Christmas Celebrations at Birchman

The Music & Worship Ministry presented the 11th Annual Christmas at Birchman Celebrate the Savior twice on December 11th and once on December 12th & 13th.  After the four performances there were just over 5400 people who attended and 34 people came to know Christ as their Savior.  (Check out pictures from Christmas at Birchman 2010.)  Unfortunately, we chose not to attend the last performance at the last minute due to a busy week.  A decision we now regret.

Sunday evening, December 18th, was Christmas family night at Birchman.  (The following was previously written about in the last post.)  Our pastor & his wife, Dr. Bob & Mrs. Deborah Pearle, and our Minister of Worship/Music & his wife, Phillip and Angela Griffin, hosted all the children in attendance up on the platform.  They sang Christmas carols; Deborah Pearle read We Believe in Christmas By Karen Kingsbury; and Dr. Pearle closed with having the children help him build the manger scene while telling them about Jesus' birth.

On Christmas Eve our family attended the Christmas Eve Candlelight Lord's Supper, which was a completely silent service.  (Yes, silent.)  Once you entered the sanctuary you were asked not to speak, enter with a bowed head and reverent heart, and begin worship the moment that you were seated.   Not a word was spoken during the service.  Only the organ played and the order of service and scripture verses were printed on a bulletin. 

On Christmas morning Dr. Bob Pearle read the Christmas story from the gospels and as he read the children reenacted the Christmas nativity.  It was beautiful.