Celebrating Christmas at Brentwood

Schedules, updated safety guidelines, and more…

In order to provide more space for social distancing, we are now holding our Christmas Eve Worship Service at both 4:00 and 5:30 p.m. (it’s the same service just at different times). 

Christmas Eve is one of the most beautiful services of the year, as well as one of the fullest. Holding two services provides more opportunity for you to social distance in the sanctuary. As always, we encourage you to participate in the way that is best for you. (For those who prefer attending online, the 5:30 service will be live-streamed and recorded to view on our YouTube channel.)

This year’s service will be very similar to our services in the past, with slight modifications for safety purposes. Masks will be required throughout the duration of the service and must be worn while inside Brentwood at all times. 

We look forward to celebrating the beauty and warmth of the season together this Christmas Eve, whether in person or online. May the hope, peace, joy and love expressed in Advent and Christmas be with you now and always, in the spirit of Emmanuel, “God with us.”

Updated Safety Guidelines

Since returning to in-person worship, we have implemented several COVID-related health and safety protocols, including required masking, social distancing, and individual communion kits. On Christmas Eve and going forward, these protocols will remain in place. We’ve also added some updates to our original guidelines beginning on Christmas Eve. We remain committed to doing as much as possible to help you make the decision to participate at Brentwood in the way that is best for you.

If you plan to attend activities in person, please keep the following updates in mind. [Our full set of guidelines is available here.]

Better masks
While masking helps protect others, data shows it also offers a measure of protection for those wearing masks. In relation to the Omicron surge, early data suggests that KN95 and N95 masks offer significantly better protection than cloth masks and loose-fitting surgical masks. We highly recommend you use these masks whenever possible. Masks are required at all times while indoors at Brentwood.

Communion
In order to allow everyone to stay masked during the entire worship service, we are temporarily asking participants to take their communion packs with them in order to partake at home. During services, we will offer a communion blessing, but we will wait to share in communion until we are in our own spaces. Think of it as “communion to go.” Not ideal, of course, but one small thing to help us get through these times as safely as possible. 

Christmas Eve Candlelighting
Traditionally at Brentwood we’ve concluded each Christmas Eve service by lighting individual hand-held candles while singing Silent Night. While this is one of our most beloved traditions, it’s sadly untenable to consider doing during Omicron, particularly because it requires everyone to take off their masks at the same time to blow out their candles. As such, our candle lighting tradition will be modified this year. Thank you for understanding. 

Congregational Singing
We receive lots of questions about singing. For now, congregational singing is allowed, so long as you wear your mask and sing softer than you normally would.

Vaccination
If you’re eligible to get vaccinated, we highly encourage you to get vaccinated. If you’re vaccinated, we encourage you to get boosted. Unvaccinated individuals will bear the brunt of Omicron-driven infections, but initial study of Omicron suggests that breakthrough infections are more common for vaccinated individuals. However, fully vaccinated individuals who’ve received booster shots are most likely to avoid severe illness. A higher vaccination rate also reduces community spread and universal vaccination would help squelch the emergence of new variants—so please continue to encourage vaccination among your friends, family, and colleagues.

Standard Protocols
Standard protocols remain in place:

  • Please self-screen before attending. If you have any symptoms of illness (COVID related or not), please show love for your neighbor by staying home until you feel better. Consider taking advantage of at-home testing kits if they’re available to you. 
  • Maintain social distancing in the sanctuary. Only sit next to others in your household. Households should try to stay at least two arm lengths apart from others on the same row. Do your best to arrange seating so that you are not sitting directly in front or behind those sitting in the pews in front and behind you.
  • Please do not closely congregate outside the sanctuary, either before or after service. Outdoor social interaction is welcome.

Thank you for helping us love our neighbors during these hard times. It’s an awful thing for our world to be going through, and there’s never been a more important time to express love and care for one another.

Holiday Office Schedule

Please note that the church offices will be closed Dec. 27-Jan. 3. If you have a pastoral emergency during this time, please contact Rev. Snider directly (philiptsnider@gmail.com or 417-299-1676). 

The regular weekly E-pistle newsletter will return next week. It will include lots of exciting updates on what to expect in the early weeks of the new year, as our congregation partners with Trinity Presbyterian Church with important property updates that will enhance accessibility and aesthetics. Here’s a brief overview for those interested. 

Upcoming Conversational Sermons

December 26
Our first conversational sermon (facilitated by Rev. Emily) gives you the chance to get to know our Afghan family. It will be with participants from Brentwood who’ve had a chance to meet with the Afghan refugee family that our church is sponsoring. They will share stories and reflections about their interactions with our sponsored family, as well as ways we can continue extending hospitality in the spirit of love. 

January 2
Our second conversational sermon (facilitated by Rev. Phil) will include stories and reflections from Shirley Nelson about special symbols and moments that have been shared in our sanctuary over the years. It is part of a service of thanksgiving for all of the expressions of love that have been experienced through the Brentwood community, helping us recall the best moments of our past as we move forward together in the coming year.

Shirley Nelson (left) with her daughter, Christine, getting ready to distribute all the toys collected for this year’s Crosslines Toy Drive

End of Year Donations

Your donations make it possible for Brentwood to build community, justice and love in Springfield and beyond. Gifts by check may be mailed to the church or dropped off in the offering basket. If you’d like to give electronically, you may use any of the following options. Thanks so much for your generosity.

•  Give online

•  Give through PayPal

•  Give via Venmo

•  Give by text. Send a text to 417-283-8175. Enter the dollar amount (do not use the dollar sign) and hit send for donations to our general fund. If you want to give to a special fund, enter the dollar amount followed by the account you want to give to (put a space after the dollar amount, but do not put a space between Special and the number of the account). The special fund codes are as follows:

  • Benevolence: Special7
  • The Connecting Grounds: Special9
  • Afghan Refugee Resettlement: Special11


Give via mobile app (available through Apple and Google Play)

  • Once you’ve downloaded the app, find and join Brentwood Christian Church (our location is 1900 E Barataria), and then set up your Vanco profile. If you already have a Vanco account, use the same credentials to log in once you’ve joined the church on the app. Once you are set up in the app, click on the give button, then enter the dollar amount, which fund you would like to give to, indicated the frequency of the gift and then enter your payment method.

Christmas Concerts

Did you miss our Christmas concert? Would you like to watch again? Good news! They’re available on our YouTube channel! Here are links to both our 2020 and 2021 Christmas concerts.

May the hope, peace, joy and love of the season be with you and yours as we celebrate the birth of Christ child.

“The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”

Copyright © 2021 Brentwood Christian Church, All rights reserved.


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