As Christmas weekend gets under way, several local congregations have special services and observances planned. Among them:
Brunswick United Methodist Church
BRUNSWICK — The United Methodist Church will hold a pair of Christmas Eve services on Saturday.
The first, at 7 p.m., will be a family service with a special time for children. At 11 p.m., a service of candlelight and Holy Communion is planned.
On Sunday, Christmas day, there will be one service at 9:30 a.m., a birthday celebration for all ages. Individuals are encouraged to “come as you are — even in your PJs.”
On New Year’s day, Jan. 1, there will be only one service, at 9:30 a.m. This simple service of Lessons and Carols and a hymn sing will help celebrate 2012.
East Brunswick Baptist Church
BRUNSWICK — The East Brunswick Baptist Church will celebrate Christmas with an 11 a.m. worship service.
Guest speaker David Prout of Bowdoin will bring the morning message. He is a former adult Sunday school teacher and pastor of Bowdoin Center Baptist Church.
The 9:30 a.m. Bible study and evening service will be canceled for the day.
East Brunswick Baptist Church is located at 83 Farley Road, at Cook’s Corner. For more information, call 443- 9154.
First Baptist Church, Freeport
FREEPORT — A 6 p. m. Christmas Eve candlelight service will be held Saturday at First Baptist Church.
There will be Christmas songs and carols, scripture and a message in the fireside room. According to a news release from Pastor Sandy Williams, the service will serve to highlight “the good news of great joy … for all the people” (Luke 2:10 NIV).
For more information, call Williams at 865- 4404. The church is located at 185 Main St.
St. Philip’s Episcopal Church
WISCASSET — St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, 12 Hodge St., will hold a Christmas Eve Eucharist at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
There will also be a spoken service of Holy Eucharist (without music) at 9 a.m., on Sunday, Christmas morning.
The Rev. Heather J. Blais, assistant rector, will be officiating.
For more information, call 882- 7184 or visit www.thesaintphilips.org.
Dresden-Richmond United Methodist Church
RICHMOND — On Christmas Eve, Saturday, there will be a traditional candlelighting service at the church at 7 p.m. The community will celebrate the birth of the Christ child in song and scripture.
On Christmas, Sunday, the 10 a.m. worship service will be an opportunity to sing Christmas carols.
On Saturday, Dec. 31, there will be a Watch Night Service at 5 p. m. to renew the covenant as God’s people.
Corliss Street Baptist
BATH — On Saturday, Corliss Street Baptist Church will hold a special Christmas Eve service at 7 p.m.
The choir will be presenting “Silent, Holy Night,” a 20- minute mini-musical created by Sue C. Smith and Johnathan Crumpton. There will be congregational carol singing ending with a candlelight service.
According to a news release from Pastor Andrew Sullivan, special guest Donna Smith will again perform her “much-loved” rendition of “O Holy Night.”
The church is located at 396 Middle St.
Phippsburg Congregational Church
PHIPPSBURG — A family Christmas Eve service is planned at Phippsburg Congregational Church (UCC) on Saturday at 7 p.m. A communion service will be planned later that night, at 11 p.m.
Worship and carol singing is planned at 10 a. m. on Christmas Day, during the 10 a.m. service.
The church is located at 10 Church Lane.
For more information, visit www.phippsburgucc.org or call 389-1767.
Maine Street Baptist Church
BRUNSWICK — A special Christmas Eve service of music, readings, art and testimonies will be held on Saturday, at 6 p.m. at Maine Street Baptist Church. There will be only one service on Christmas Day, at 10:30 a.m.
Maine Street Baptist is located at 323 Upper Maine St., across from Parkview Adventist Medical Center. For more information, call 725- 7303.
South Freeport Church
FREEPORT — South Freeport Church has planned two Christmas Eve services on Saturday, at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Each service will include the singing of traditional hymns, special music, candle lighting, stories and scriptures that remind all of Jesus’ birth.
The 7 p.m. service will feature a children’s story and be more focused on the younger family. A collection will be taken during the 7 p. m. to benefit Oasis Health Network Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides the full spectrum of free, quality health care services with dignity, confidentiality, respect and equal access to people of limited means living in the Brunswick and Freeport areas.
The 10 p.m. service offering will be given to the Grace- Street Ministries, a street ministry in Portland that ministers to the homeless and the marginalized.
On Christmas morning, the South Freeport Church will hold a casual worship service at 9:30 a.m.
The church is located at 98 South Freeport Road. For more information, call 865- 4012 or visit www.southfreeportchurch.com.
Day’s Ferry Congregational Church
WOOLWICH — Day’s Ferry Congregational Church will hold its annual Christmas Eve Service of Lessons and Carols on Saturday at 7 p.m., led by the Rev. Alan Baughcum.
The service will feature soloist Lauren Haven and other special music performed by members of the congregation.
The church is located at 50 Old Stage Road. For more information, call 443-4401 or email daysferrycc@gmail.com.
Popham Chapel
PHIPPSBURG — “ Follow the stars down Route 209 to the coastal village of Popham Beach to celebrate Christmas Eve away from the hustle and bustle,” begins a news release from the chapel.
An old fashioned candlelighting service with carols, readings and the music of Richard Hankinson begins at 5 p.m., and will be officiated by Jan Murray and William Racine.
A reception will follow at the Chapel House next door with warm beverages and homemade goodies.
The Saturday chapel service is interdenominational. For more information, call 389-2303.
Caroling on the Mall
BRUNSWICK — A classic Christmas Carol Sing is planned on the Brunswick Mall at 7:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
Singing of traditional will last about 15 minutes. Lyrics will be provided, but singers should bring a flashlight. For every person who comes to sing carols, All Saints Parish will donate $1 to Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program.
For more information, call Sheila Murphy at 725-1488.
LifeChurch
BATH — The congregation will hold a Christmas Eve service at 45 Floral St.
A live Nativity will take place from 3:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. A candlelight service is scheduled to run from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, call 233-5520.
Mid-Coast Presbyterian Church
TOPSHAM — Mid- Coast Presbyterian Church has planned a Candlelight Christmas Eve Service of Lessons & Carols with bells on Saturday at 5 p.m.
There will be special music as well as choral music and plenty of singing with the congregation. A special story for children will be read by “Miss Shirley” with a coloring book at the end. All are encouraged to bring bells to ring as the congregation celebrates together.
A special Sunday service of worship is planned on Christmas Day at 11 a. m. to celebrate the birth of Jesus the Christ with a party.
Finally, there’ll be an Epiphany children’s pageant on Jan. 8, the Sunday following Epiphany. There’ll be an opportunity to meet the characters who went to the manger and hear their stories about how they got there. Worship begins at 10:10 a.m. and the pageant will be offered during that service.
The church is fully accessible.
For more information, email church@mcpcmaine.net or call 729-3193.
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