Confessions of a Christmas Eve Usher
The 12 Keys to Christmas Eve
Photo by Elina Fairytale. Used by Permission.
For a wonderful decade, serving at the big protestant church with its 4 Christmas Eve services, I would usher in the two largest services and be in the two other big services. We regularly worshiped 350-475 per week, but Christmas Eve was a sell-out at 3 p.m. - family nativity, and the 5 and 7 p.m. King’s College Cambridge “Festival” service, and a comfortable full 11 p.m. communion service.
Christmas Eve is full of people who go to church once or twice a year. They bring ebullient chaos to the service. They are joyful and confused.
On Christmas Eve we are ALL together to worship Emmanuel.
12 Keys to Christmas Eve
Keep reading for an insider view of how we can to 600 people into a sanctuary that holds 425. Here are the ins and outs of enjoying the Christmas rush.
1. Let it Snow, Let it Snow
Even if you live in Florida, remember the mantra of “Let it Snow, Let it Snow.” If the weather report says snow is coming, plan to leave early.
On Christmas Eve, regardless of the weather, leave 45 minutes before the time you want to enter the church building (it may be another 15 minutes before you find a seat).
This gives you 30 minutes to drive through the last-minute shoppers, those hurrying home from work, and those rushing to church after drinking a bottle of wine at dinner. It will take 15 minutes to park the car.
2. Parking Will Be Shopping Mall Bad
Our big church had 90 parking spots in July. Five are gone because of snow piles. Forty are gone by the non-mobile choir. And the next 30 spaces are gone by those amazing souls who arrive at the church a full hour before the next service.1
Every welcoming church has a plan for where we are to park when the parking lot is full. Call the church the week before to find out this plan, or carefully read the big Christmas Week Email Blast for the parking information. We parked at a six-story parking garage one block away. We will have to wait to get into that garage, then walk, then find a seat. This will take 30 minutes.
3. Dropping the Family Before Parking
This is a good idea so your parents and small children don’t have to walk the block through the wintry mix from the parking garage. But don’t pull into the parking lot for drop off as it will be super slow as people look for the non-existent parking spot.
If they have some mobility drop the family off from an adjoining street near the plowed church sidewalks without ever turning into the church parking lots.
But if you need to drop your loved one near a door, then join the hour-early crowd. Come early drop them off and drive to the parking structure - even if you see parking spots. Leave those for others so you can enjoy a refreshing walk and some welcome peace.
4. Families with 4+ People
Arrive at the sanctuary 30-45 minutes before the service so the ushers can seat you together. When you get to your seat, either sit on your coat, have someone run them to the coat racks, or put them over your lap. Do not put them next to you. The ushers will be seating people there.
For the biggest services, we could not seat groups of 4 or more together from 20 minutes out. We were often completely full by 5 minutes to service.2
5. Families with 2-3 People
Arrive at the sanctuary 20-30 minutes before the service so the ushers can seat you together. Follow the coat mantra from Families with 4+ People. You may not get a choice of where you sit. Just smile and move when an usher directs you. You may be in the first 2 pews - this is good for seeing well. If you are seated here, it’s because the sanctuary is full.
6. What the Ushers are Doing
The well-trained ushers are well-oiled machines. They have one usher halfway down every aisle. These people are scouting out the spots. They signal with several fingers to the usher at the end of every aisle. They are signaling, they can take 1,2,4, or more. The user at the end will direct you to the usher in the aisle who will seat you.
7. Everyone Takes a Bulletin
Make sure you pick up bulletins for each person in your family. Everyone takes a bulletin. You will be singing from those bulletins in limited candle lighting.
Don’t worry about the environment. Take the bulletin home to recycle it. Or drop it in the baskets in the lobbies for recycling. The ushers are not going to give used bulletins to the next service. Make sure you don’t drop it in any baskets or boxes that have recently used candles.
8. Everyone Takes a Candle
Make sure you get enough small candles for the candle lighting during the service for the amazing singing of “Silent Night” and “The First Noel.” Talk to your young children if they will have a candle. Do this at least 24 hours before Christmas Eve.
9. How to Pass the Candle Light
Have you ever poured hot candle wax on your hand? I have. Many times. The way we pass the light from the Christ Candle down the pews is by holding a lit candle up and down (vertical) and having the person next to us dip their unlit candle into the fire. Then they hold their candle vertically so the person on the other side can dip the unlit candle. The bonus is we can just watch that new unlit candle spark with Christmas love and joy as it dips onto our lit candle.
10. Your Favorite Christmas Carol
I hope the congregation or choir sings your favorite Christmas carol. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they could do so for all 600 people in the sanctuary at any service? With over 30 carols in most hymnals, hopefully, we have your favorite every three years or more.3
When the service includes a carol you dislike, keep it to yourself. Please! The person ahead of you in the pew may be having all the feels as this carol was their mother’s favorite.
11. Follow the Church’s Mask Policy
Most churches have a Christmas Eve mask policy. Simply follow it. If mask policies give you anxiety call in December to learn the policy so this does not disrupt your Christmas Eve.
12. Remember that One Moment
Every Christmas Eve, be ready for that one moment when the holy breaks through all the stresses. Are you ready for God to break through the chaos of Christmas week? The Holy Child is ready.
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sings Alleluia
Christ the Savior is Born
Christ the Savior is Born
They wait reasonably patiently for the staff to open the sanctuary or to let the previous service empty.
Don’t come late on Christmas Eve or Easter. You may not get a seat.
One church did a carol sing on a Sunday afternoon in December. Another church scheduled a carol hymn singing near July 25 for summer fun. Or you could let your music director/pastor know you have a favorite and ask them to find a way to incorporate it at one of the services. Do this by Halloween. But know that lots of people do this too.