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rolling rock
The Pinball
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Joined: 15 May 2002
Posts: 16217
Location: unknown zone
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 Posted: 12/21/05 - 10:09 Post subject:
| thegman wrote: | | purple hayes wrote: |
I'm betting Labor Day weekend is the smallest donation day.
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It definitely is for ours. Christmas is the largest. |
Christmas is the largest for our church too, by far. what i'm saying is that this Christmas day, falling on a sunday, will be the smallest ever as far as Christmas day collections go. However, Christmas Eve will set the record this year for attendance and so it stands to reason, for offerings as well.
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cherylpf
crazy cat lady
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Joined: 14 May 2002
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Posted: 12/21/05 - 20:17 Post subject:
My dad calls the people who don't come to church but a few times a year the "CEP" christians, for Christmas, Easter and Penecost (um, Dad? I do show up to church and I really know when penecost is until the sermon on Penecost Sunday...) Anyway....I agree that I think those coming for their once annual service probably are going Christmas Eve. Christmas Day is more of a jammies and presents thing it seems.
My opinion is: at least have one service.  However, my family hasn't always gone to church on christmas. My dad always does, he's always been an elder and in the choir. Usually dad would go and the kids would eat breakfast and get dressed and then dad would come home and the presents would resume. My parents current very stuck in their ways, very conservative, very German, very Lutheran church NEVER misses services. This year there are 3 on Christmas. And since probably most of the family will be together another day, I'll probably go with my mom to at least one of them.
I guess I agree iwth RR that for ME its not so much whether or not you go to church on Christmas or even if your church has a service, I think its a personal and congregational thing...what annoyed me most was the hype the media was giving it. Having said that, it is a big holiday on the Christian calendar (I would argue Easter being the biggest) and to close the doors on one of the more fundamental days, which what does it being on a Sunday matter here? does send mixed if not poor signals to the public.
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Ms. Jenn
Fresh, Hot & Wild
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Joined: 14 Feb 2004
Posts: 7935
Location: Suite 550
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Posted: 12/21/05 - 22:33 Post subject:
| cherylpf wrote: | | Having said that, it is a big holiday on the Christian calendar (I would argue Easter being the biggest) and to close the doors on one of the more fundamental days, which what does it being on a Sunday matter here? does send mixed if not poor signals to the public. |
This is exactly what I meant in my post. If a church authentically believes in Jesus, it will not close its doors on the most important days relating to Jesus. If they close for convenience, the they are people who propagate F.E.A.R. - False Evidence Appearing Real.
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cherylpf
crazy cat lady
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Joined: 14 May 2002
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Posted: 12/21/05 - 22:41 Post subject:
| Ms. Jenn wrote: | | cherylpf wrote: | | Having said that, it is a big holiday on the Christian calendar (I would argue Easter being the biggest) and to close the doors on one of the more fundamental days, which what does it being on a Sunday matter here? does send mixed if not poor signals to the public. |
This is exactly what I meant in my post. If a church authentically believes in Jesus, it will not close its doors on the most important days relating to Jesus. If they close for convenience, the they are people who propagate F.E.A.R. - False Evidence Appearing Real. |
Exactly.
Maybe off topic, but...what a great way to have services and observe the faithful aspects of the day while also promoting the family aspect of the day:
| Ms. Jenn wrote: | The evening service will be a come and go private family communion with the pastor and his wife.
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Ms. Jenn
Fresh, Hot & Wild
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Joined: 14 Feb 2004
Posts: 7935
Location: Suite 550
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Posted: 12/21/05 - 23:22 Post subject:
| cherylpf wrote: | | Ms. Jenn wrote: | | cherylpf wrote: | | Having said that, it is a big holiday on the Christian calendar (I would argue Easter being the biggest) and to close the doors on one of the more fundamental days, which what does it being on a Sunday matter here? does send mixed if not poor signals to the public. |
This is exactly what I meant in my post. If a church authentically believes in Jesus, it will not close its doors on the most important days relating to Jesus. If they close for convenience, the they are people who propagate F.E.A.R. - False Evidence Appearing Real. |
Exactly.
Maybe off topic, but...what a great way to have services and observe the faithful aspects of the day while also promoting the family aspect of the day:
| Ms. Jenn wrote: | The evening service will be a come and go private family communion with the pastor and his wife.
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Thank you, he'll appreciate the fact that you like it. Our pastor has been excited about this all month. He can't wait. He's also excited about our combined service because then the entire family gets to be together in the same part of the church-house. We all think he's excited because the children's pastor is going to have Bubba the Bible Bear tell the Christmas Story while the children act out the parts.
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purple hayes
Frightened Inmate #2
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Joined: 14 May 2002
Posts: 14462
Location: ON YOUR LEFT!
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Posted: 12/25/05 - 14:43 Post subject:
A follow up:: We went to a church we don't normally go to last night and it was full, but not packed. Not sure what their normal CE service is like and this is their first year in a new building.
Went to our regular church this AM and the service was full, but not packed.
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DCRunningDiva
Look at me!!! ©
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Joined: 10 Oct 2003
Posts: 9344
Location: Washington DC Metro
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Posted: 12/25/05 - 23:45 Post subject:
| Ms. Jenn wrote: |
A church that is authentic in its belief that Jesus Christ was born on Christmas day and died for our sins on the cross at calvary will be open on Christmas for service, no matter what day of the week it is. A church that is not authentic in their beliefs will not be open for Christmas. |
I disagree with this comment. At my church we had 5 services on Christmas Eve and one service on Christmas day. We are considered a mega church and one of the biggest (if not the biggest) in the DC area so I'm not saying this because my church didn't have service on Christmas Day. However, I know of serveral churches whose members and staff believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for their sins, was buried and was risen three days later but decided, for whatever reason, to not have services on Sunday. I don't believe Jesus would have cared that church was closed on Sunday as long as we worshipped Him every single day. It's the lack of committment by Christians to worship Him every day that He probably isn't pleased by.
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airehead
Oompa Loofah
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Joined: 12 Nov 2002
Posts: 18788
Location: Between here and eternity...
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Posted: 12/26/05 - 00:12 Post subject:
| DCRunningDiva wrote: | | Ms. Jenn wrote: |
A church that is authentic in its belief that Jesus Christ was born on Christmas day and died for our sins on the cross at calvary will be open on Christmas for service, no matter what day of the week it is. A church that is not authentic in their beliefs will not be open for Christmas. |
I disagree with this comment. At my church we had 5 services on Christmas Eve and one service on Christmas day. We are considered a mega church and one of the biggest (if not the biggest) in the DC area so I'm not saying this because my church didn't have service on Christmas Day. However, I know of serveral churches whose members and staff believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for their sins, was buried and was risen three days later but decided, for whatever reason, to not have services on Sunday. I don't believe Jesus would have cared that church was closed on Sunday as long as we worshipped Him every single day. It's the lack of committment by Christians to worship Him every day that He probably isn't pleased by. |
I'd have to agree. Well said.
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andydp
Member
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Joined: 23 Sep 2003
Posts: 8122
Location: Upstate NY near Albany
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Posted: 12/28/05 - 16:50 Post subject:
| airehead wrote: | | DCRunningDiva wrote: | | Ms. Jenn wrote: |
A church that is authentic in its belief that Jesus Christ was born on Christmas day and died for our sins on the cross at calvary will be open on Christmas for service, no matter what day of the week it is. A church that is not authentic in their beliefs will not be open for Christmas. |
I disagree with this comment. At my church we had 5 services on Christmas Eve and one service on Christmas day. We are considered a mega church and one of the biggest (if not the biggest) in the DC area so I'm not saying this because my church didn't have service on Christmas Day. However, I know of serveral churches whose members and staff believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for their sins, was buried and was risen three days later but decided, for whatever reason, to not have services on Sunday. I don't believe Jesus would have cared that church was closed on Sunday as long as we worshipped Him every single day. It's the lack of committment by Christians to worship Him every day that He probably isn't pleased by. |
I'd have to agree. Well said. |
Thank you Diva. Well put. I found it very strange when I first heard of this. Christmas or not, it is a Sunday. Personally, I'm always glad when you get a "two fer". Catholics have Holy Days of Obligation, when they fall on a Sunday its great because you only have to go to church once.
As a side note: Its called "Christmas" because it was originally called "Christ's Mass". The mass celebrated to commemorate the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day's date was picked to "compete" with other "non Christian" feats such as Festivus and Saturnalia. It was not picked because that is the actual day Christ was Born - St Luke states "there were sheperds in the field" - not a popular undertaking in mid December. Most scholars interpret the time as spring. Our Pilgrim forefathers banned any and all references to Christmas for many years precisely because of the pagan ritual connections.
Another thing; Christmas as we now know it was not revitalized until after Dickens' Christmas Carol in the 1800's. Prior to that, Christmas was not a Holyday in much sense. Very few people had the day off or even went to church. It was "Christmas Carol" that re awakened it.
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DCRunningDiva
Look at me!!! ©
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Joined: 10 Oct 2003
Posts: 9344
Location: Washington DC Metro
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Posted: 01/02/06 - 00:19 Post subject:
| andydp wrote: | | airehead wrote: | | DCRunningDiva wrote: | | Ms. Jenn wrote: |
A church that is authentic in its belief that Jesus Christ was born on Christmas day and died for our sins on the cross at calvary will be open on Christmas for service, no matter what day of the week it is. A church that is not authentic in their beliefs will not be open for Christmas. |
I disagree with this comment. At my church we had 5 services on Christmas Eve and one service on Christmas day. We are considered a mega church and one of the biggest (if not the biggest) in the DC area so I'm not saying this because my church didn't have service on Christmas Day. However, I know of serveral churches whose members and staff believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for their sins, was buried and was risen three days later but decided, for whatever reason, to not have services on Sunday. I don't believe Jesus would have cared that church was closed on Sunday as long as we worshipped Him every single day. It's the lack of committment by Christians to worship Him every day that He probably isn't pleased by. |
I'd have to agree. Well said. |
As a side note: Its called "Christmas" because it was originally called "Christ's Mass". The mass celebrated to commemorate the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day's date was picked to "compete" with other "non Christian" feats such as Festivus and Saturnalia. It was not picked because that is the actual day Christ was Born - St Luke states "there were sheperds in the field" - not a popular undertaking in mid December. Most scholars interpret the time as spring. Our Pilgrim forefathers banned any and all references to Christmas for many years precisely because of the pagan ritual connections. |
I swear, I'm not trying to get off topic when I say this but I could have sworn that Festivus was a Sienfeld made-up holiday!
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