FAITH — During the month of December, Faith Works, the contemporary service at Faith Lutheran Church, has focused on the Christmas season. A Christmas drama, “The Master’s Toys,” will be presented on Sunday and Holy Communion will be distributed.

Light refreshments will be served after the presentation.

Tonya Brinegar will be the worship leader. Faith Works is held every Sunday from 9 until 9:45 a.m. in the Family Life Center.

The traditional service will begin at 11 a.m. on Christmas Eve, the fourth Sunday of Advent. The Advent Candle lighting and readings will be presented by the Bost family. The Chancel Choir and Handbell choir will provide special music for the day.

The Christmas Eve candlelight worship service will begin at 10:30 p.m. This service will be a traditional Lutheran Vigil Service with Holy Communion.

The Rev. Loyd Ginn, pastor, will give the message. The Chancel Choir will sing, “On Christmas Night” and “Amen.” The churches Handbell choir will also offer selections for the Christmas season.

The service will culminate with the traditional candle lighting service and conclude with the singing of “Joy to the World.”

Traditionally, the church bell is rung during the recessional to remind those in the church as well as the community that the Savior is born.

Faith Lutheran Church is located at 205 S. Main St.

Bethel Methodist

On Christmas Eve, Bethel United Methodist Church will follow its regular Sunday morning worship schedule of Sunday school at 9:45 a.m. followed by worship at 11.

There will be a candlelight service with communion at 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve.

Bethel is located at 2380 Long Ferry Road. For more information, call 704-639-1084.

Sacred Heart

Sacred Heart Catholic Church Masses on the fourth Sunday of Advent, Dec. 24, will include the regular Sunday schedule.

Christmas Eve Masses start at 5 p.m., with the Children’s Mass; 7, Youth Mass; 9, Mass in Spanish. Special music by the Sacred Heart music ministry begins at 11:15 p.m., followed by Midnight Mass.

Masses during Christmas Day will be at 9 and 10:30 a.m.

Dec. 30 and 31 will also have regularly scheduled Masses.

Celebration of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God on Jan. 1 will be at 9 a.m.

Celebrants will be the Rev. John Putnam, pastor, and the Rev. Alex Ayala, parochial vicar, with deacon the Rev. Dr. James Mazur.

Matthew Weaver is music director.

Unity Methodist

KANNAPOLIS — Unity United Methodist Church, 8505 Unity Church Road, will have its annual Christmas Eve service at 7 p.m. Sunday.

The service will include the singing of carols, reading of scripture, children’s time and a Christmas message.

Worship will conclude with the lighting of candles and ringing of Christmas bells. Worshippers are asked to bring a small bell to ring for the closing carol.

Bethel Lutheran

Bethel Lutheran Church will have a candlelight worship service, “How Silently The Gift Is Given,” on Christmas Eve at 10:30 p.m.

The Rev. Carroll L. Robinson is the interim pastor of Bethel.

The church is located at 355 E. Ridge Road.

Union Lutheran

Union Lutheran Church will have a service of Lessons and Carols at 10:30 a.m. Sunday.

Sharon Miller and Matt Miller will sing “The Annunciation,” and the choirs will sing “The Magnificat” from Holden Evening Prayer.

A candlelight service with Holy Communion will be held on Christmas Eve. Prelude music begins at 8:30 p.m.

Union Lutheran Church is located at 4770 Bringle Ferry Road, Salisbury. The Rev. C.P. Fisher is interim pastor.

Concordia Lutheran

CHINA GROVE — Concordia Lutheran Church will have a service of lessons and carols at 11 a.m. Sunday. The Rev. Kenneth Reed, pastor, will speak on “Luke I.”

There will be a special service at 7 p.m. in celebration of Christmas Eve.

The service will include the presentation of the annual Christmas pageant followed by a candlelight service with Holy Communion. The drama, “The Path to Bethlehem,” will be presented, directed by Jenny Hancock.

Frankie Freeze is the organist; Sarah Brandt is the pianist.

On Dec. 31, Reed’s message for the morning worship will be on Luke II. Worship will include a festival of hymns.

From 8 p.m. until midnight, the church will have a New Year’s Eve party and kick off its 125th anniversary year.

Grace Lower Stone

Grace Lower Stone Church will conduct its annual candlelight and communion service on Sunday, Dec 24, at 7 p.m.

This year will include a live nativity.

After the service, attendees will visit the fellowship hall for a visit with Santa and to receive a treat bag.

Christmas Day service

Services will be conducted on Christmas Day at Trinity Oaks Lutheran Home Chapel, located at 820 Klumac Road.

The Rev. Darrell Norris, chaplain, will bring the message, “The Word Became Flesh,” at the 10:45 a.m. worship.

Worship will include the singing of carols.

First Reformed

First Reformed Church of Landis will hold a Christmas Eve Service, featuring special music, the Christmas story with carols, message and candlelight service, at 9 p.m. Sunday.

The Rev. David P. Franks, pastor, will bring the message, “The Practical Dreamer.”

Dress is casual.

Shiloh Reformed

FAITH — Shiloh Reformed Church of Faith will have special services in celebration of Christmas.

Sunday school will be conducted from 9:45-10:20 a.m. on Dec. 24. A “Christmas Eve Meditation,” will be held at the 10:30 a.m. worship. The Hand Bell Choir will present “Christmas Joy” and “Christmas Reflections.” The Contemporary Choir will sing “Hallelujah, Love Has Come” and the Chancel Choir will present a mini musical, “A Special Gift.”

There will be a candlelight communion service at 7 p.m. The message will be “An Intimate Moment.” Worship will include the singing of “Jesus Has Come For All.”

The Hand Chimes will present a concert in the lobby prior to the evening service. The pastor’s message will be “An Intimate Moment.”

The message for the 11 a.m. morning worship on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, will be, “Taking Inventory for the New Year.” The Chancel Choir anthem will be “Unto Us a Child is Born.”

First Methodist

CHINA GROVE — The annual Christmas Eve candlelight communion services at First United Methodist Church will be conducted at 5 and 11 p.m. Sunday.

Services will include traditional carols, special music, scripture and a Christmas message. Worship will conclude with a candlelight carol. There will be 15 minutes of prelude music before the services.

Haven Lutheran

Haven Lutheran Church, 207 W. Harrison St., will have a family Christmas Eve worship at 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

Worship will begin with 30 minutes of prelude music featuring Haven’s Handbell and Chancel choirs. Handbell pieces will include ” ‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime” and “Good King Wenceslaus.”

A candlelit service, with the sacrament of Holy Communion, will follow at 10 p.m. Anthems during the worship will include “On the Eve of Christmas Day” and “At This Joyous Christmas Time.”

The church will have a worship gathering at its regular time of 10:30 a.m. on Christmas Eve. The format for the morning worship on Dec. 31 will be “The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.”

The service is a format of Christian worship celebrating the birth of Jesus, traditionally followed at Christmas. The story of the fall of humanity, the promise of the Messiah, and the birth of Jesus is told in nine short Bible readings, interspersed with the singing of Christmas carols and hymns.

The Chancel Choir anthem will be “Gentle Mary Laid her Child.”

Church of God

CHINA GROVE — A special School of Prayer will be led by Vanessa Sterling at 10 a.m. Sunday at South China Grove Church of God, 163 Third Ave. Special Christmas music will be a part of the program for the 11 a.m. service.

There will be a candlelight communion observed during the 6:30 p.m. service on Christmas Eve.

On Sunday, Dec. 31, Charles Moore will be the featured speaker at the 10 a.m. School of Prayer. Worship starts at 11 a.m.

A New Year’s Eve Watch Night Service and will begin at 6:30 p.m. and continue until after midnight. The program will include a message from the pastor, the Rev. Joyce Miles. There will also be puppet presentations from Mustard Seed Moving Company special speakers, original poetry, recitations, testimonies and gospel music.

The service will begin with fellowship and finger foods. A soup break will be held later in the evening, and a country breakfast will be served after midnight.

For more information, call 704-467-4555.

First Presbyterian

On Dec. 24, First Presbyterian Church of Salisbury will conduct several services on Christmas Eve.

There will be an Advent Gathering in the fellowship hall at 10:45 a.m. The 11 a.m. service will include the Sacrament of Holy Communion and a message by the Rev. Dr. Randy Kirby.

A family service will be conducted in Lewis Hall in the new Family Life Center at 4 p.m. An Appalachian service will begin at 7 p.m. in the sanctuary. The Rev. Whitney Salter will bring the message.

The Service of A Thousand Lights will be at 9 p.m. in the sanctuary. The Rev. Dr. Jim C. Dunkin will preach.

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace Baptist Church, 188 Rogers Road, Lexington, will have a special singing service for Christmas Eve at the 11 a.m worship on Sunday. There will be another service at 3 p.m. in place of the regular evening worship.

Transportation is available. For bus pickup or more information, call the church at 336-357-5844.

Resurrection Life

Resurrection Life Church, 216 S. Main St., will host a Christmas Eve candlelight communion and healing service at 9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 24.

The service will minister to those who are grieving the loss of a loved one and will include scripture, reading and meditation.

The Rev. Jerry L. Snipes is the pastor. For more information, call 704-638-0002 or 704-721-4004.

Messiah Lutheran

Messiah Lutheran Church will observe a Christmas Eve service at the 11 a.m. worship.

The prelude will include a piano medley of Christmas hymns by Molly Brown. The choir will sing the anthem “Bethlehemtown” and “Christmas Communion Song.” Communion will be celebrated.

The angel candle, the fourth Advent candle, will be lit during the singing of “Angels, from the Realms of Glory.” The Christ candle will be lit during the reading of the gospel of Luke by the Rev. Don Safrit.

Congregational Christmas hymns will be sung at intervals throughout the service and Safrit will bring the message, “God’s Miracle for Ordinary Folks.”

Trinity Baptist

The Rev. Dr. Paul Hawkins of Reidsville will preach at Trinity Baptist Church at 11 a.m. Sunday. His topic will be “Three Wise Women.”

A graduate of Bob Jones University, Greenville, S.C., Hawkins serves on the university’s board of trustees. He received the doctor of divinity degree from the Fundamental Bible College in the Philippines.

Hawkins served in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict and received the Purple Heart for being wounded in action. He is national representative of the Armed Forces Baptist Mission, a mission to military personnel around the world.

For 27 years, he was the pastor of Tidewater Baptist Temple, Chesapeake, Va.

Trinity Baptist Church is located at 735 Klumac Road. The Rev. Dr. Walter Kirk is the pastor.

St. John’s Lutheran

On Sunday, St. John’s Lutheran Church will have its Center Celebration service at 9 a.m. Jennifer Ginn, pastor, will bring the message, “A Christmas Story.”

The traditional Family Christmas Eve service of Holy Communion will be held at 10:45 a.m. in the sanctuary. The Carol, Crusader, Middle School and Senior High choirs, and youth instrumentalists will present the anthems “One Small Child” and “Christmas Bells Are Gladly Ringing.” Carl R. Sachtleben, pastor, will speak on, “Emmanuel.”

No 8:30 a.m. chapel service will be held, but a social gathering will be held in the fellowship hall between the Center Celebration and sanctuary services from 9-10:30 a.m.

At 10 p.m. the Chancel Choir, Catawba Brass, Adult Hand Bells and other instrumentalists will lead the traditional Christmas Eve candlelight service of Holy Communion in the sanctuary. Anthems include “Sweet Was the Song the Virgin Sang” and “Christmas Lullaby.”

Ginn will speak on “A Christmas Challenge.”

St. John’s is at 200 W. Innes St. The church is handicap accessible.

First Baptist

A Christmas Eve candlelight service will be held at 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the main sanctuary of First Baptist Church.

Worship will be a service of lessons and carols.

First Baptist is located at 223 N. Fulton St.

First Presbyterian

KANNAPOLIS — First Presbyterian Church, 201 Vance St., will conduct a Christmas Eve service in the sanctuary at 5 p.m. Sunday.

Worship will be a candlelight service of carols and memories of the Christmas story designed for all ages. To give participants an opportunity to unwind from the hectic day, an extended musical prelude will begin at 4:40 p.m.

The service will consist of singing familiar Christmas carols, special music by the Chancel Choir and Praise Ringers handbell choir, the telling of the Christmas story with scripture and a candle lighting ceremony. The tone of the service will be one of joy and celebration.

For more information, call 704-938-4623.

St. Mark’s Lutheran

CHINA GROVE — St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 326 N. Main St., will have its annual Christmas Eve candlelight communion service on Sunday.

The prelude will begin at 9:30 p.m. and the service begins at 10. The Rev. Greg Yeager will bring the message, “Out of the Box.” Worship will include the singing of the anthem “Gentle Mary.”

Christiana Lutheran

Christiana Evangelical Lutheran Church will have its Christmas play, “God Made a Way in a Manger,” on Christmas Eve. The musical will be presented at the 10:30 a.m. Sunday worship.

A Christmas Eve candlelight service will begin at 8 p.m. Worship will include the sacrament of Holy Communion and the Chancel Choir cantata, “Ceremony of Candles,” written by Joseph M. Martin. Becky Morris is the director.

Carl M. Haynes is the pastor. The church is located at 6190 U.S. 52.

Grace Lutheran

The children of Grace Lutheran Church will present their Christmas program, “Joy to the World,” at the 10:30 a.m. Sunday worship. Patty Reynolds is accompanist.

A candlelight service will be held at 10 p.m. The Rev. Woodrow Frick, pastor, will bring the message, “A Come as You Are Party.” Shannon Moore will have the children’s sermon. The prelude, “Pastoral Christmas,” will be presented by the Chancel Choir. Worship will include the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.

Teresa Yost is organist.

Community Baptist

The 10:30 a.m. Sunday worship at Community Baptist Church will include a brief musical by the children’s musical group, followed by the presentation of “Mary Did You Know,” by Hunter Fuller.

A candlelight service will be conducted at 5 p.m. “Christmas Shoes” will be presented by Mark Tackett and Shanna Sessoms.

The Rev. Christopher O’Guin is the pastor of Community Baptist. The church is located off Klumac Road on Carolina Street. For more information, call 704-636-0984.

Soldier’s Memorial

Soldier’s Memorial AME Zion Church will host a family and community breakfast on Sunday. Breakfast will begin at 8 a.m. The cost is $5. Children age 6 and under eat for free.

Christmas recitations will be presented by the children at 9:30 a.m. The 10:30 a.m. worship will be a service of lessons and carols. The Rev. Dr. Grant Harrison Jr., pastor, will bring the message, “Considering the Twelve Days of Christmas.”

Smith Chapel

CLEVELAND — Smith Chapel Apostolic Holiness Church, 1735 Mount Tabor Church Road, will conduct special services on Christmas Eve.

Worship will begin with Sunday school at 9:30 a.m. The message for the 11 a.m. worship will be “The Gift That Keeps on Giving.”

The Christmas play will be presented after the service. The play is sponsored by the Youth Department.

Bishop A.W. Brown is the pastor. For more information, call 704-278-0387.

Organ Lutheran

Candlelight services will be held at Organ Lutheran Church, 1515 Organ Church Road, on Christmas Eve at 7:30 p.m.

Music for the service will be presented by the Chancel, Children’s, Instrumental and Handbell choirs.

The Rev. Terrell Long is the pastor.

First Methodist

CHINA GROVE — First United Methodist Church, 110 W. Church St., will have its annual Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion services at 5 and 11 p.m. Sunday.

Services will include traditional carols, special music, scripture and a Christmas message. Worship will conclude with a candlelight carol.

Special handbell Christmas selections will begin 15 minutes prior to the evening services.

Vance Lowe is the pastor.