Services Added To Accommodate Holiday Crowds
Just like the three wise men, people who usually aren’t counted among the faithful often make a special journey come Christmas.
Those holiday-only churchgoers pack the pews. Many churches increase the number of services this time of year to accommodate the swell - and try to find ways to get the visitors to come back sooner than Easter.
Valley Assembly of God, 15618 E. Broadway, offers three services on Sunday, the normal morning times of 8:30 and 11 a.m., and an hour-long night service at 7 p.m. The night service will feature carols, a reading of the Christmas story and a monologue by the pastor. The monologue will be a depiction of how a shepherd in the Nativity story remembers the birth of Christ.
A full house should hear it. The Rev. Al Hulten said that two weeks ago, the church saw a big jump in attendance at its youth holiday program - despite ice and snow. Last weekend, 50 percent more people than usual came to see the church’s Christmas drama.
“It will be interesting for us to see what it will be like,” Hulten said. “We’ll see if we’ve shot our wad already.”
He doubts it, though. The numbers are usually up there. And, “we see a lot of unchurched people on holidays,” he said. Visitors are asked to fill out cards to let the pastor know if they’re just visiting from another church, new to the area or looking for a new place of worship.
Anyone who fills out a card gets a letter in the mail, and those looking for a church get a visitor from folks bearing gifts - not of gold or myrrh, but cookies.
Valley Foursquare Church, 1226 N. Park Road, is adding a 6 p.m. service to its Sunday schedule. The morning service still happens at 10 a.m. Church spokeswoman Kathy Pearson said the night candle and caroling service appeals to people who have busy schedules and may not show otherwise.
“They just make it one hour, so people can get back with their families,” Pearson said.
At Pines Baptist Church, 714 S. Pines Road, Christmas attendance is second only Easter’s numbers. The Rev. Bob Watkins, an associate pastor there, said many of the visitors he finds are friends or relatives of congregation members. The church will have a candlelight Lord’s supper service at 5 p.m.
Liturgical churches often boast the greatest number of holiday services. Redeemer Lutheran Church, 3606 S. Schafer Road, offers five on Sunday and another on Christmas day. All Christmas Eve services will feature a mass choir comprised of regular choir members and folks who just wanted to join in. The normal Sunday service happens at 10 a.m., with early evening services planned for 4 and 6 p.m. Those are geared toward families with children. Candlelight services happen at 9 and 11 p.m.
Christmas day service happens at 10 a.m.
St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 304 S. Adams Road, has even more. Masses happen Sunday at 7:30 and 9 a.m., 5 and 7:30 p.m. and midnight. Christmas day Masses start at 9 and 11 a.m.
Other Valley services include:
Spokane Valley United Methodist Church, 10422 E. Main, will have a Christmas choral candlelight service Sunday at 10 p.m.
Open Bible Church of the Spokane Valley, 905 N. McDonald Road, will hold its candlelight communion service Sunday at 6 p.m.
Starr Road Baptist Church, corner of Wellesley and Starr Roads, will have services at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday.
Spokane Valley Baptist Church, 1222 S. McDonald Road, will have Sunday services at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. The evening candlelight service will feature a reading of the Christmas story and traditional hymns.
, DataTimes