Pastors ready with holiday messages

By GAIL HOLLENBECK, Times Correspondent
Published December 22, 2007

While the story of Jesus Christ's entrance into the world has been told since the Gospels were penned nearly 2,000 years ago, it seems Christians never tire of hearing it. Attendance at church services at Christmas and Easter typically exceeds that of any other time of year.

Pastors of several local churches have prepared special Christmas messages in anticipation of those larger-than-normal audiences.

The Rev. Jerry Waugh, senior pastor of Northcliffe Baptist Church, will share a message Sunday morning on "Believing in Christmas."

"Anyone can admire a Hallmark ornament with a nativity scene on it, but to believe the real Christmas story takes real faith," Waugh said.

"For instance, did a virgin named Mary really give birth to a baby boy? Did angels really appear to Bethlehem shepherds? Was this baby born really the savior of the world? And, did God really do all of this for me? It's a message that celebrates the miraculous and meaningful parts of what Christmas is all about and why that story matters to my life today."

Waugh said that the Christmas Eve candlelight service at his church is one of his favorite activities.

"Each year, more and more families in our area are making (that service) a part of their family's Christmas tradition. Once we started averaging over 1,000 people at this service, we added a second service so there would be plenty of room for everyone."

He anticipates that more than 1,300 will attend this year.

"We will share 60 meaningful, unforgettable minutes with people in our community and our church family," he said. "We will sing the Christmas classics like Joy to the World. We will hear beautiful Christmas favorites like O Holy Night.We even have a special part of the service just for the kids and we conclude the hour with the lighting of the candles and singing Silent Night."

Biker Worship Center

Buzz Boyd plans to talk about the "Gifts of Christmas" in his message Sunday when the Biker Worship Center meets in Brooksville. "We will talk about the gifts the Wise Men brought to the baby Jesus and the significance of the gold, frankincense and myrrh," he said. "And we will talk about the gifts that God has given each of us. We will finish by asking, What gifts can we give him this Christmas?"

St. Andrew's Ukranian Catholic Church

St. Andrew's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Brooksville will host a Great Compline service on Christmas Eve, a time of contemplation and prayer. The service will be followed by the traditional Ukrainian Christmas Eve 12-course dinner in the parish hall. On Christmas morning, the Divine Liturgy for the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be sung in Ukrainian and English.

Salvation Army

Major Tim Roberts of the Salvation Army will share his Christmas message Sunday morning.

"I'm going to be talking about the inn keeper that gave Mary and Joseph the stable to use that night and make it a personal testimony type thing," Roberts said. "I'm trying to let people know that even though the inn didn't have room for Christ, we need to have room for Christ in our hearts."

Ridge Manor Methodist Church

Ridge Manor Methodist Church will have a Christmas message on both Sunday morning and Christmas Eve.

"Probably the more dramatic of the two sermons will be on Sunday," said the Rev. Debbie Nelson. "I'm going to be preaching about Christ being the light of the world and we're blackening out all of the windows. I'll preach most of my sermon in the dark and talk about the difference between before Christ and when he came and how he brings light into our life. At that point, the light of our cross will come on and I'll preach by the glow of that."

The sermon will be the last in a series Nelson has been preaching on "Living the Stable Life."

"We've been looking at the manger, the stable and the people who gathered there and learning from Joseph, Mary and the shepherds, how we can have a more stable life now as Christians."

Holy Communion will be celebrated at the Christmas Eve candlelight service and the children of the church will sing. After communion, people will have the opportunity to place a card with the name of a deceased loved one in a memorial floral arrangement.

"I'll be talking about 'When Love Was Born,'" Nelson said. "We'll focus on how his coming enabled us to love each other and God the way we were meant to. All the children who come will receive a gift that we have wrapped for them."

Proceeding Word Ministries

The Rev. Faith Jackson of Proceeding Word Ministries said he doesn't plan to have a "Christmas message." As is his practice, he will let God tell him what his message Sunday will be.

"He tends to just flow with whatever is impressed upon his heart and not change that flow according to outward seasons," said church secretary Traci McNulty.

Faith Evangelical Presbyterian Church

The Rev. David Franklin will ask those attending the Sunday morning service at Faith Evangelical Presbyterian Church "Is There Any Room for Jesus?"

Franklin said he's planning to talk about the promise given to Abraham that God would provide a lamb for his sacrifice. "Luke 2 is a fulfillment of the promise that God provided the lamb in Jesus Christ so that we could be brought back into a relationship with him. Then I'll talk about the future promises he has for us. But none of that is for us unless we make room for him in our hearts and life."

At the Christmas Eve service, Franklin plans to use John 1 as the basis for his message.

"I plan to talk about how the word (God) became flesh and dwelt among us and tie that back into the birth of Christ and tell what significance that has for us. I never get tired of preaching the Gospel message or hearing it myself when others preach it. I'm just excited when I hear it. I get chill bumps."

If you go

Christmas services

- Services at Northcliffe Baptist Church, 10515 Northcliffe Blvd., Spring Hill, will be at 9 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday; 5 and 7 p.m. Monday.

- Services at St. Andrew's Ukrainian Catholic Church, 8064 Weeping Willow St., Brooksville, will be at 5 p.m. Christmas Eve and at 10 a.m. Christmas Day.

- The Biker Worship Center will meet from noon to 1 p.m. Sunday at Marine Corps League Detachment 708, 8405 Sunshine Grove Road, Brooksville.

- Ridge Manor United Methodist Church, 34350 Cortez Blvd., will have Christmas services at 10:15 a.m. Sunday and at 7 p.m. Monday.

- The Salvation Army Worship and Service Center is at 15464 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville. Services will be at 11 a.m. Sunday.

- Faith Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 200 Mount Fair Ave., Brooksville, will have services at 10:30 a.m. Sunday and 6:30 p.m. Monday.

- Proceeding Word Ministries, 683 S. Broad St., Brooksville, will have a Sunday service at 10:30 a.m.

[Last modified December 21, 2007, 20:43:12]