Pastor Val Colenso usually has the best seat in the house on Christmas Eve.
From her perch at the front of the sanctuary, the Boulder and Clancy United Methodist Church pastor gets to see the faces of her congregations lit by candlelight as they sing “Silent Night’ at the end of the Christmas Eve service.
But that’s during what is now called a “normal year.” COVID-19 has changed all that.
The Mountain Sky Conference has asked its United Methodist churches to suspend in-person services until at least the end of January, and Colenso has complied.
That means no in-person services for Christmas — a time of year considered one of the more significant in the church.
Instead, the Christmas Eve service will be live streamed on the church’s Facebook page and Colenso won’t see the candlelit faces this year. It begins at 5 p.m. on Dec. 24.
“Thinking about that now and that we won’t have that brings me to tears. We will miss that. And yet, Christmas will come. We must remember that,” she said.
Other area churches are also making adjustments to deal with COVID-19, although many are having some form of in-person services on Christmas Eve.
Grace Community Fellowship Pastor Matthew Wilson said that, in a normal year, his congregation actively invites friends, neighbors and the community at large to the Christmas Eve service.
Not this year.
Wilson said the service is limited to its current congregation due to COVID-19, but it will be live streamed on the church’s Facebook page for those who want to attend that way, beginning at 7 p.m. During the service, the candle lighting ceremony has been changed to allow for social distancing and
the church won’t be having its customary fellowship dinner afterwards.
Wilson said his congregation has been respectful of the restrictions imposed by the virus, and in some ways, has given him a positive outlook.
“I’m hoping it will make us more grateful,” he said, adding that there are some advantages to being at a small church in a rural community.
“Around New Years, you take stock of your life, and now we’re evaluating what’s important, and grateful for what we have. I see more positives than negatives,” said Wilson.
Pastor Duane Weinmeister at Boulder’s Life Church is also hosting an in-person Christmas Eve service, as well as streaming it on Facebook Live. It begins at 6:30 p.m.
Typically, the church hosts more Christmas productions leading up to the big day, but those have been scaled back this year and include video, he said.
Those participating in the Christmas productions will all wear masks with their costumes, said Weinmeister.
The Christmas Eve service will last about a half hour, with some singing and the lighting of the final candle on the Advent candelabra, said Weinmeister.
Weinmeister said the church can usually hold up to 100 people, but with social distancing, that has been reduced to about 35 people.
This year feels more restrictive, less festive and with fewer people attending, he said, adding that the numbers are starting to inch back up, but the pandemic has had its impact.
The Basin Community Church is having its Christmas service a bit early, but in person, on Dec. 20 at 11 a.m. and an evening service at 6 p.m. Pastor Floyd Oliver said they are small enough to social distance and masks will be available.
For Colenso, switching to online services hasn’t been all negative. The “silver lining” from COVID-19 has been that the church has been able to reach more people by being online, she said.
People enjoy going to church in their pajamas with their coffee, she said.
“We’re reaching so many more people than ever walked through our doors,” she said, adding that around 350 people have connected to the online services and that includes local folks, as well as those out of state and the country
“There are hidden blessings in this,” said Colenso, adding that she is especially grateful to church member Rick Wine for doing all the research and legwork necessary to make the online services viewable and available to those who want to watch.
While Wilson reminds his congregation that simply turning the calendar page to 2021 won’t make the pandemic go away, it does give everyone the opportunity to look at what’s important — especially since people have been urged not to travel to see family during the holidays.
“It reminds us of what to give thanks for,” he said.
