Christmas Eve at the Center - A candlelight ceremony for the longest night
There is something about the longest night of the year that asks for our attention.
Without promising easy answers, it slows us down. The light fades early. The air grows quieter. And many of us arrive at Christmas Eve carrying more than we can easily name.
This year, our Christmas Eve gathering is designed to honor that reality.
Rather than rushing toward resolution, this service creates space. Space to reflect. Space to breathe. Space to stand together in candlelight and remember that no one carries the night alone.
What to expect
Our Christmas Eve Candle Lighting Ceremony is a contemplative, music-filled evening centered on shared humanity and quiet presence.
The service includes:
Reflective Christmas-themed music
A short message exploring hope as something we practice, not something we demand
A communal candle lighting ceremony, held in silence and song, as each person processes to the front of the auditorium to place their candle in the trays of salt.
Time to simply be, without applause, commentary, or explanation
As each candle is lit, the room gradually fills with light. Not all at once. Not from a single source. But through many flames, held together in one shared space.
An interfaith and inclusive gathering
Because this is Christmas Eve, the Christian story is honored, with reflections on Jesus's teachings and his call to love one another.
At the same time, this service is intentionally interfaith in tone.
Wisdom from multiple traditions is woven throughout the evening, alongside Science of Mind perspectives, creating a gathering that welcomes:
Practicing Christians
Spiritual seekers
People who hold multiple traditions
Those who simply long for a meaningful moment of connection
If you are seeking a traditional, exclusively Christian worship service, this may feel broader than what you expect. If you are open to a Christmas Eve experience rooted in compassion, shared values, and quiet reverence, you are warmly welcome.
The ceremony itself
The candle lighting ceremony is the heart of the evening.
There is no rush. Ushers gently guide each person forward. Music carries what words cannot. Silence is honored. Each flame is lit from another, reminding us that light travels best when it’s shared.
For those joining online, you are invited to light a candle at home at whatever moment feels right and be part of the ceremony in your own way.
Service times
Christmas Eve Candle Lighting Ceremony
6:00 pm and 8:00 pm
Live-streamed at 6:00 pm on our YouTube channel
Whether you arrive with joy, uncertainty, grief, gratitude, or all of it at once, this evening offers a place to pause and remember what endures.
Light still appears.
Not as conquest.
Not as erasure.
But as companionship, carried together through the dark.
We would love to hold this night with you.
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