Christmas Eve Traditional Service of Holy Communion
11pm | December 24, 2025

MUSIC MINISTRY       
Goin’ to Bethlehem | Jay Althouse

Ensemble

Jay Althouse | © 2000 Alfred Music Publishing, Inc. | all rights reserved | used with permission under One License #A-726973

WELCOME | Pastor Cathy Johns

WELCOME ONE OTHER

WAYS TO CONNECT | christchurchfl.org/ways2connect

* CAROL OF PRAISE
O Come, All Ye Faithful | The United Methodist Hymnal No. 234 (verses 1,3)
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem.
Come and behold him, born the King of angels;

(refrain) O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.

Sing choirs of angels, sing in exultation;
O sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God, all glory in the highest; (refrain)

C. Frederick Oakeley | John Francis Wade | © words & music: public domain | CCLI License # 487103

THE LIGHTING OF THE CHRIST CANDLE

The Word became flesh and lived among us, full of grace and truth.
In him was life, and that life was the light of the world.
We light the Christ Candle, knowing that Jesus is our hope, our peace, our joy, and the source of love.

RESPONSE    
O Come, All Ye Faithful | The United Methodist Hymnal No. 234 (verse 6)
Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning,
Jesus, to thee be all glory given.
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;

O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.

C. Frederick Oakeley | John Francis Wade | © words: & music: public domain | CCLI License # 487103

MUSIC MINISTRY
Hodie Christus Natus Est | Mark Hayes

Chancel Choir; String Quartet

Mark Leslie Hayes | © 2005 Lorenz Publishing Company | all rights reserved | used with permission under One License #A-726973

OFFERING
worshiping through the offering of our lives and gifts

·      Place offerings in the plates or wooden boxes

·      Give online at christchurchfl.org/give 

·      Text GIVE to 954.880.3885

·      Mail a check to Christ Church, 4845 NE 25^th Ave., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308

Connect cards may also be placed with your offering. Christ Church is a congregationally supported ministry. Thank you for your faithfulness as we reflect the love, hope and joy of Jesus to our community.

MUSIC MINISTRY
O Holy Night | arr. René Clausen
Chancel Choir, String Quartet

René Clausen | © 2004 Fostco Music Press a division of Shawnee Press, Inc. | all rights reserved | used with permission under One License #A-726973

SCRIPTURE
Luke 2:1- 20 | Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³ All went to their own towns to be registered. ⁴ Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. ⁵ He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. ⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place in the guest room. ⁸ Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: ¹¹ to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” ¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, ¹⁹ and Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.

These are the words of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. 

MESSAGE
Christ is Born | Pastor Cathy Johns

THE LORD’S SUPPER 

THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Lift up your hearts. 
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is right, and a good and joyful thing,
always and everywhere to give thanks to you,
Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth.
You created light out of darkness and brought forth life on the earth.
You formed us in your image and breathed into us the breath of life.
When we turned away, and our love failed, your love remained steadfast.
You delivered us from captivity, made covenant to be our sovereign God, and spoke to us through your prophets.

In the fullness of time you gave your only Son Jesus Christ to be our Savior, and at his birth the angels sang
glory to you in the highest and peace to your people on earth.

And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
Holy, holy, holy Lord,

God of power and might,

heaven and earth are full of your glory.  

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ. As Mary and Joseph went from Galilee to Bethlehem
and there found no room, so Jesus went from Galilee to Jerusalem and was despised and rejected.

As in the poverty of a stable Jesus was born, so by the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection
you gave birth to your Church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit.

As your Word became flesh, born of woman, on that night long ago, so, on the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said:
"Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

When the supper was over he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said:
"Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."

And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith.

Christ has died;
Christ is risen;
Christ will come again.

Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and cup. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.

By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet.

Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty God, now and forever. Amen.

And now with the confidence of the children of God, let us pray together: 

THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

You do not need to be a member of Christ Church or a United Methodist to come to the table. Christ himself is host and welcomes all.

GATHERING AT THE LORD’S TABLE

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Eternal God, we give you thanks for this holy ministry in which you have given yourself to us. Grant that we may go into the world, in the strength of your Spirit, to give ourselves for others. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

THE LIGHTING OF THE CANDLES

* CAROL OF PEACE 

Silent Night, Holy Night | The United Methodist Hymnal No. 239
Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright
round yon virgin mother and child. Holy infant, so tender and mild,
sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night, shepherds quake at the sight;
glories stream from heaven afar, heavenly hosts sing alleluia!
Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born.

Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love’s pure light;
radiant beams from thy holy face with the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth, Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

Please raise candles on final stanza.

Silent night, holy night, wondrous star, lend thy light;
with the angels let us sing, alleluia to our King;
Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born!

Franz Xaver Gruber, John Freeman Young & Joseph Mohr | © words & music: public domain | CCLI License # 487103

* CHRISTMAS PRAYER

Please extinguish your candles before leaving your seat. Please deposit plastic holders, with candles if you like, in the designated boxes as you leave

* SENDING FORTH



MUSIC FOR CLOSING
For unto Us a Child is Born | arr. John Innes
Wes Kassulke, piano; Chuck Stanley, organ; String Quartet

John Innes | tune and text: © 1988 Lorenz Publishing Company, a division of The Lorenz Corporation | all rights reserved | used with permission under One License #A-726973

For a complete list of all the ways to connect click here