Every family celebrates special holidays in their own way. Christmas Eve is no exception, with families incorporating a wide variety of traditions.
Our family treasures memories of attending a candlelight service on Christmas Eve. While attending church together is a family tradition, there’s something uniquely moving about the dim lighting, the glow of the candles and the words of the age-old Christmas hymns. There’s no other evening quite as magical as Christmas Eve; in fact, my most treasured time of worship during the Christmas season. I just loved raising my candle in this collective effort to praise Him for the light he brought to our dark world. Attend a service this year with your family and even pray about inviting someone to come with you! Listed below are the times of special services being held here in our community (these are most of our local churches in the Arcanum area; and all the information I had at my deadline.)
Christmas Eve Service and Children’s Program will be on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. at Castine Church of the Brethren located at 624 U.S. 127, Arcanum, with Pastors Greg Hyre and Gary Cloyd.
Faith United Methodist Church located at 101 E. South St. invites you to come and join in a time of celebration of Jesus’ birth at 11 p.m. on in Candlelight with music and nativity on Thursday. Pastor Tim Pieper will provide over the service with a Christmas message.
Pleasant View Missionary Church, 5231 Gettysburg-Pitsburg Road, will hold a Candlelight Christmas Eve to Celebrate His Birth at 11 p.m. on Thursday. Anyone is welcome to join them, invite your family and friends to celebrate the birth of the Saviour.
The members of Gordon United Methodist Church invite you to their Candlelight Christmas Eve Service at 9 p.m. at 311 East St. in Gordon.
Christmas Eve at Trinity Lutheran Church, 8520 Oakes Road, Pitsburg, will have two services on Christmas Eve. A family service at 4 p.m. and the Traditional Candlelight Service at 11 p.m. Candles will be lit and Holy Communion will be served at both services. Invite your friends and neighbors and come celebrate the birth of our Savior!
Pitsburg Church of the Brethren will host Christmas Eve services at 10 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Pastor Ken Oren welcomes you to join them at 8376 Pitsburg-Arcanum Road.
St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Ithaca will hold their annual Candlelight Service with Holy Communion at 7:30 p.m. St. Matthew’s is located on the southeast curve at the edge of Ithaca.
Family of God Ministries and Pastor Joe LeMaster welcome the community to join them for their Candlelight Christmas Eve service at 7 p.m. They are located at 310 W. South St., Arcanum.
Calvary Bible Church, located at 9462 State Route 571 (one mile west of Laura), will have their Candlelight Christmas Eve Service at 9 p.m. Everyone is welcome to join them as they sing carols to the King, enjoy special musical numbers and hear a simple message about the Savior of the World.
Can’t make it to church with small children or elderly relatives? Then bring the warmth of the experience to your living room. Just dim the lights, let members of the family read the story from scripture, and sing your favorite carols by the glow of candles. And finally, the best Christmas Eve tradition I can think of is sitting around with your family and reading the Christmas Story passage from Luke 2.
My family and I wish you a Merry Christmas and send you the spirit of love, joy, and giving, remember to unwrap it on Christmas Eve.
