Lansing churches plan holiday services in face of pandemic

Lansing religious congregations have adapted their services for the December holidays to meet their members’ spiritual needs while preserving their safety as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

All plans noted below are subject to change — please see church websites for the latest information.

Saint George Reformed Orthodox

“Faith communities recognize their duty and responsibility to keep their members safe and provide spiritual care through the ministry of the church,” said Father Matthew Binkewicz of Saint George Reformed Orthodox Christian Church on Myers Heights. “If we keep our hearts and minds focused on the birth of Christ — the day salvation entered the world — then we can celebrate the holy day no matter where we find ourselves this holiday season.”

Saint George will hold Christmas Day Divine Liturgy on Christmas Day at 9:30 a.m.

Vineyard Church

The Vineyard Church of Ithaca on Cinema Drive will hold no in-person meetings until at least Jan. 17, according to Assistant Minister Mike Heisler.

Vineyard will have an online Christmas Eve service “sometime around 6:30 p.m.,” he said.

“Celebrating and remembering ‘God with us’ in the community of others can be a blessing with safety in mind,” Heisler said. “We’ll curtail some common activities like caroling and large gatherings. We’ll need to be more intentional about some things like getting food and clothing out to help others. Hopefully, we can celebrate and glorify God in spite of, even in the face of, our current restrictions.”

All Saints

Father Daniel Ruiz of All Saints Roman Catholic Church said that “this year, more than ever, we are longing for the light of Christ and the joy of Christmas.”

“Let us all be very intentional in welcoming the joy of this season into our homes and our hearts,” he said. “We can do this by our Christmas decorations and lights, by engaging our relationships through Christmas calls, notes, cards and letters, by Christmas baking, by dedicating some time each day to prayer and pondering the love of God who is with us always.”

Christmas Mass will be online and in person at 15% capacity on Christmas Eve at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Live attendees should sign up beforehand online at the parish website.

Lansing United Methodist

“Due to COVID-19, the Lansing United Methodist Church building is closed,” said Reverend Alison Schmied, pastor of the church on Brickyard Road. “But the church is not a building. While this tool is unavailable to us, we are learning to use other tools to nurture and grow Christian faith and community.”

Schmied cited classes, choirs and groups meetings, rehearsing and worshipping online. A children’s picture book is read on the church’s Facebook page each night this month.

Inspired by the impossibility of a 2020 Christmas Pageant, a drive-thru Live Nativity is planned for Dec. 20, from 4 to 6 p.m.

“A large Christmas tree is lighted as a sign of hope and joy and to bear witness to the light that shines in the darkness,” Schmied said.
The church will hold a “Longest Night Observance” online at 6 p.m. Dec. 21 and a Christmas Eve Celebration online at 5 p.m. Dec. 24. See the church website for more details and to sign up.

Christ Chapel

Steve Felker, senior pastor of Christ Chapel, encourages people to “remember what the traditions were in your local church that you really treasure — it could be the Advent wreath or a particular piece of music — and pull those traditions into your own house.”

“Keep doing whatever you can do to nurture and engage the faith community in your church to keep people from starving in their souls,” he said.

Christ Chapel has streamed services on YouTube, on Zoom and even via a short-range FM radio transmitter.

“We are planning something special for Christmas Eve, a Christmas card for the church that will be posted by 7 p.m.,” Felker said.
In the meantime, he said, “be smart and be safe — there are a whole host of ways that one can be faithful.”

East Shore Christian Fellowship

The East Shore Christian Fellowship has been both in-person and online worship, asking people to wear masks and observe the New York state social distancing guidelines, according to Pastor Glenn Hulburt.

“In an effort to facilitate this, we have cordoned off some of our seating,” he said.

The church will have a Christmas Day service at 10 a.m. and a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service that will be both in person and online.

“Christmas means a lot of different things to a lot of different people, but we must never separate it from its original message: that God in selfless humility took on human nature and would give His own life in order to rescue us,” Hulburt said.

Holy Apostles Orthodox Church

Holy Apostles Orthodox Church is planning a 6:30 p.m. vigil on Christmas Eve and a 9 a.m. Nativity of the Lord service on Christmas Day, according to its website.

Services are open to the public but are currently restricted to 25% of the building’s capacity. The worship space has been rearranged to facilitate social distancing.

Asbury Church

Asbury Church in Lansing is planning Christmas Eve services at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., according to the church’s website.