations in the past few months, as well as mobilized thousands of volunteers by the bus load serving in the gulf coast region since the hurricane, not to mention a vast ongoing outreach ministry to the local urban areas of Chicago. As well, the entire message series for weekends in December is focused on global outreach/awareness - one weekned on Disater Relief, one on AIDS and global poverty, and one on the "Lives of Our Latino Neighbors" (of which the communities surrounding Willow have some of the highest Latino population in the Chicago suburbs and Willow is making tremendous strides in reaching.

A great post. I wish we could all read posts like this on a daily basis. It was very thought provoking. I am not opposed to shutting down a church on Christmas, though I would try to seek the congregation's focus to still be on Jesus. But perhaps that can be better done (especially for those who lead or volunteer in such services) with a small group of friends worshipping in an informal session?

If Willow, and churches of their ilk, are trully using their weekend worship services for outreach purposes (as I undertsand their strategy to be), then why not take this once in a seven year cycle opportunity to encourage non-believers to attend on one of the highest ration days of the Christian year.
Christmas, which we should remeber in more correctly Christ Mass, is a perfect opportunity to reach out to "seekers." I wish our church had 1/10th of the resources available to churches like Willow to plan and execute a Christmas to remember.

Thanks, John Carlson, for helping everyone here get a clearer view of what Willow's about. I pastor a small church plant in Valparaiso, Indiana (about 90 minutes from Willow Creek). One of our families is still connected to Willow (the wife volunteers at their midweek service), so I get to see up close their high expectations for members, their passion for outreach, discipleship, etc.

On one online forum, as this was being discussed among pastors, there were quite a few planning to do something different on Christmas Sunday - from streaming a pre-recorded service on their website, to handing out "Church in a Box" DVD sets to facilitate their folks worshiping at home. Most were planning major outreaches on Christmas Eve. Apparently, some churches (including some rather large ones) regularly close down on the weekend between Christmas and New Year's in order to give all their staff & volunteers a week off. Apparently none of this has made major news. Like someone said earlier... slow news day...

As for us, my board wasn't too open to the idea of not having a service on Christmas Sunday, so we're having one (instead of two), in addition to our regular Christmas Eve service. An informal "raise your hand if you'll be here Christmas Sunday morning" poll showed that almost 2/3 of our regulars will be in attendance... which surprised me.

Let's remember that this story isn't really about Willow Creek, although I used quotes from their people in the post. There are megachurches throughout the country, not all with the same philosophy as Willow, who will also be closing on Christmas Day. The high percentage of megas that are closing should help us realize there is something inherently difficult about operating a huge church on Christmas Day. This may be a case where bigger isn't better.

Thanks for the encouraging responses to my post. I hope I didn't sound to defensive! Willow has taken a lot of hard knocks over the years from people who don't truly understand the ministry there - many who have never attended. Like any church, it's not perfect, and it's not for everyone - a big church can do things that smaller churches could never do - and smaller churches offer what Willow in it's enormous size can never offer. But isn't it great that we all work together in the body of Christ to further the great commission? One thing I failed to mention is that I did feel Willow was short sighted in obviously paying great attention to it's "seeker crowd" in offering many opportunities for them to attend and for their core body to bring non-churched friends - BUT not allowing their core group of believers, many of whom probably would attend on Christmas morning, a chance to worship on Christmas morning. But again, it's such a huge operation to staff a service there - which I don't count as a positive or a negative - just a matter of fact what it takes to run a service there - that it's almost irresponsible and reckless in terms of just safety and logistics to open up a service without the proper number of people in place. It's like a 747 - it's not a bad airplane because it carries a lot of people - but it takes a large crew to operate it properly and safely!

How many people does it take to hold a worship service, even for a "megachurch"? If you strip it down to the essentials, and invite each WHOLE family into the sanctuary (no children's church or nursery), no bulletins, no greeters, nobody directing traffic, nobody operating the powerpoint display, how many people do you need?

Someone to unlock the doors.
Someone to turn on the lights.
Someone to set the thermostat (if it's not programmable).
Someone to turn on the PA system and test it.
A pastor to lead the service and give a message about the Good News.

If you're out of town visiting family or friends, may you be blessed with travel mercies. If you decide to skip services and "be" with family, we'll miss you but we'll get by.

I can think of only one reason to cancel a Sunday morning service: hazardous weather endangering people as they travel to church. Otherwise, open the doors and let the children of God have a place to worship our Lord and Savior together, joining our hearts in praise and glorifying the One who is worthy.

Having all of those "extra" Christmas services sounds great if there is a willingness to support them. To use them as an excuse to cancel a Sunday morning service does not glorify God.

What I find absolutely astounding about this is all the criticism Willow Creek as had to endure in the media for this decision! The amount of press this has received leads me to believe there is a spiritual battle taking place.

I know the leadership of Willow and how in tune they are to the Holy Spirits leading. They have always taken this leading very seriously, and it's one of the key reasons to their success.
If the Spirit is leading your church to have Christmas Sunday services, you should have them by all means. However, if the Spirit is leading you NOT to have Sunday services on Christmas Sunday, I would urge you to follow His leading.

And I would be very careful with any criticism, as the citicism may not stop with the church's elders.

I think it is our duty as brothers and sisters to wholly support these mega-churches decision.

My hunch is that God still knows more than all of us!

Marv:

If only it were that simple my brother! Oh do I wish! :-) I think the hardest part is on a normal weekend, Willow has 3 services - 1 Sat. and 2 Sun. morning all identical. The sancturary holds around 7,200 - with typical attendance for the whole weekend hovering near 20,000 people. Outside of the auditorium there are probably another couple hundred or more spread across other viewing rooms in the church (special needs, atrium area, video fed areas, etc.) Times this by 3 services and how do you decide how many services then to even hold Christmas morning and control the flow of people? Insurance reasons probably requires that parking attendants be on hand to prevent accidents in the Chicago snow and ice, as well as ushering/service teams to be in place to help guests/1st time attenders and in case of emergencies, which do happen. This is not even counting the separate services for gen X ministries which I believe gather around 2,000 people - when do they meet or do you fold them in? It all gets very complicated - but rather that be a negative, I believe it's a glorious testament to the minsitry of churches like these that have reached people other have not been able to. It's a mission - period. As well, to give an idea - the christmas eve services alone the week prior have had to become free ticketed events by lottery - not for money but strictly to control the number of people that attend any given service so that one service is not dangerously over crowded. (A problem I know most churches would love to have.) I was there 10 years ago or so before the ticketing procedure was in place, and it litterally WAS a dangerous people management situation with ushers locked arm and arm across the lobby directing people to video overflow rooms, and having to fend off irrate attenders demanding to be let into the main sanctuary. (In most cases these were not regular Willow people.) So take the possible attendance of close to 10 - 20,000 people - who KNOWS how many - after just having close to 40,000 people come through the church the week prior up until the night before, and you can imagine the logistics of trying to decided "How do we hold a Christmas morning service, how many do we have, etc." And when you consider that Willow has not held a Christmas morning service the entire history of the church, Sunday or not, and God still seems to be well in control and blessing them and other churches, I think the reality sets in that it has nothing to do with the day you attend church, but rather the spirit within which you offer services, attend services, and of course honor God with your every day life in every waking and sleeping minute of the day.

Just found this:

“To HELL With Happy Holidays” says, Tampa, FL Without Walls International Church

Paula White's 22,000 member church, Without Walls International Church in Tampa, FL posted a semi truck-sized banner outside the church with this message, "To HELL With Happy Holidays" & "Put Christ Back In Christmas!", encouraging people nationwide to boycott stores supporting the anti- "Merry Christmas" message through their church, community, national television presence and website.

Sad. I don't understand it. I'm sure those retailers would love to tell us where we can put Christ. Too bad that they have more taste and discretion than we do. Hey, but at least our consciences are clean, right?

"You'll be keeping all your money in the kingdom now. And you'll only drink milk from a Christian cow."
Steve Taylor - Guilty By Association

I had an interesting reaction to the whole "Christmas vs. Holidays" in the stores this past weekend. I finally had to go to a local retailer to purchase something at last minute in the midst of a busy Saturday afternoon at this store, located within the local mall. The store, a major national chain that is amidst the controversy of Christmas vs. Holidays, was at it's peak of being busy. I have to say that frankly, I was more than happy and glad that Christmas was not mentioned anywhere in the store - because all that I saw and witnessed, from what was on sale to people's general attitude, not to mention mine which came away quite depressed, had absolutely NOTHING to do with Christmas what so ever. In fact, based on what I saw and felt, I wouldn't want Christmas in anyway shape or form associated with this retail commercial madness that we find ourselves trapped in each and every year with more and more frustration. Leave Christmas out of the stores where it clearly belongs the least. Put it in our actions, words, hearts, spirits, and attitudes as we encounter one another and a fallen world and try as best we can to be Jesus to them all year through.

Hey I have an idea. Why don't we celebrate christmas all year long everyday. The creator of the universe came to this earth to hang out with us. How cool is that. I don't care what churches do on Christmas. I don't care what people do on Christmas and the sooner we stop making excuses for what the world says we can and can't do and SHOW them who Christ is all year round instead of trying to be so clever all the time, we will probably have a better chance of not leaving a bad taste in everyones mouth when it comes to Jesus. And then it won't matter if we talk about Him in December or in April because if we are doing it year round it then becomes all about Him instead of us. We have turned the celebration of Christ's birth into a day of the calendar rather than a celebration of who he is all the time.
I know someone will sit there and say "I celebrate it all year long" so why all the bitching about whether a building is open or closed on December 25th

The woman in our church who still volunteers at Willow Creek (and is a member there) told me on Sunday that they've had 70,000 e-tickets claimed so far. The fact that they're holding their Christmas services Tuesday through Saturday and not on Sunday is really a non-issue, isn't it? They'll have hundreds (if not thousands) of people decide to trust Christ with their lives that week. I'd say they're doing a pretty good job...

John Carlson:

God bless you for your effort in explaining what goes on at Willow Creek. I visited a "seeker church" several years ago and the lack of worship left me a little cold. I understand what your church is trying to accomplish, yet I still will advance the reason to come together on a Sunday morning on the 25th.

Being born and raised in the Chicago area I'm familiar with navigating a car in winter, and if the weather is OK to travel in, then folks should be used to finding parking in the snow and ice. By having all of those services on Christmas eve, the parking lot should be fairly(!) clear from all of the warm cars parked in the lot (unless you get a Christmas snow). It would be sad to think that insurance reasons would be a factor in not holding a Sunday morning service. If you do get 5000+ showing up on a Christmas morning service, then you should be able to get 100 or so volunteers to help guide people to the various rooms that you feel are needed.

I suppose as an outsider I do not have a good appreciation of the logistics for opening Willow Creek's doors. While this opportunity (25th on a Sunday) will not occur for several years again, I want to encourage you and other churches to just open the doors and have a simple service devoted to worship. You may be surprised by the response.

My church is having a Christmas Eve service, no Sunday service. If they had asked my opinion, I would've said "do both." But as some others have noted, there's no biblical command about church on Sundays. As long as my church meets once a week (or more), I'm happy.

As for the whole "this is the end of Christmas as we know it!" reaction, these reflexes always perplex me. Doesn't the Bible say things have to get really bad before Christ comes? I mean, are we really fighting to make the world a better place or bringing more people into the family while the world crumbles around them?

DON'T FORGET ABOUT THOSE WITHOUT FAMILY!
I'm not opposed to the church being closed or open but please let's not forget church members who don't have family ties. Widows, singles, those alienated from family etc. Is there an alternative being given such as coordinating a some type of gathering or dinner for them? Christmas can be a lonely time for some.

I pastor a new church and many of the people who now attend were out of church a year ago. They have come and renewed their faith in Christ and a ton of people have found new faith this year. Now, many of these “fresh faithed” followers of God give greatly of their time, talent and treasure to help this new church thrive.

Most of these wonderful people have long standing Christmas day commitments with families that are as lost as they were prior to this year. These are families we pray for and seek to introduce to Christ. Almost without exception each family said it would be much easier to get their unchurched family to a Christmas Eve service than to a Christmas day service.

So after much prayer, seeking council from other pastors (many of them are having services on Christmas day many are not) getting input from my staff team (all of which have non-believing families) and our leadership team we decided not to have a service Christmas Day.

My thoughts were how to best care for the flock of God that He will hold someday hold me responsible for. They were not about capitulating to culture, ease of life on Christmas day, nor was this a decision to cancel services on Christmas day , 2011. We simply asked God; “What would you have for us, December 25, 2005?”

We as a church have committed to have 2 incredible Christmas Eve Services, each family that attends will receive a gift from us to be opened on Christmas day. I am completely confident that people will make a decision to begin a relationship with Christ, people will worship the Savior, people will serve faithfully and we will do our best to honor God with our lives and service. By the way, just up the street from us are 10 other churches open on Sunday, December 25, 2005 and I have encouraged any of our people who want to worship on Christmas to pick one and enjoy.

I hope readers of this understand this was not merely a pragmatic and arbitrary decision made by a secular board of directors trying to appease consumers. It was a prayerful decision made by men and women who spend time daily with God. It was a decision based upon many factors, not the least of which is our conviction that the Holy Spirit led us to a decision for this one Sunday in 2005. It might be honoring to the celebration of Christ if we afford the leaders of churches as much Grace as God has afforded us by not assuming the worst about their intentions because they made a decision we may not fully understand or agree with.

I have found this discussion facinating.

Regrading closing churches on Sunday: serving in a rural parish years ago they had a tradition of "visitation Sunday." The two weeks the pastor was on vacation during the summer were Visitation Sundays... go visit other churches becasue ours will be closed. Hummm, sound pretty similar to the debate circulating aroung Willow and other mega-churches but I doubt our closings would make national headlines, afterall we were only 120 or so people. By the way I changed that tradition opting for guest preachers or elders preaching and keeping the doors open.

I think I understand the Willow vision which has given weekends over to seekers. If I am right Willow's true worship services are Wednesdays at New Community. With that in mind they are likely right about the mind of the seeker wanting to stay home Christmas morning.

The question I might ask Willow is what will they do when Christmas is on Wednesday, since that is their "worship service day." Will they hold New Community on Christmas-Wednesday after holding all of their Christmas eve services leading up to Wednesday? This question for me seems closer to the reality that most churches in the US face.

Presently I serve a church that holds its worship services on Sunday and this year with Christmas on a Sunday we will gather for worship as usual. I guess I haven't changed much since my rural parish days of years ago.

Our congregation will enjoy worship together on Sunday. I think it's interesting that Willow Creek is getting the most attention here. However, having been there I know they have at least two places of worship on their campus. Why not just meet in the smaller one with just one or two services? Sunday is their seeker services. How sad that those who might be seeking Jesus on Sunday might find the doors closed. Simplicity is usually even more appreciated on Christmas so that in itself would greatly lower the number of volunteers needed. They need to be careful about they're saying. One of the leaders at Willow Creek said you don't have to be in church to worship. Do you want folk to take that tack the rest of the time? No!

What a misfortunate inconvenience for those churches that Easter also falls on Sunday. Who will be first to cancel that Sunday so folks can stay home and spend quality bunny and egg time with the kiddies.
David Ingalls
davidingalls@gmail.com

We plan to hold worship service on Christmas Day and the only difference between Christmas Day and any other Sunday is that first, we are setting aside this time to specifically recognize the birth of our Saviour and second, we made the decision to plan an earlier service so that those who are traveling might have an extra hour for the needed travel time to get to their destinations for their celebration with family. Sure, there may not be as many people as usual or maybe our attendance will double as those who come only at Christmas and Easter come for a visit. As long as we have someone willing to preach the gospel and someone in attendance we will have worship service. We trust that the faithful will be in attendance on Christmas Day as any other Sunday. If not, that is between them and the Lord - only He truly knows their hearts. Christmas Day might very well be the day someone comes to church in need of a Saviour and we are going to give them that opportunity to come to the cross and receive the greatest gift ever known - a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Two prominent reasons mentioned for putting the Closed sign up on Sunday, December 25th: 1) staffing and 2) allowing people to spend the day with their families.

1) It is really sad that we can't for one day have a service without the multitudes of 'behind the scenes' volunteers. What are we afraid of, things getting 'ugly', like a crying baby, a microphone not working, messing up our order of service, spontaneity?
How about this on the sign out front:
Service(s) Sunday December 25th
Unplugged and Unpretensious
Celebrating Christ's Birth!

2) Simplistic definition of a church's role: to share Christ and minister to the people.

A big assumption being made is that EVERYBODY has a family to spend the day with. I am sure that there are a fair percentage of people, for whatever reason, that have only their church family to spend the day (or part of it) with. Where do they go? Where is the ministry to them?

Imagine someone trying to find out who this Jesus guy is and deciding to do it on Christmas Day, the celebration of his birth. Where is the sharing of Christ if the door is closed?

If we can not find part of one of the year's 364 other days to 'spend with our families', than shame on us.

Other ramblings:

We like our traditions, sometimes when they are only convenient.

-"It is our tradition to do x on Christmas Day with our families." (Isn't it 'tradition' to also have church services on Sunday morning?)

We like to do non-traditional things when they are 'cutting-edge' or make us 'cool'.

-"Our church tries to do non-traditional things to attract people, like Saturday night services." (Isn't it on-traditional to 'interrupt' whatever we are doing on Christmas Day and go to church, but the would be an inconvience.)

To sum up, I think we are missing opportunites when we decide to close our churches on Sunday, December 25.

Interestingly, as a female pastor of a tiny church in northwestern Montana, we made the decision seven years ago to not have a Sunday morning service on Christmas. After all, I had to get the turkey in the oven, the table set, etc..before driving the 18 miles to the church, so it was a logical decision to me at the time. Most of the families were traveling anyway, and my own family plus a handful of others were the only ones left to attend (we thought). Sadly, a lady whose attendance had been sporadic and whose husband was an over-the-road trucker, had planned her Christmas day around Sunday morning church attendance because her husband would be able to come to church with the family that day. I was unaware of her plan before making the decision not to hold the Christmas morning service. They arrived at the church, found the doors locked and their desire for a warm, family worship time on Christmas morning went unrealized. I thought I knew best. I was wrong. Never again, would I consider not having a Sunday morning Christmas service....never. Sunday, as a day of worship, is as important to the community that OBSERVES christians being faithful TO fellowship, as it is to the christians who gather IN worship. Our corporate witness IS important.
I wish you all the Merriest of Christmases!

Church is the most segregated family time of the week. We send our babies off to the nursery, our children off to children's church and our teens to youth gatherings. It might be a good thing to spend some family time together instead of going our separate ways on Sunday mornings. The sad part is the real reason these churces are closing - poor use of staff.

I think the Church in western culture would do well to give up on Christmas altogether. The world has hi-jacked it and it no longer belongs to us. We need to admit that we have played an important part in its demise...and as such determine to wash our hands of what it has become.

If we the Church, want to celebrate the birth of Jesus, we could pick any day of the year. How about August 1st?

I am suggesting to my family (spouse and three grown children, two of whom are married)that this be the last year of "Christmas as we have known it". We will still get together as a family, but the gift giving and its attendant financial stress will cease.

I am proposing that we make more of our own birthdays. Celebrating the gift of Life that God has given us physically and in Christ. Sharing a single gift with each other. This brings more celebraton to our lives, less stress, and somehow feels more Biblical to me.

Good riddance, Christmas!

Hello, Life.

Look folks, I am a pastor of a relatively small flock (500+) so I don't pretend to understand the economic impact on a mega church; but, I guess they've done the numbers and in a culture where numbers rule, I am not surprised. We'll stay open, attendance will be probably be average, but I don't buy into the "...if one is ministering to the unchurched they won't come on Christmas," banter. I think if Willow were to hold one service on Christmas Sunday it would be packed, many unchurched would come, the Gospel could be preached and Christ would be glorified. Furthermore, I'll bet many of their volunteers would be thrilled to minister on Christmas Sunday.

Frankly, I'm tired and have a sermon to prepare... for this Sunday and next... the Lord willing.

SDG,
Jay

How refreshing to learn that the neighorhood mainline churches get a little credit for continuing to hold a morning worship service on Sunday, December 25 this year. Guess there are still some things that the "non-Mega churches" can do better than the high-tech "McChurch" operations that see weekly worship as optional.

I am a minister of the gospel, and ashamed of all of those so called Christians, I mean what better day to keep open the doors of Gods house, than the day we celebrate the Birth of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, in my opinion, there is no excuse.

I'll go you one better: Check out Exodus 16:22-26,29. When the Israelites were returned to the observance of Sabbath, they were to spend it at home! Verse 29 says, in part, "let no man go out of his place on the seventh day."

While Sunday is the 'replacement day', it's odd that the rest of the admonishment didn't carry over. One of the by-products of that "day of rest" was the nurturing of the relationships within the family. Think about it. We work and work and what suffers most: family.
[ OK - Blasphemy, huh?]

I cant believe its caused such a fuss. Im from New Zealand and we come from a totally different worldview. Its our major summer holidays and by the 25th Dec most people have gone on their summer holidays and most churches never have a Christmas day service let alone a Sunday service over this period. If they do the numbers a well down.
We thought about a Christmas service this year but most families are gone on holiday or want to spend christmas morning with their families. In actual fact I know a number of churches who close down for a whole month over this period.
As for me im the only Christian in my family and so meeting with all my non christian family on Christmas morning is the greatest outreach oppunitity for me.
Why the big fuss. I guess it all comes down to different worlviews and cultures.

I can understand the frustration of the need for so many volunteers to operate safely within the Mega church format. I can understand the desire to produce a very meaningful message for Christ and the desire for our people to be with their families on Christmas. What I do not understand is what to do with the lonely, the depressed, the physcially and spiritually needed who will not have close friends and family on that day. The locked door of a well known church house would be the cruelist gift to receive. No one with whom to pray, to share a bit of the good news, a word of love and encouragement. I know there are those who seek these popular church buildings on days of Christmas. I have been one of them.

As the Pastor of a small, Hispanic mission church-at this time around 60 in attendance- I couldn't think of a better way to emphasize the importance of the birth of the Savior. We only GET the OPPORTUNITY once every seven years or so (depending on leap years) to celebrate Christmas on a Sunday. We are seeing it as an opportunity to invite family who may not believe to come for fellowship and worship. Maybe, just maybe, by osmosis and the Holy Spirit, a little will sink in.

It seems to me that we have forgotten our roots, that is our Tradition. What is revealed here is the weakness of Protestantism- with no clear cut Liturgical Tradition. It should be clear that the Apostolic Church celebrated Christmas. It had been fixed by the 4th century. At that time, we were one Church. As part of the celebration, Divine worship services were the focal point. The early Fathers never viewed worship services as something that would divide families or waste resources. Their celebration was not negotiable, being, in fact, OUR RESPONSIBILITY. I cannot imagine why any Church would want to close its doors on One of the Great Festivals of Christianity. I am glad that I am an Orthodox Christian and my church will be open.

Thanks to those who kept Sunday in historical perspective. I believe some decisions are made in the church with only our current social context in mind and not the history we are connected to. History does not rule us, but it has something to say to us about how we pastor, worship, and evangelize.

That said, I don't discount the move of any church to NOT meet on Sunday. I am not privy to all the discussion these leaders had in making their decisions. I just hope the decisions included historical as well as contemporary perspective.

Mike

John,

Just to set the record straight, we DID have a Sunday Christmas service at Willow that last time that it fell that way. As one who was serving that day, after all of the Christmas Eve services ad infinitum, I can tell you that it turned out being Lee Strobel and about one hundred of his closest (at least that day) friends

How sad we have nothing better than to fight with one another.

Hey Thomas, I read your response a ways up there about churches closing doors on Christmas. I'm confused by your last sentence suggesting that only apathetic churches would be open on Christmas Sunday. Don't you think that's a little narrow minded?

We have a little church plant in NZ. For us Christmas falls in the middle of summer vacation. So, for the very pragmatic reason or giving all the volunteers a break, and for the deeper reason of building an ethos that church is where the peole of God are, not a particular meeting in a building - we will close for 4 weeks over summer - christmas. (And we are not the only church doing this). Just thought I'd throw this into the mix. Merry Christmas

If my old seminary days don’t betray me, I believe, according to Jewish calendar reckoning that the next day begins at sundown - not midnight. That being the case, Willow IS having Christmas Lord’s Day services (if we are using the few Biblical “first day of the week” scriptures as our guideline). OK, it’s a detail, but it shows the silliness of how we make up sins and laws out of tradition – and wound our fellow soldiers in the process. Willow is on our side, fighting for Jesus and against evil. If they feel they can have the best Christmas outreach services at 2AM this Tuesday rather than Sunday – I’ll support them! I won’t be there, but I’ll support them…

I led my church in a discussion on this issue last Sunday. For me, the real issue has nothing to do with Christmas. The fact that the church closure takes place on Christmas just amps up the volume of debate.
What really concerns me is that the church should close its doors at all. If churches like Willow Creek have completely moved away from holding Sunday worship services, I could at least observe that they were being consistent. However, that is not the case. So it does boil down as Prof. David Wells has observed to be the ascendancy of pragmatism in the church.
From a theological/philosophical perspective, it leads me to ask what are our attitudes about worship. In the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, Jesus intimated that even if the disciples and others in the crowd should become silent, the stones would cry out in worship to God. One can reasonably conclude from this that worship does not depend on the numerical strength of human worshipers but on the majestic glory of God who is worthy to be praised.
Unfortunately, much of the weaknesses I find in the church today results from the rampant consumerism that has strayed the church's focus from a true worship of God. Less emphasis is practically seen in prayer, invitation to discipleship and call to consecrated and incarnational living-testimonies. The current debate on church closure on Christmas, I pray, would compel all of us to examine anew where our purpose and priority for worship truly lie. May God have mercy upon us, and may He overwhelm us with His grace so that we may walk in the counsel of His Spirit.

Maybe it's really unsafe to open the church without all the volunteers -- or maybe, it would damage the "brand" if they can't put on the usual "show."

Maybe they're responding to the leading of the Spirit -- or maybe, they, like all of us, have hearts that are "desperately wicked" and are being misled.

Maybe other jealous Christians are taking potshots at them -- or maybe, they're wrong!

I'm with the brother (sister?) who offered that they could open the doors and have a simple service on the Lord's Day for God's children who want to worship Him on what has become our Sabbath -- just like the earliest Christians did (yes, they did - on the first day of the week, in the first century, which was a work day for them, so they met at daybreak).

The question isn't what the world thinks of it or how many people become believers the week before -- God bless them for all they do in that arena! There is more at stake: keeping the worship of God central in the church may make demands on us that aren't convenient. It is all too easy to make God and His kingdom into our own image. "Ditto" to the brothers/sisters who noted that this decision will make it harder to require our teen children to attend church on any other Sunday - the law of unintended consequences.

I think everyone is getting all hot on this issue because it makes it easy to ignore the real issue - that we as Christians have allowed the celebration of Christ's birth to become a commercial free-for-all, complete with this Santa fellow and all the hours spent buying obligatory gifts and sending greeting cards.... where is Jesus in all this? We should be giving gifts to others because Christ was the Perfect Gift.... we should give gifts because we love one another... those notes and cards should be sent all year long, not just so we can 'catch-up' at Christmas....
Am I offended when the lady at the store says "Happy Holiday"? no - because she has no idea what holiday I celebrate - Christmas? Hannukah? none? just New Years' Day? and am I offended that they aren't remembering to put Christ's name on the ads to sell overpriced items most of us really don't need? NO!
Let's get back to the real celebration here - do things that would please Jesus - give HIM the gifts! What did He say? "Whatever you do to the least of these you don unto Me?" Let's give food to the hungry and money and clothing to the poor.... let's help build houses and communities ... let's spend time with our kids and spouses and friends ... and yes, let's spend time at church, thanking God for the Perfect Gift - and whether we do that with 5 services on Christmas Eve or two on Christmas Day or both, what matters is what is in our hearts....

It seems to me that the big issue is not a Christmas Day Service issue, but one of keeping the Sabbath holy. So, if one celebrates the Sabbath on Sunday, it would seem that it should continue that way no matter what else is going on. This would hold true for whatever day one celebrates the Sabbath.

Would a Church that does not practice Christmas as a holy day (and these do still exist) not meet because it is Christmas? I suspect they would still meet as usual, and if I recall correctly the one I know about did last year on Saturday as their normal Sabbath day.

I agree that it would be great if the Christain community was thought of a worshiping God on all days. Unfortunately, the vast masses and even many who sit in our services think that worship is what we do on Sunday morning and during those special holy days that are well know by the "world". Is it not better to reach those un-informed people by meeting their expectations and having less confusion? That I don't know. I believe that the people who say that if the particular congregation is following the leading of the Spirit then they are doing what is right for them. We must remember that God is in control and give all the glory to him! For His is the Kingdom, and the power, and the Glory for ever and forever.

Oh course the more annoying thing to most churched folks is that Willow Creek's leadership most likely doesn't care what the rest of us might think. We're not their target audience. They are entirely focused on those who don't know the story. And we've only ourselves to blame.

Somehow we've mistakenly taught our members that church is all about them.

So ... if I thought it was worth the fight, I would have made the same decision as did they. But you have to pick your battles. And have to decide how to react when long-time Christians don't seem to care one wit how their demands effect a pastor's family... or the families of all those volunteers, but I suspect all you ordained ones know what I mean. Five services Christmas Eve and another Christmas day means no family time for me this season. I understand Bill Hybles perfectly.

Brian

We will hold a Christmas Morning Service. Here's my thinking. How can we say Jesus is The reason for The Season and then bend to the secularization of Christmas by cancelling Church. We don't cancel it when it falls on halloween. Are we sending a non verbal message that the Lord realy shouldn't have first place even if Christmas only falls on Sunday once every seven or so years. I know many of our folks will opt for either the Christmas Eve or Christmas morning and some may skip both but I'm concerned about the big message we give to our children and the community that continues to undermine the Judeo-Christian values

A Jewish radio talk-show host in our area remarked that he finds it confusing and inconsistent to him for evangelical Christians to talk about "keeping Christ in Christmas" and to remind everyone that "Jesus is the reason for the season" and then to cancel usual worship services on Christmas Day. I wonder how much thought those who are canceling Christmas Day worship gave to the witness impact of that decision?

Stock Trader: Are you going home to keep Christmas?

Ebenezer Schrooge: I am not in the habbit of keeping Christmas, sir.

Stock Trader: Then why are you leaving so early?

Ebenezer Schrooge: Because Sir, Christmas is in the habbit of keeping men from doing business.

Stock Trader: Come, it's the nature of things that ants toil and grasshoppers sing and play.

Ebenezer Schrooge: An ant is what it is, and a grasshopper is what it is, and Christmas Sir is a humbug. Good Day.

Christmas has many wonderful and meaningful traditions associated with it. But it is niether a "Christian" day nor a "Holy" day. Paul made it clear enough that the New Arrangement (Testament) had no prefered day for worship. Jesus reminded his disciples that the Sabath was made for man not man for the Sabath.

Our Church family decided to come together on the evening of the 24th to remember the birth of the Christ Child in keeping with the traditions of our culture. We did not feel it necessary to return hours latter to repeat the process. We give no historical significance whatsoever to this date as it is clearly understood not to be the birth date of our Lord. Instead we will gather our own individual family members together and celebrate the day in our homes and/or with friends, extended family and even strangers. We will rejoice in knowing that the "Christ" of CHRISTmas is in our heart and working in our lives not one, but 365 days each year.

Singing silent (night) too soon ...
This conversation would have been most helpful six months ago. When I put it on the agenda at a Staff meeting back then, I don't remember much in the way of constructive comments.
Followed by profound silence around the elder's board table two months ago when we told them our recommendation.
Please, someone remind me of this discussion in June 2017!

Hi Nathan, I can't believe I found your question/concern in all these responses.

I did not mean to say that only apathetic churches would be open on Christmas Sunday, and I apologize for misleading you. The "issue" I was talking about are churches that have no volunteer infrastructure. From my experience, many churches out there are filled with people that are not engaged, and I would call that apathetic. It is that specific type of church that I was speaking about.

Skye, great job on this post!

To Bill Gestal: yes, you are very right on Willow's Wednesday night services. The New Community, as it's called, is the service which concentrates on in-depth teaching and worship (there's an all-worship service at least once a quarter at New Community, which are huge blessings. I should know: I rededicated my life to Christ at a New Community service). Thanks for your sharp observations. :)
To evefone who has leveled criticism at Willow for not holding services on Christmas day since it falls on Sunday: I would tell you exactly what Pastor Bill Hybels told us last Wednesday: the resources that would go to holding a service that day are going to the production of a Christmas teaching DVD that will serve as an outreach tool for the unchurched in our area. That is huge, since it's something that folks who are intimidated by any church can watch. They can really learn the meaning of the season. If they find something in it that attracts them to Christianity, that could lead them into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That's what it's all about, not the debate of whether or not to hold church on Christmas day if it falls on a Sunday.

Interesting. We are a culture so tied to our calendars, schedules, "what we did last year", & guest lists. I feel this is the culprit of the lost sensitivity to the incredible wonder of THE CHRIST CHILD! An Almighty Son of God, Who left the bliss of heaven, with the angel choirs to come to a lowly birth. I wonder if God, the all knowing Father, might have carefully scheduled the Birth of His Son, as to not conflict with any of local events planned . . . I think we miss completely HOW BIG THIS REALLY IS! How can we be so wrapped up in "what day it is falling on in our week", to miss being able to worship HIM the way we truly should. If this our chance to take a season of the year to do this, then let's not waste even a second!

We canceled our services on Sunday but we will still meet to discuss how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. We don’t judge we just observe harshly.

I wonder why we are not blogging about the 13-16 weeks the average committed follower of Jesus cancels services for vacation, for the lake, for a chore around the house, for a round of golf, for a game on TV. Of course the service is still there, they just do not attend because they are busy. What kind of message does that send to those outside the church?

Or how about the average Christian who gives 2-3% of their income as tithe to God over the course of the year but rings up $9000 in credit card debt? Better yet let’s blog about the number of homeless and starving people we drive by each week and do nothing about. Or how about this one. Many people who fill the church seats each week care more about the neighbors dog leaving a mess on their grass than the Christ-less eternity their neighbor will spend.

How about this one. The average church in America today is leading less than 10 people to Christ a year. Or maybe this one. The divorce rate amongst Christians is almost identical to those outside of faith. No let’s leave those alone and take our cues from the media, let’s attribute mostly negative motives to our brothers and sisters in Christ and say derisive things about other Christians because they had the nerve to make a decision we might not agree with. Don’t we have better things to do? Don’t we have more important issues to deal with than whether some mega churches decided to have 8-10 Christmas eve services but no Sunday morning Christmas day service. Sorry, I read some of the words above and want to cry at the smugness of our opinions. I include myself here.

Who's to blame for attacks on Christians and churches and Christmas? Christians - especially leaders, and even more so leaders of megachurches who claim to know it all. Where is the Bible in all this? Are we talking about traditions and economics, logisitics of "operating church (shop, business)", convenience, family, . . . .? Didn't the Lord say (and these CEO preachers of megachurches preached on when it served THEIR purpose - good for their business)Sunday being the Lord's day? Sabbath?

The early church protested Christmas based on their conviction and historical fact. They did not close doors on Sunday, the Lord's day. Megachurches are NOT closing doors on Dec. 25 due to their convictions (remember, they have none - it's all business for them). When Christians talk, it better be Bible based and not on made up stories and traditions and opinions of CEO-preachers.

Spiritual leaders have a serious responsibility to shape the culture and the country - they are Spiritual architects. Sad state we are in! God help us!

whether it's a mega church or small corner church (yes some still exist), i thought the "body" of Christ was a family. For some of us, the only real family we have. when Jesus was told of His family waiting outside to talk to Him, He responded who is my mother and my brothers? those who do the will of My Father. i find it ironic that the day that most of the church celebrates as Jesus birthday we find it too much trouble to come together and worship. if we truly are a body, like we all amen in church, then shouldn't we want to be together?

One of the real questions that hasn't been addressed in the media attention-- or in the comments so far--- is how many churches offer worship of any sort on Christmas Day itself (notwithstanding that the Eve of Christmas is part of the Day in biblical reckoning) when it does NOT fall on a Sunday.

Generally speaking, churches in the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican traditions would do so-- while many in the other Protestant, including many "evangelical" traditions, may not-- at least not in the US.

From my own angle, I'd say a big challenge for Christians is to put the "mass" back in Christ-mass-- because that is, historically, what this day is-- the celebration of Holy Communion for the Feast of the Incarnation.

Peace in Christ...

After reading through these posts, I'm embarrassed for the Body of Christ. I've haven't seen such pompous ramblings since before I came to Christ as a musician and had to endure "battle-of-the-bands" nights. We ought to be ashamed of taking cynical and self-righteous pot-shots at Willow. Smells pharisaical to me.

Isn't it interesting that a story by the secular media about evangelical churches has caused such a division among Christ followers regarding their choice of how and when they will worship this Christmas? Should not the real focus be on is your church worshipping Jesus and celebrating His birth amidst all the usual commercialism of Christmas?
Let's celebrate that Christ is being worshipped and allow for differences in how and when that takes place rather than pick each other apart for when that should take place.
A family tradition was begun in my family 54 years ago when my parents were not allowed to have services on Christmas Day by the Communists who had taken over their city in China. That tradition began when my father played the "Hallelujah Chorus" on a hand crank grammaphone that he had. It raised his spirits and every Christmas morning since then our family (and now my siblings' families) have begun our Christmas Day with that song and form of worship. Many families may choose to worship God together in their homes and not in a church on Christmas Day. Does it not count because it is not done at a church?

Paul says some hold to special days and others hold everyday the same. However, the early church did, and we trust they were directed by the Holy Spirit, choose to have the first day of the week, the day of the ressurrection of Christ, as the day of Christian worship. Their practice of community worship to be on Sunday is reinforced in Scripture.

So what if Christmas falls on Sunday, for Christians of all traditions around the world Sunday is the day we remember Jesus rose as Christus Victor. I pastoerd and lived in Chicago ten years. The church we started grew through conversion growth of people from the Catholic tradition who did not have assurance of eternal life. If I were to say to that church, and we had a very high level of involvement in ministry from the congregation, "Take this Sunday off because it falls on Christmas," they would have thought the suggestion pagan.

The issue of context is important in this discussion. The context of community the pastor serves will determine if having, or not having a worship service on Christmas Day is wise or not. In Barrington where Willow Creek is located, its a good idea not to have service on Christmas Day. However, on the Southwestside of Chicago, you better have the snow plowed and the thermostate set because people will come ready to worship.

Historical evidence? Churches closed on December 25, 1855 for Christmas? Intellectual dishonesty! According to the New York Times, that was a Tuesday! I couldn't believe my eyes! We have come to a sad place in Christian scholarship, writing and editing, when we say the church closings on the Lord's Day, the First day of the week, has historical support from churches that did not open on Tuesday! A retraction and apology is certainly a minimal requirement. What needed to be addressed was the Christian Lord's Day / Sabbath issue. Can you imagine the response if you had interviewed one of those who had "closed church on Tuesday, December 25, 1855" and asked them if that should be used as a basis to not meet for worship on the Lord's Day, Sunday, December 25, 2005? In the Old Testament it was clear, the 7th Day belonged to the Lord. With the Resurrection, the Christian Church for 2,000 years has recognized the First Day of the Week belongs to the Lord... not to "families."

***RESPONSE FROM SKYE JETHANI***
In my post I never stated that Christmas Day 1855 was a Sunday. The NY newspapers simply reported that numerous Protestant church would not hold services on Christmas Day (a Tuesday) because the church did not see Christmas as a "Holy Day." The point of the first half of the article was to show that there is no injunction upon churches to worship on Christmas Day--in fact it was just the opposite. Many churches didn't celebrate the holiday at all. The idea of not worshipping on Sunday is a separate issue altogether. -SJ

Thank you very much for the article that again and again supported my beleif of not moving to the states. I am a strong protestant believer and to spend time talking about the reasons for closing the churches on Sunday is such a matter-of-fact issue in comparison with the TRUE FAITH IN CHRIST, that it is not even worse wasting the breath!!!

I think we look silly when we disrespect discisions that others have made in good conscience. Why should I care who closes? Who am I to criticize? Our professional resentments and jealousy are not very pretty when unearthed. If you want to hold organized services on Christmas, as we are by the way, fine. If you exhaust your staff and yourself by putting on an over the top Christmas Eve marathon and you need to rest and worship in private, fine. Why do we always have to pass judgement on each other? Hey, didn't Jesus say something about that once?

I have been a preacher for twenty-four years. In that time the only reason I have ever cancelled Sunday Worship is because of a blizzard and the police told people to stay off the roads or they would be arrested. The roads were beyond hazzardous. Therefore, I encouraged everyone to stay at home and worship together. We cancelled because it was virtually impossible to travel to the church building. For us to cancel worship because Christmas falls on Sunday is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. I am quick to agree that Christ probably was not born on our traditional December 25th but that does not change the fact that Sunday is the apostolic day that all Christians strive to come together for corporate worship - study, communion, prayer, fellowship. Have you mega-church Christians forgotten that your are not a volunteer of Jesus Christ but rather a servant. A servant submits to the Master. Being a volunteer you are able to work for the Lord depending on your own desires and interests. I don't care how many people need to be serving on Christmas Sunday - you need to do it. Having multiple Christmas Eve Services on Christmas Eve just does not get it with me. Be honest: you would do that anyway! You are setting a horrible example to the world. If Jesus isn't important enough for you to miss a couple of hours of your "family time" then perhaps you will also miss out when God's people are worshipping in the eternal home of heaven on Christmas Day in eternity. (I know these things cease in heaven but I want you to get my point). If you are not willing to SERVE and WORSHIP the Lord on "Christmas Sunday" you need to examine your heart and see whether or not Jesus really lives within you. A servant of Jesus is willing to be salt and light in a dark world not make it tasteless and cloudy. That is exactly what you have done. All of you have truly hurt the church of Jesus Christ with this nonsense. I am hurt by many of you whom I respected highly. I think each of you need to take a lesson from the smaller church on this one. You have disgraced the church of Jesus Christ. Please repent and do what you know is right. I am willing to bet that every single one of you had a different idea about this when you were in a smaller church and making less money and did not care if you were politically correct or not but rather wanted only to give honor to our Lord. Those of you in the independent Christian Church especially I say, SHAME ON YOU! I am praying for you and will ask my fellow servants here at Mechanicsburg Christian Church in Indiana to be praying for you. While you are dealing with your conscience on Christmas morning I and the brothers and sisters here will be loudly proclaiming the good news of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as we worship Him on this special day!

Let's be honest. No one is really staying home on Chistmas Sunday to have a home worship service. Don't kid yourself.

I'd be interested in seeing our churches that are closing on the 25th do a poll of their members to find out if they did anything remotely resembling worship on Christmas Day (morning or otherwise). Those of us who will be open on Christmas could do the same to find out who in our churches came to worship Christ and who stayed home to open presents and bask in their materialism.

The church where I minister will be open on Christmas Day for a 10:00 AM worship service only. And I will be traveling with my family on a 2.5-hour drive Christmas Eve night just to be able to lead in worship for this one service. And yes, we will have to sacrifice time with extended family that we rarely see. But didn't Jesus say something about sacrificing love for family in Luke 14:26?

I believe the real reason people will be staying home is to "play with their new toys." And that is indeed a sad commentary on American consumerism in the church.

I'm wondering if God doesn't just shake His head at all this? After all, the Bible's pretty clear that it's not about observing holy days unless you're caught up in paganism.

We're not a mega-church by any stretch, but we're giving a gift to our church this Christmas by saying "stay at home Christmas day and worship with your family". And we even give them some ideas how to do that. Kind of an Acts 2:46 thing.

On Christmas Eve we will have two services that will celebrate the Lord's birth and be geared toward those who only show up once or twice a year. What a better opportunity to introduce someone to Christ?

Rick

I think it all comes down to if you trust your leaders or not. I don't know much about Willow or other mega-churches, but I believe their leaders are Spirit filled and Christ led. I don't think their decisions were spur of the moment. But more like a prayer filled and maybe agonizing decision.
The Bible says that the leaders are responsible for the flock. If they are following the Bible and living the Christian life then you have to let them make the decisions.

Our church of about 600, gets criticized all the time. I know the leaders very well and know that they pray and fast over decisions that are made. Then they take heat, from the members, for making "thoughtless" decisions.

Some people in our community can't believe that we don't have a Christmas Service, meaning musical, anymore. What they don't get is that we stopped having the musical so that we could have a Christmas party for residents of a low income housing project. We serve them a huge meal and provide gifts for the kids.

It's easy to look at a church from the outside and make judgments. But I think that unless you're a part of the church, you have no right to judge them.

God bless Willow and the mega-churches that continue to serve Him!

In Christ,
Dave

So now is has come to this. Closing church because of Christmas Day. Somebody asked me the other day "Pastor, are we having church on Christmas Day?" and I laughed at the absurdity of it. I never realized there were people who were serious about this. What is next? Closing on Super Bowl Sunday so I can have more time to get the party favors ready? Will we close church on when July 4th is a Sunday so we can make more potato salad and get the coals fired up on the grill? Isn't this a case of the world infiltrating the church instead of the opposite ocurring? Willow Creek wouldn't close church to celebrate Christmas if it wasn't on Christmas Day, right? Maybe the Evangelical Movement would be much more effective if these mega churches set a precedent - stating that regardless of attendance, buildings, and cash - we will be open for worship to celebrate the day of our Savior's birth! As a pastor, I can't wait to preach on Christmas Day. It will be my first opportunity to do so. It will be meaningful to me if there are 10,000 people there or only 10! (10 is closer to reality for me) I want my family and the families within the church I pastor to understand WHY we celebrate CHRISTmas the way we do.

To compare Willow Creek to the Puritans is a stretch. Don't get me wrong, I am not opposed to megachurches in and of themselves; infact, I have learned quite a bit from their resources and have found them very effective. But the Puritans closed on Christmas Day to avoid being pagan-like, not because the attendance in church would ONLY be 15,000! I fear that church today is too much about organization and not enough transformation! I guess that is the focus of Skye's article (sorry, blog!) - is the church becoming too commercial? Please understand that I don't hold anything against my brothers who made the decision to be closed for Christmas - I just hope they make those decisions for the right reasons!

If the reason for not holding service on the Lord's day has anything to do with the cost of operating the facility, then the "inn" should be closed, but not because there was no room. It cost too much to keep it open.

It is a sad state of affairs that the church has run itself into when we have to determine when we have services based upon how many people will be present. The congregation I am in is a small one, but whether large or small should not deter those who have been called to preach the gospel from doing just that. If christ would have given up His life for one person, then I believe that if we are indeed called to imitate him than we should be willing to teach and preach to one person even if that is on Christmas day.

The staff prayed and discussed. The elders prayed and discussed. For us, it just came down to the most effective time to minister to people and accomplish our mission. We concluded that Christmas Eve services would fill that bill. I guess not all of us are afforded the luxury of being so philosophical about everything. There are those, including many posting on this blog, who are able to make a big symbolic deal out of everything, and apparently have time to do so. I guess God's just blessed me with too much Kingdom work.
I will say it is nice that we are free in Christ and not bound by any traditions (or opinions) of men. Either way, Christ is preached. I believe God is going to bless our efforts on Christmas Eve.

I couldn't agree more with the insightful David Wells. Closing the church on Christmas, especially when it falls on a Sunday is another clear mile marker which tells us what many of the mega-churches are all about; convenient, easy, self-serving religion.

While many churches during the Puritan era did not celebrate Christmas, their reasons were theological and you can bet that while Christmas may not have been celebrated, churches would not have been closed on "The Lord's Day" even if there would have been no one there to "park the horses".

Let's get back to real discipleship, real committment and real Christianity. Bonhoeffer was correct when he said, "When Jesus bids us come, He bids us come and die."

I work for a Christian ministry that is intentionally open on every holiday. We host young men that are mostly homeless. These individuals are orphaned or estranged from family. The Christmas season is the most difficult time of year for them. Working at this ministry has opened my eyes to the loneliness, disconnectedness, and suffering that many people feel during traditional “family” holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Before these big churches decided to shut their doors on Christmas, did they exhort their parishioners to be intentional about including the “family-less” (the shut-ins, the elderly, the homeless, the mentally ill, the orphaned) in on their festivities? Christmas is a sad day for many in our culture. It’s tragic to think that the lonely and broken among us will lose out on connecting with the Body of Christ at these places of worship.

Dave,
Thanks for letting us know that there is a way to not have a Christmas service and still be involved in Christmas SERVICE! Your church serving the families of a low-income housing project is an awesome idea! I hope that lives are changed as a result of your efforts!

I could not agree more with David Wells comments in your article. It does seem that by closing on Christmas we are pandering to materialism and a view of Christmas that is entirely secular. The world has tried its best to turn Christmas into a mere secular holiday. Churches should stay open and worship and remember what the real reason we celebrate Christmas is about. In the church I pastor, we are going to have a Cantata and I expect more than usual in church

This subject revisits our concept of church and its emphasis. Our daily decisions as leaders reflect our emphasis. If we emphasize numbers then we are lost and God help us, however if it is family and by closing church on Christmas day in order to encourage family life at home, then kudos to those who are closing on that day. Their message is love. I would suggest they make a small Christmas day family service handout for home worship to guide those who might need some help. In addition, I would suggest that those who have no families be connected with some of the families in the church to demonstrate some love, so they are not left out.

Further, those who are having services on Christmas day, are also emphasizing an important aspect of family worship, which is, an opportunity to spend time with the bigger family of God to worship Him. This meets the needs of certain christians especially, those who have no one to spend this day with. Again, Christmas is about love!

Our society has diverse needs and the church needs to demonstrate how much we care in our decisions. A caring community needs to understand its members and appreciate or encourage its members. It is very important, that we let the world know we appreciate each other's effort to make available biblical choices to meet those diverse needs, and the basis of the differences is meeting different needs and creating different opportunities. Comments from the unsaved world who do not understand our community, should not be the platform for others in the christian community to add to the chorus of confused symphony.

In Africa, Christmas, New Year's day and Easter are the times for the largest church attendance. Africans believe these days should be very spiritual, and although we consider family very important, people feel this is the time when one must meet the need to get closest to God. So they come confessing their sins or celebrating the Lord! However, this mindset of having a special day to make amends with God or whatever, may have come from the non christian culture, but has come to benefit the church.

Church leaders should realize that sometimes when we preach on certain subjects like family life we need to shut the doors of the church and get people home to practise it. Most church workers have very little time to spend with their families, especially the dedicated ones. Service as usual sometimes in certain communities might need a twist sometimes, and this should be welcome at all times.
Therefore, let us celebrate the diversity of our emphasis remembering the world is watching us and the love we have especially during this season

I love how convoluted "worship" and "Sabbath" have become in our society. I see that the majority of people opposed to a church closing on Christmas day fall into two camps:

1) What! No worship on this traditional holiday???

2) What! No service on the traditional sabbath?

Are we that far removed from Christ that we can't see true worship is communing with God. And that communion can happen ANYWHERE...in our church, in our car, in our home, in the bathroom, in the mall...you get the idea! It can happen when we are alone, with our family, with a body of believers.

As far as the Sabbath, someone once said (now who was that...oh yeah...some guy named Jesus) the Sabbath was made for man not man for the sabbath. How quickly our "inner pharisee" raises his ugly little head.

What if each local church body decided what God was calling them to do? What if the Holy Spirit moved on the authorities of each church to decide what was best for their communities spiritual growth? And what if they actually did something that helped foster their relationship with the Living Lord vs. a reliance on some religious institution?

I wonder what would happen then?
Rhino

I think that not gathering for worship on Christmas Day (even though it is a Sunday) says something about the priorities of Christians. Willow Creek wants to focus on families, but that is not the purpose of Christmas. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of the Lord of the Church. Why not gather for worship? Not gathering to worship on Christmas Sunday may be the ultimate act of secularization of Christmas, done no less than by the evangelical community.

My response is to this:

1. Christmas is not a Biblical holy day so it warrants no elevation to excuse Sunday worship.

2. Sunday worship of the Son's memorial is the very thing Scripture said we should do together in memory of Him (c.f. 1Corinthians 11).

3. So dismissing what the Lord commanded for Christians to do in memorial of Him so they can be with family doing, albeit a wholesome thing, what he has never commanded - seems to be more of a Lordship question than a judgment question.

FWIW,

Brotherly,
Don

Visit Southlandchristian.org to understand our church's decision to be closed. Following the links about Christmas. Our church supports our pastor and his decision

We live, as Christians, under grace not law. We are not enslaved to legalism or tradition. We have the ability to choose how, when and who we want to worship with. We worship God with all of our being - every day, every moment, every thought, every action with heart, soul, mind and strength - or at least we try. And in doing so we are testing everything against the Scriptures and listening to the leading of the Spirit. Christmas was, and is, celebrated as a reflection on the birth of Messiah, our Saviour, our Lord Jesus and of the revelation of God's economy. The manner, day or timing is not critical but the heart behind it is. The witness value is also significant and how that works out will vary from community to community. Notice that the Apostle Paul set many different church formats from place to place. I'm sure they probably met at different times and celebrated different festivals as well. Formal worship on a Sunday, for Christians, is in loose continuity with our Hebrew roots. Is also critically focussed around a communal sharing, singing, learning, waiting on etc, the Lord God. While our church will be worshipping on Dec 25 it is because we normally commune together for worship on a Sunday and because it's our tradition to have a Christmas Day Service. What we should be discussing is not what days NOT to commune and worship ... but how to challenge the world to get together and worship EVERY DAY!

A couple points:

1. The "Sabbath" that Jesus referred to was not Sunday.

2. Scripture never commands Sunday worship.

These are traditions. They are very old traditions, but traditions nevertheless. Christmas is not a biblical holy day. Neither is Sunday. Worship on Sunday if you like. I do. But don't claim it's somehow annointed by God to do so. It ain't.

Skye-- Serious question--not trying to offend
How many pastors do you think are motivated by year end giving?

Forgive me if this has been covered by earlier posters.

Whether or not American churches open and close on Christmas day should be appreciated in this context.

It's a cultural issue, not a theological one.

English and Australian churches have services on Christmas Day regardless on which day of the week December 25 falls.

In fact rather than being overtly concerned about the general secularisation of the event, churches in our city (Gold Coast, Australia) are using it as a huge evangelical outreach - promoting not only the 'baby in the manger' but the ministry, death and resurrection of Christ.
Check out Bethlehemexperience.com.

Surely it's worth focusing on what the real mission is supposed to be - spreading the good news as the angels did in Bethlehem two millennia ago.

-- Nora

Reading all these posts makes clear the free for all that is American Christianity. The New Testament is very clear that Christians are called to worship together. We can and should worship everywhere, but, we are called "to assemble ourselves." Christians have gathered on the first day of the week since the day of Pentecost to worship, for the "apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." This is the biblical warrant for Sunday worship. Forget that the 25th is Christmas. It is a Sunday.

Since when is the day YOU set aside for the sabbath not a Holy Day? If Christmas was to fall on a Monday, would you still close the church doors on Sunday? The answer is NO.

Yes, there are many good things that can be done, but the reality is not many people will take that time to go out and compel men to come to Christ. Most will thank God that they have a day off, (with pay) and not have to feel guilty about not going to church.

Is it right to tell people to say home and spend time with material things that they bought for themselves instead of giving to the poor.

Where is the Christ in Christmas. It should be an honor to celebrate the birth of our Lord on the day set aside as His birthday.