The Midnight Church Service is a non-denominational spiritual event held every Saturday at midnight. The service lasts for one hour and features a sermon by Pastor James, who is also the founder of the Midnight Church Service. The service takes place in the church’s main auditorium, which seats 1,000 people.
Pastor James founded the Midnight Church Service to help people find God in their lives, but also to give them a space where they can come together as a community to worship Him and each other. He believes that God created us all equal and that we should use our gifts and talents to help others find God too. This service is open to anyone who wants to attend and no registration is required.
The Midnight Church Service welcomes everyone—from the homeless person who doesn’t have anywhere else to go, to the wealthy business owner looking for some spiritual guidance—and it doesn’t matter what time zone you’re in! People from all over the world are welcome at this event; however, if you’re not able to attend due to time constraints or distance from where we hold our services (we are located in New York), then please feel free to watch on YouTube or Instagram Live!
Midnight Church Service Near Me
In many Western Christian traditions Midnight Mass is the first liturgy of Christmastide that is celebrated on the night of Christmas Eve, traditionally beginning at midnight when Christmas Eve gives way to Christmas Day. This popular Christmas custom is a jubilant celebration of the Mass or Service of Worship in honour of the Nativity of Jesus; even many of those Christian denominations that do not regularly employ the word “Mass” uniquely use the term “Midnight Mass” for their Christmas Eve liturgy as it includes the celebration of Holy Communion.
History
The tradition of a midnight Vigil on the eve of Christmas began in the East, and was observed in the late fourth century in Jerusalem by a Christian woman named Egeria on the night of January 5. The tradition reached the Western world in the year 430 under Pope Sixtus III in the Basilica of St Mary Major.[1]
By the twelfth century, the practice of midnight Mass had become more widespread as all priests had been granted the faculty of celebrating three Masses on Christmas Day (previously reserved to the Pope), provided the three different propers were celebrated at their appropriate times of midnight, dawn and day.[1]
Traditions
On Christmas Eve, the Advent Wreath is traditionally completed with the lighting of the Christ Candle in many church services.
Roman Catholicism
The practice of celebrating Midnight Mass is traditional in the Roman Catholic Church, although many churches now hold their “midnight” Mass at an earlier hour. Since 2009, the Pope has celebrated this Mass at 10:00 pm,[2] and as a result the official liturgical designation of these texts has been Mass during the Night since 2009. However, when the Mass does occur at midnight, it is still commonly called “Midnight Mass”.
In Splendoribus Sanctorum is used for the Communion chant during traditional Catholic midnight mass.
Lutheranism
Lutheran traditions often observe midnight Mass as a part of a wider Christmas Eve Vigil.
Anglicanism
Churches of the Anglican Communion also traditionally celebrate Midnight Communion for Christmas at 11 or 11:30 pm.
Methodism
Methodist observations vary as many hold services at 11 p.m. which involve the ringing of church bells when the stroke of midnight is reached.
Presbyterianism
The Church of Scotland observes a service just before midnight which involves the singing of carols, although it does not include Mass and is called a Watchnight service (held elsewhere on New Year’s Eve).
Eastern Christian traditions
While Midnight Mass is not observed in Eastern traditions, All-Night Vigil is common on Christmas Eve and involves the celebration of Matins, the hour which is traditionally observed at midnight.
Services which are great for children
Christingle
Christingle services use a special symbol, a decorated orange, (pictured), to explore the story of God’s love for the world at Christmas.
- The orange represents the world
- The fruits or sweets represent God’s creation and the blessings of the seasons
- The candle represents Jesus, the light of the world bringing hope to those in darkness.
- The red ribbon round the orange represents the love of God and the blood of Jesus.
- There is often a collection in aid of the Children’s Society – you can read more about the work of the Children’s Society and the meaning of the Christingle.
Crib service
Many churches also do a service for children and families based on the Christmas story. In some churches this is done using puppets or by gradually bringing the nativity set figures to the crib and arranging them around the manger.
In other churches everyone is invited to dress up and act it out, singing favourite carols to help tell the story. There may be a traditional nativity play that you can go to or ask to take part in, or you may be invited simply to turn up in costume and join in, and it doesn’t matter if there ten people all dressed as Mary!
Carol services
We hear Carols so often in the shops and on the radio that they’re like a soundtrack for December. It’s really special to hear them in church as part of the telling of the Christmas story. Sometimes the words are prayers for ourselves or for the world we live in, like these from ‘Away in a manger’:
“Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay
close by me for ever, and love me, I pray.”
Services and events for everyone
- ‘Nine Lessons and Carols’ – this is like the one that’s broadcast each year from King’s College, Cambridge on Christmas eve.
- Midnight mass – this late-night service starts on Christmas eve and ends just after midnight, so you’re among the first to celebrate Christmas! ‘Mass’ is simply another name of ‘Holy Communion’ or ‘Eucharist’ or ‘Lord’s Supper’ and it is when the congregation shares bread and ‘wine’.
- Christmas day – Your local church may hold its crib service on Christmas day, or Christmas morning may be much more low-key (if most people have been to midnight mass), or it may be a big service with lots of music.
Other services and events
- Space for rest and remembering – Some churches provide space to come just being quiet, or remember people who have died. The joy of Christmas can seem very far away if it’s your first Christmas without that person.
- Christmas fetes and events – Many churches hold extra social or fundraising events in the run-up to Christmas, which can be a great place to meet other people from your neighbourhood, and pick up some last-minute hand-made gifts and produce or even be a chance for your children to meet Santa. You could also read the story of St Nicholas, the saint behind the Father Christmas legend to your children. Some churches also hold special activities for children, with crafts and singing. Your church’s website will tell you what’s on offer where you are.
- Festivals – Many churches have a themed festival in the lead up to Christmas – this might be a ‘Christmas tree festival’ or a ‘Nativity set festival’ – usually this is an exhibition that gives local community groups the chance to get involved in decorating the church, and for everyone to come and enjoy seeing the church ‘decked out’ ready for Christmas.
- There may also be concerts and other events – check your local church’s website to see what’s happening.
- A Crib Scene (Nativity Set) – Most churches will have a crib scene – somewhere where the figures of the nativity story have been arranged around the manger. This is a great opportunity to share the Christmas story with your child.
If you ask around locally, check the church’s website, or pop into church for a service during December and ask, you’ll get a sense of which services feel like the right ones for you to go to. The timing of the service and the type of service can make a real difference to how easy it feels to bring small children to church, and many Christmas services are particularly family-friendly. Christmas is a great time to get involved.