Faith community finds new ways to recognize season

Several areas churches still will have special Christmas services and programs this year, albeit in what one pastor describes as “creative ways.”

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has forced many churches, including Poplar Bluff’s First Baptist Church, from holding any Christmas services this year. Other churches have opted to cancel their annual cantatas and plays.

First United Methodist Church

500 N. Main St.

First Methodist Church is offering two or three different options for its upcoming Christmas services — attending the limited-seating services (based on CDC guidelines) in the sanctuary or viewing the services on Facebook Live, said Pastor David Stewart.

The church took reservations for the limited seating at its 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sunday services, which will feature a special Christmas musical program, Stewart said.

“Normally, we would do a Sunday evening thing and invite the public,” but not this year, Stewart said.

For those unable to attend the Sunday services, Stewart said, the 9 a.m. service may be viewed on its Journey Facebook page, while the later service will be available on its regular Facebook page.

“On Christmas Eve, we are doing three sets of Christmas Eve services,” Stewart explained. “It’s our normal candlelight, communion service.”

The services will be at 3 p.m., 7 p.m. and 11 p.m., and reservations will be required.

Stewart said the 7 p.m. service is the one “everyone is used to,” and this year’s service already is full, Stewart said.

Seating still is available for the remaining two services, and reservations may be made by calling 573-785-1439 on Monday or Tuesday.

The 11 p.m. service, “seems to be popular this year because it is a small, intimate” service, Stewart said.

For those unable to attend in person, Stewart said, the 3 p.m. service will be available on the church’s Journey Facebook page, while the 7 p.m. service may be viewed on its regular Facebook page.

Anyone who wants to may still “tune in and participate,” Stewart said. “We’ve got a lot of our folks opting to do it that way. We’re actually dropping candles and communion supplies to those who can’t be here in person.”

Stewart said the “weirdest thing” is “we may have to turn someone away from our Christmas Eve service” this year.

That, he said, is “hard to wrestle with as a pastor. We’re having to come up with creative ways to do all this.”

For Christmas 2020, Stewart said, the church has added “more instead of doing less. The more we spread folks out, the better.

“This year, a small service is better than a large service.”

Fellowship General Baptist Church

3581 N. Westwood Blvd.

The congregation at Fellowship General Baptist Church will once again hold a Christmas Eve service, but “this year, we are going to also offer it on Facebook Live,” said the Rev. Byron Beck, the church’s senior pastor. “This will enable people to participate who don’t feel free coming out.”

Beck said the church always has had “pretty good crowds” at its Christmas Eve services in the past, but “we know it won’t be the same this year in person.”

Fellowship’s Christmas Eve service will be at 6 p.m.

First Church of God

2482 S. Westwood Blvd.

At 6:30 p.m., Dec. 23, the First Church of God will host its annual “candles and carols” service.

Candles will be handed out to those in attendance and later lit during the worship/singing portion of the service.

Westwood Baptist Church

419 County Road 5231

At 10:15 a.m. Sunday, the Westwood Baptist Church choir will be in concert and the Christmas story will be told through what church secretary, Nancy Proctor, described as a professional video.

“We normally do a cantata and a play every year,” Proctor said. “This year, the choir is just providing music.

“It will be like two songs, then part of the video. There are three sections of video.”

The service, Proctor said, also can be viewed on the church’s Facebook page.

Little Brushy Missionary Baptist Church

Highway T, Wappapello

A candlelight service at 6 p.m. Sunday will be held in place of Little Brushy’s regular Sunday morning service this year, said its pastor, Tim Schultz.

Schultz described the service as “like a Christmas Eve service.”

During the service, Schultz said, everyone will light a candle off the “Christ candle in the Advent wreath,” which will be passed around.

“We’ll turn off the lights and sing ‘Silent Night.’”

Titled “Lessons and Carols,” the night will include a “little preaching,” along with the singing, Schultz said.

“People look forward to the candlelight” service, he said. “The children are going to sing.

“We’ve done big programs in the past, big cantatas; this is not the year for that.”

Schultz promises there “is a lot to this service. I think people will get a lot out of it.”

After Sunday’s service, Schultz said, the congregation will not hold in-person services on Dec. 27 or Jan. 3 due to the ongoing pandemic. Whether services resume after that, he said, will depend on what the Butler County Health Department says.

“We felt it was most prudent to give it a break for a couple of weeks,” Schultz said. “ ... We want to act on the side of caution. We don’t want to (cancel), but feel it’s the wisest thing to do at this point.”

The church, he said, may look at online options in the interim.

Westside Church of God

2807 Channon Drive

The children of Westside Church of God will perform songs and have “speaking parts” during the 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. services Sunday, said Frankie Moe, the church’s secretary.

As it is every week, Moe said, the 11 a.m. service will be live streamed for those who are unable to attend in person.

At 5:30 p.m. Christmas Eve, Moe said, the church will hold a candlelight service.

“We’ve had that for several years now,” she said. “We’ve planned it and are keeping our fingers crossed that everything holds out,” and it can be held this year.