(Editor’s note: The Wood County and area churches will hold a widevariety of Christmas Eve and Day
services this year. Those who havereported their service to the Sentinel are listed below.Around Christmas
many churches hold a “Service of Lessons and Carols.”Stonebridge Church in Perrysburg will use that model
for its ChristmasEve service. As Dean Eric Milner-White, the originator of this servicenearly one hundred
years ago said, “The main theme is the development ofthe loving purposes of God … Seen through the windows
and the words ofthe Bible.”Each of the congregations will welcome guests and visitors to these holy services
which mostly are held on Tuesday night, Christmas Eve.)BOWLING GREENThere will be a Christmas Eve
Candlelight Service at Abiding Word Evangelical Lutheran Church at 7 p.m.The Christmas service for Bowling
Green Alliance Church will be held Sunday at 10 a.m. The Christmas Eve Candlelight service will be at 6 p.m.
Tuesday.There will be a 7 p.m. Candlelight Christmas Eve service at Christ’s Church in Bowling Green.The
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at Church of the Nazarene will be held at 7 p.m.The Christmas Eve service
at Cloverdale United Methodist Church will be at 7 p.m.The annual Candlelight Christmas Eve services for
Dayspring Assembly of God will be at 4 and 5:30 p.m. The services will include music and a special
children’s feature. Pastor Scott Estep’s message will be Love Came Down.”There will be a 7 p.m. Christmas
Eve Candlelight service at First Christian Church.First Presbyterian Church will celebrate the birth of
Jesus with carols, scripture, candles and quiet reflection at its 7 p.m. Christmas Eve candlelight
service.First United Methodist Church will have a Service of Lessons and Carols at 5 p.m. Christmas Eve. The
Worship with Candle Lighting services will be held at 7:30 and 11 p.m.The Christmas Eve service for Grace
Brethren Church will be at 6 p.m.There will be a 5 p.m. Christmas Eve service at Maumee Valley Unitarian
Universalist Congregation led by Rev. Lynn Kerr.Peace Lutheran Church will hold services including Carols,
Candles and Communion at both the 7 and 10 p.m. Christmas Eve services. They both will include carols,
candles and communion. The 7 p.m. service features the children’s story and youth musicians. The 10 p.m.
service features the adult musicians and ensemble. There is also a 10 a.m. “Spoken Holy Communion Service”
for Christmas Day. This service is described as a quiet and calm welcome of the Christ Child.Plain
Congregational Church will have its Christmas Eve worship at 7 p.m.St. Aloysius Catholic Parish will hold
its Vigil of Christmas Masses at 4, 6:30 and 11 p.m. The Nativity of the Lord Mass will be at 10 a.m.
Christmas Day.Pastor Denny Maurer will speak on “Angie’s Gifts” for the 5 p.m. Christmas Eve service at St.
Mark’s Lutheran Church. His sermon for both the 7 and 11 p.m. services will be “Surprises of Christmas.”St.
Thomas More University Parish will have its Children’s Christmas Eve service at 4 p.m. The 6:30 p.m.
Candlelight service is at 6:30 p.m. The Christmas Day Mass will be held at 10 a.m.The Christmas Eve
Candlelight Communion liturgy at Trinity United Methodist Church will be held at 7:30 p.m. Music begins at
7:15 p.m.The sermon by David K. Boswell, minister, for the 7 p.m. Christmas Eve service at Village View
Church of Christ will be “Like noOther Night.” The final candle on the Advent wreath will be
lit.BLOOMDALEPastor Jeff Ridenour’s sermon for the 11 p.m. traditional Christmas Eve service at Trinity
United Methodist Churchwill be “Stranger in a Strange Land,” continuing his series on theaction of God fully
embracing humanity by becoming fully human whileremaining fully divine.BRADNERPreacher Dan Horner’s sermon
for the 6 p.m. Christmas Eve service at Bradner Community Christian Church will be ”Duck the Halls.”Pastor
Jeff Ridenour’s sermon for the 7 p.m. traditional Christmas Eve service at Bradner United Methodist
Churchwill be “Stranger in a Strange Land,” continuing his series on theaction of God fully embracing
humanity by becoming fully human whileremaining fully divine.St. James Lutheran Church will celebrate
“Miracle in the Manger” at 10 p.m. Christmas Eve ideal for children and adults for the annual
Candlelightworship service. The service will include a mix of reading, carols,special music and the
Nativity. Holy Communion will be celebrated.Coffee and refreshments will highlight the fellowship beginning
at 9 p.m.CUSTARSt. Louis Catholic Church will hold Christmas Eve Masses at 4 and 10 p.m.CYGNETThe Christmas
traditional candlelight at Faith United Methodist Church will be at 7 p.m. The service will include serving
of the Holy Communion.DOWLINGThe Christmas Eve Candlelight service with Holy Communion at Christ Evangelical
Lutheran Church will be at 7:30 p.m. There will also be a Christmas Day Holy Communion service at 10:30
a.m.GRAND RAPIDSSt. Patrick (Providence) Catholic Parish will hold Christmas Eve Masses at both 4:30 p.m.
and midnight. The Christmas Day liturgy will be at 9 a.m.HASKINSHaskins Community Church will hold its
Christmas Eve service at 7 p.m.A Candlelight Service with Holy Communion is being offered on Christmas Eve,
at 7:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church. There is pre-service music by the adult choir and
instrumentalists begins at 7:10 p.m. The sermon title is “What Are We looking for This Christmas?”
TheCandlelight service features choir and special music by several studentsfrom the Otsego High School
Band.LATCHAThere will be a candlelight service of carols and the holiday hand bell choir at the 7:30 p.m.
Christmas Eve service at Zion Lutheran Church. The Chirstmas Day worship will be at 10:15 a.m.LUCKEYThere
will be a 7 p.m. Christmas Eve Candlelight service at Salem Grace United Lutheran Church.There will be a
5:30 p.m. Christmas Eve Communion and Candlelight service at Zion Lutheran Church.Pastor Ernie Sampson’s
sermon topic for the 6:30 p.m. Christmas Eve service at Zion United Methodist Church will be “The Great
Call.”NEW ROCHESTERThe 7:30 p.m. Christmas Eve service at St. Paul Lutheran Church will be thechildren’s
Christmas program, “Silent Mice.” There will be special musicbeginning at 7 p.m.NORTH BALTIMOREChurch of the
Good Shepherd United Methodist will celebrate ChristmasEve with two special worship services. A “casual
family-friendlyservice begins at 4 p.m. This service will include lessons and carols, The worship will
continue with the traditional cantata service at 7 p.m. The service features the choir’s presentation of
“Bethlehem’s Child” and a word of reflection.Both services will include the lighting of the Advent Wreath
and the “Silent Night” candlelight ending.The Christmas Eve service at Praise Chapel Pentecostal Church of
God will be held at 6 p.m.Pastor Ralph Mineo’s sermon topic for the Christmas Eve service at St.Luke’s
Evangelical Lutheran Church will be “Hush the Noise.” Thepre-service Christmas music will begin at 9 p.m.
with both the junior and senior choirs and soloists. The same vocalists will be featured during the
Candlelight Service at 9:30 p.m. The service includes the traditional table Holy Communion and “Silent
Night” will be sung during the candle lighting.PEMBERVILLEThe Christmas Eve services at Bethlehem
Evangelical Lutheran Church will includes a family service of lessons and carols at 6 p.m. The Candlelight
and Holy Communion service will be at 10 p.m. Pre-service music will begin one half hour prior to each
service. Christmas Day worship will be at 10 a.m.Rev. Kenneth Ladd will deliver the message at the 6:30 p.m.
Christmas Eve service at Pemberville United Methodist Church.SonFire by the River will hold its Candlelight
Christmas Eve service starting at 5 p.m.PERRYSBURGBlessed John XXIII Parish will hold its Christmas Eve
Masses at 4:30, 7:30 and 11 p.m. There will also be a Mass at 10 a.m. Christmas Day.CedarCreek Church will
hold its Christmas services at all its locations beginning Saturday at 5:15 and 7 p.m.; Sunday at 9 and
10:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. The Monday services are at 5:15 and 7 p.m. The Christmas Eve services will be held
at 1, 3, 5 and 7 p.m.Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church will hold Christmas Eve Readings and Carols
services at both 7 and 10:30 p.m.St. Rose Catholic Church will have two simultaneous Christmas Eve Masses at
4 p.m. One will be in the church, with the second in the gymnasium. There will also be a Mass at 6:30 p.m.
the midnight Mass will be preceded by music at 11:30 p.m. Christmas Day liturgies will be held at 9 and
10:30 a.m. and noon.The congregation of Stonebridge Evangelical Presbyterian Church willcelebrate Christmas
in the tradition of “The Festival of Nine Lessonsand Carols.” The service is based on the festival which was
begun in1918 in Cambridge, England. The church will hold its “Service ofLessons and Carols” at 7 p.m.
Christmas Eve in Graystone Hall, 29101 Hufford Road, Perrysburg. Thisyear, all carols will be sung by the
congregation itself and the servicewill conclude with the traditional singing of “Silent Night” by
candlelight.St. Timothy Episcopal Church will have a 5 p.m. Family Service; and a 10 p.m. Choir Recital,
followed by Holy Eucharist on Christmas Eve. There is also a Holy Eucharist service at 10 a.m. Christmas
Day.Zoar Lutheran Church will have family Christmas eve services with Holy Communion at 3:30 and 6 p.m.
Traditional services with Holy Communion will be held at 8:30 and 11 p.m. There will be 30 minutes of
Christmas music prior to each service.ROSSFORDAll Saints Catholic Church will hold Christmas Eve Masses at 4
and 7 p.m. and midnight. The Christmas Day Mass is at 10 a.m.RUDOLPHThe Christmas Eve Candlelight service at
Rudolph Christian Church will be held at 7 p.m.STONY RIDGESt. John Lutheran Church will hold two Christmas
Eve services. A “contemporary” service is planned for 7 p.m. with the “traditional” service at 10:30 p.m.
Both are candlelight services with special music provided 20 minutes before each service.The choir of Stony
Ridge United Methodist Church will perform a cantata titled, “Bethlehem Morning” for the 7 p.m. Christmas
Eve service. Pastor Robert E. May’s homily will be “Wrapping Up Christmas.SUGAR RIDGESugar Ridge Community
Church will hold its Christmas Eve Candle Light Service at 5 p.m. The congregation will welcome Christmas
and the birth of Jesus, “The light for a dark world.” A dinner will follow the service.TONTOGANYThe 7 p.m.
Christmas Eve service at Tontogany Presbyterian Church will takeattendees on the journey to Bethlehem
honoring the Christ child in song,prayer and story. Children are welcome to join the live nativity
scene.WATERVILLEFirst Presbyterian Church of Waterville will hold its Candlelight Communion service on
Christmas Eve at 7 p.m.WAYNESpecial music, Christmas thoughts and candlelight will be part of the 7 p.m.
Christmas Eve worship at Mt. Zion United Brethren Church.The “Celebration of the Nativity of Our Lord with
Communion and Candlelight service” will be at 7 p.m. Christmas Eve at Wayne United Methodist Church. Special
music starts at 6:30 p.m.WESTONPastor John Merseth’s theme for the 7 p.m. Christmas Eve worship at Grace
Evangelical Lutheran Church will be “OnEarth Peace.” The service will include many Christmas hymns,
readingsand children songs and parts. The 10 a.m. Christmas Day worship will use the theme, “Glory to God in
the Highest.”Rev. James Stewart’s sermon for the 7 p.m. Christmas Eve Candlelight service at Weston United
Methodist Church will be “Tending to the Light.”