Monday, December 18, 2006

Upcoming Christmas Eve Marathon


Pastors and other church professionals find themselves facing truly rugged schedules when Christmas Eve or Christmas Day fall on a Sunday. This year I think that my sister, director of music ministry at a large Methodist church in San Antonio, may take the prize for craziest Christmas Eve.
There are 12 worship services planned at her church this coming Sunday. She must oversee the music at all of them, and will direct the music at 7 of them. She's planning a total melt-down on Boxing Day (December 26). No kidding! This is just nuts.

Many gentle readers are also gearing up for their own Christmas Eve marathons. I hope none of you are facing as long and difficult a day as she is.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

dang.
and I thought my 6 (plus one on saturday) in a church of (max) 350 was bad.
wow.

i am not at all envious.

Kathryn said...

Oh goodness,- we're clearly light weights here, with only a total of 7 services in total between 8.00 Christmas Eve morning and 11.30 Christmas Day...Mind you, I do have to be there sharing leadership of all of them, but even so. Definitely a special award for your sister, poor love.

spookyrach said...

damn.

Anonymous said...

Holy kwap.

Tell her she gets TWO stickers!

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't it be easier to construct a Disney-type worship "experience" where sets of moving pews would travel along through the different parts of the service. Kind of like riding "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride", except you go to heaven at the end. This way, people could attend at any time they wish and not miss a thing. The pastors, choirs, musicians, etc. would not have to run around the church, they would just stay in one place and do the same thing over and over and over.... Maybe some animatronics might help - except, of course, for the offering. There should probably be two lines - one contemporary, the other traditional.

Anonymous said...

Especially rugged this year as 4th Sunday in Advent(AM) is also Christmas Eve(PM), so basically there are two days of services in one. At our presbychurch we will have two services in AM(instead of usual three)for Advent IV, and three service in PM for Christmas Eve.

Bravos and blessings to your sister for her faithfulness to her ministry...I'm sure God will supply all her needs that day as she ministers through music. :)

Jody Harrington said...

LOL at Jim's comment!

Can we do a sacred version of Its a Small World After All so the experience is truly authentic?

Lori said...

Your sister is truly a gift to her church. And if they don't know that, we'll sure write to them.

Makes gift giving for her easy this year, doesn't it? Spa coupons, complete with massage from Matthew McConnaughey look alike (if he's not in town), jumbo bottle of Jack Daniels with Peach Schnapps chaser, and the new "Nap Pillow Cover" from Brookstone......among so many other ideas.........

(I finished early this year, that's why I can be so helpful)

St. Casserole said...

Yeah, and then there are those of us who have ONE service Christmas morning because the congregation does not want another service on Sunday (Christmas Eve) night. Go figure.

I'll be in the pew with my family at Mr.C.'s church.

Blessings to your sister and all who are marathon runners for Jesus on Christmas Eve/Day.

Anonymous said...

This music minister has only four services. What concerns me most is that, musically speaking, they're four entirely different services, and I'm soloing at the two in the evening. Plus, leading up to them, the pastor's off on a mission trip until sometime on Saturday, and our secretary needs lots of hand-holding even under the best (read, "normal week") circumstances...and she is going to take the following week off. Therefore, I have the potential of having to pick up the pieces for three different bulletins if she goes into meltdown and can't get them done. All this while holding down a non-church day job. I love Advent and Christmas, but I SOOOO totally concur with sleep being at the top of one's to-do list once the services are done. At least we're not having any Christmas Day services (though part of me thinks that's a real shame).

=8-O

=^..^= =^..^= .oO (Where's Our Mama??)

Anonymous said...

That is INSANE!

John said...

12 services at a UMC congregation? We can't even fill one!

Becky Ardell Downs said...

My favorite of all these is "The Simplicity of Christmas"-- 3 showings.

Theresa Coleman said...

I didn't know your sister was at University. The lead pastor is a Candler graduate, as are a couple of the other clergy. My ex-church is going to have 9 services -- It's another of the growing numbers of Methdoist Mega-churches.

God Bless her.

hip2b said...

While y'all fill up...we empty out. One service 7 pm Christmas Eve...our people will be worshipping with elsewhere. Me included! We're heading home to good old Georgia!

Anonymous said...

Too much for me!!

Merry Christmas Grace. May all your wishes be granted and may your family have the greatest gifts of God this year...the gifts of peace, hope, joy and especially love (all of which come in a small package lying in a manger on Christmas morn).