B.C. churches mark Christmas and New Year’s

Mennonites in British Columbia celebrated the holidays in a variety of ways last month.

With both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve falling on Sundays, churches were presented with the question: How many services should be held, and what kind? Will congregants come to multiple services on a holiday weekend?

United Mennonite Church of Black Creek opted to hold three services on Christmas weekend: the regular Sunday morning worship on Dec. 24, a candlelight service that evening, and a worship service on Christmas morning.

Langley Mennonite Fellowship also held three services, observing Fourth Advent in the morning and celebrating Christmas Eve and Christmas morning.

Point Grey Inter-Mennonite Fellowship in Vancouver joined St. Mary Magdalene Anglican Church for morning worship on Dec. 24. Point Grey has been meeting in the Anglican church on some Sunday afternoons while it searches for a permanent worship space.

“The structure of the service was Anglican, and the priest gave the homily,” says Janice Kreider of Point Grey. “We contributed the music, including an enthusiastic singing of [‘Praise God (Dedication Anthem)’]. Both congregations had decent attendance, filling the chapel to capacity.”

Afterward, congregants enjoyed coffee and goodies.

Following Yarrow United Mennonite (YUM) Church’s Christmas Eve service, everyone took home a handmade ornament. Church member Hilda Bergen crafted the ornaments using pages from YUM’s German hymnals.

“During the first half of YUM’s history, all services were entirely in German,” said Darnell Barkman, the church’s pastor. “These ornaments are extra unique this year, too, because of the celebration of our 85th anniversary in October.”

The congregation held a New Year’s Eve gathering on Dec. 31, meeting in the afternoon for games and snacks.

Instead of holding both morning and evening services on Dec. 24, Emmanuel Mennonite Church in Abbotsford held a late afternoon Vespers on Christmas Eve. The service included the congregation’s annual tradition of singing “Der Friedensfürst” (“The Prince of Peace”), a favourite German Christmas song.

Cedar Valley Church in Mission held a fellowship breakfast on Dec. 24 that had “an awesome turnout,” according to Grant Miller, the church’s pastor.

“We wanted to concentrate on the evening service, where we invited friends and did caroling together,” Miller says.

On New Year’s Eve, Cedar Valley designed a pre-recorded online service that members could watch from home. It included an interactive trivia game.

Vancouver’s Peace Church on 52nd held a regular morning service on Christmas Eve, including a candle-lighting service as would normally have been done in the evening.

“Thankfully, it was a cloudy day, so when we turned all the lights off it was comfortably dark enough to be able to enjoy the candlelight,” says Garry Janzen, the church’s interim pastor. “We had a lower attendance than usual, but we also had guests who came.”

The New Year’s Eve morning service featured reflections on the past year. Afterward, the church held a farewell lunch for Janzen, who wrapped up his 10-month ministry at the church.

—Corrected January 12, 2024.