Christmas Eve Traditional Service with Lessons and Carols
7pm | 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 ANOTHER

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: public domain; music: public domain | CCLI License # 487103

THE LIGHTING OF THE CHRIST CANDLE  |   Pastor Doug Johns

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; (refrain)

(refrain) 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

FIRST LESSON 
Luke 2:1-5 | Luke tells of the birth of Jesus.
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.

CAROL
Fantasy on Five Christmas Carols| Mark Hayes

Chancel Choir; string quartet

Mark Leslie Hayes | © 1995 Alfred Publishing Company | all rights reserved | used with permission under One License #A-726973

SECOND LESSON
Luke 2:6-7 | The miracle of God’s gift for those who love him.
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.

CAROL
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

THIRD LESSON
Luke 2:8-14 | The shepherds worship the infant King.
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!”

CAROL 
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks | Craig Courtney

Chancel Choir; String Quartet

Craig Courtney, Lynda Hasseler | © 2013 Beckenhorst Press, Inc. | all rights reserved | used with permission under One License #A-726973

FOURTH LESSON 
Luke 2:15-20 | The shepherds spread the good news.
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.

CAROL
Angels We Have Heard on High | The United Methodist Hymnal No. 238 (verses 1,2)
Angels we have heard on high sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply echoing their joyous strains.

(refrain)   Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be which inspire your heavenly song?  (refrain)

Edward Shippen Barnes | James Chadwick | © words & music: public domain | CCLI License # 487103

OFFERING  | Pastor Doug Johns
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

MESSAGE
Christ is Born | Pastor Cathy Johns

* CAROL OF JOY 
Joy to the World | The United Methodist Hymnal No. 246 (verses 1,2)
Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King;
let every heart prepare him room,
and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the world, the Savior reigns! Let all their songs employ;
while fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy,
repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

George Frideric Handel | Isaac Watts | © words: & music: public domain | CCLI License # 487103

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

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