StoneBridge Christian Church in eastern Nebraska is known locally for hosting a big annual fireworks event, which this fall included 15 food trucks and portable firepits for making s\u2019mores. But it\u2019s the Christmas season that is \u201cour Super Bowl,\u201d said the church\u2019s executive pastor, Mitch Chitwood. This year, the church\u2019s four locations in the Omaha area will host four \u201cJingle Jam\u201d family parties in December and nine services on Christmas Eve, complete with classic carols, Christmas-themed coffee drinks and a festive photo booth in the lobby.<\/p>\n
What they will not have is church on Sunday, Dec. 25. On Christmas Day, StoneBridge will offer a simple community breakfast, but no religious services.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe still believe in the Sunday morning experience, but we have to meet people where they are,\u201d Mr. Chitwood said.<\/p>\n
And where they are on Christmas Day is usually at home, in their pajamas. This year, church leaders are grappling with what may seem like an odd dilemma: Christmas Day falls on a Sunday for the first time since 2016, and that\u2019s a problem.<\/p>\n
Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>\n If everyone from the pews to the pulpit would rather stay home, what is a practical house of worship to do? This year, some Protestant churches are deciding to skip Sunday services completely.https:\/\/t.co\/miIfKAtpmy<\/a><\/p>\n — The New York Times (@nytimes) December 18, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \n