Christmas Eve service at 7pm

Join us here: https://zoom.us/j/93294985520

Meeting id: 93294985520
Call: 646-558-8656

Join us on Christmas Eve for a lovely and meaningful blend of traditions, suitable for all ages.  This Zoom service will include beautiful music from our own members, readings and reflections from Revs. Linda and Leia, and end with a telling of the Christmas story of the birth of a babe in Bethlehem.  Congregational children will be costumed and acting out the parts of all the characters – shepherds, angels, Magi, and even a baby!

The service will end with the singing of “Silent Night” as we see a video of members of our congregation passing lights from candle to candle.  You can be included by sending in a video of yourself, or by lighting a candle in your home.

This will be a meaningful service, made special by your presence.  Invite your friends and family!

Christmas Eve Offering

It is the tradition at the UU Congregation of Charlottesville to designate the Christmas Eve offering to replenish the Ministers’ Discretionary Fund.  That fund is used by the ministers to assist with emergency needs in our congregation or neighborhood, to tide individuals over until more permanent assistance can be located.

Sometimes it is used to help a church member who is facing an emergency shortfall in funds and needs assistance to pay a utility bill, to buy medicine, to afford groceries, or to be able to move in a crisis.  The funds, distributed in confidentiality by the ministers, have also been used to help a congregant’s family, and to help neighboring clergy support needs for their food ministry to the hungry or to support other projects to people in crisis.

In the year since last Christmas, we gave more than $2,500 in emergency assistance, and we can foresee the need may be greater in 2021, due to remaining effects of the Covid crisis.  Please give generously at our Christmas Eve service to replenish our funds for emergency relief to our members and neighbors.  We do not want to turn anyone away.

ORDER OF SERVICE

Prelude What Child is This Ollie & Parker Gill
French Carol Ollie & Parker Gill
Ode to Joy August Gastinger
We Wish You a Merry Christmas  Ollie & Bryce Gill
Silent Night Madeline Redick-Smith

Welcome    Debby Norton, Worship Weaver
Elizabeth Breeden, Board Vice President

Hymn  O Come, All Ye Faithful    UU C’ville Virtual Choir

Opening Words    The Rev. Leia Durland-Jones
and the Rev. Dr. Linda Olson Peebles

Chalice Lighting   Mr. Santa Claus (aka Stephen Blair)

Song   Star in the East   Kelsey Cowger, soloist

Homily  “Excitement Tonight” Rev. Linda

Song  Let Christmas Come    Scott DeVeaux & Katia Sol-Church

Reading  “For So the children come”    Ellie Ransom
words from Sophia Lyon Fahs

Prayer   Rev. Leia

Invitation to the Offering Debby Norton

Offertory      The First Noel  Hazel & Sylvie Semmelhack
O Holy Night Hazel & Sylvie Semmelhack

Homily  “Quiet Tonight”    Rev. Linda
Song  It Came Upon the Midnight Clear       Kelsey Cowger and Matthew Carter

The Christmas Story     Rev. Leia & Hank Powers & Riley Epp Storytellers
and a cast of UUC’ville congregation*

O Little Town of Bethlehem
 Katia Sol-Church and Amy Davis


Away in a Manger
 Amy Nash and Kelsey Cowger
Go Tell It on the Mountain
 Marvin Edwards
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
 Sharon Baiocco and Karen Bieber
Angels We Have Heard on High
 Katia Sol-Church
What Child Is This?
 Kelsey Cowger and Matthew Carter
We Three Kings
 Scott DeVeaux and Fritz Hudson
Silent Night  UU C’ville Choir

Benediction     Rev. Linda
words from Rev. Dr. Howard Thurman

Social Time Following Service

*2020 Christmas Eve Pageant Participants

Storytellers: Hank Powers, Riley Epp

Caesar Augustus—Nancy Hurrelbrinck

Stars—Ariana Vasquez, Adam Schroder, Afton Van Hooser, Naomi McCleary, Jah

Special Star—Liam, Nora and Ciaran Little

Angels: Lillian Thompson (speaking), Zoe Halbert, Noura McElwain, Corinna Heins, Sam Cole, James Cole

Luisa Shoch, Amaya Garriott (speaking)

Sheep: Hannah Smith, Dana Redick, Jen Smith, Christine Gresser, Yvonne Chadwick-Mehta, Claudine Ebeid McElwain

Holy Family: Kelsey Cowger, Matthew Carter, Isaac Carter

Wise Person: Coco Powers (speaking part), Lucas Smith, Leila McElwain, Colin McElwain

Shepherds: Breck Gastinger, August Gastinger, Grant Gastinger, Ian Halbert, Dylan Halbert

Many thanks to the production team for Christmas Eve 2020 –

Sean Skally, AV tech recording and presentation
Lucy Gilbert, video creator and editor for carols and special music
Ellie Ransom, video creator and editor for Pageant and Passing of Candles