Christmas 2011
Last Updated on Sunday, 12 February 2012 12:38
Churches around the country have told stories of increased attendances at Christmas services this year and the stories we’ve heard from within Sheffield Diocese seems to confirm that trend here.
Around 30 churches have shared their stories with Mark Wigglesworth and around 75% of these record increases in attendance, not only from last year (which was low due to snow), but many also compared to figures for the last 3 or 4 years.
St. Mary’s Handsworth saw their annual Christmas Eve crib service double from last year’s attendance up to 139 people. Church Warden, Anne Palmer, puts this increase down to new people coming through their fresh expression children’s groups, Messy Church and baptismal families.
Christchurch Hillsborough and Wadsley Bridge have seen steady growth at their Carols by Candlelight service over the past 5 years. This year the attendance peaked at 182 compared to 56 in 2007, and they have continued to see increased attendance in January.
St. Mary’s Tickhill decided to move their Carol Service into the week before Christmas and saw the attendance quadruple – despite being in an interregnum!
Holy Trinity and St. Oswald’s in Finningley started a Christmas Eve Christingle service in 2009 and were pleased that 100 people came. This year has seen that number more than double, to the point where they cannot fit anymore in their buildings!
St. Mary’s Walkley had the ‘good problem’ of running out of Christingles at their Christmas Eve service as they had an extra 30 people through the doors including twice as many adults as last year.
These stories are only the tip of the iceberg as many more churches saw increases year upon year throughout the Diocese including All Saints Woodlands who took part in Premier Radio’s carol singing World Guinness Records attempt. It is also encouraging to hear the number of churches who took the carols out to the community by singing in local pubs and around the parish. After introducing carol-singing in the local pub last year, St. Gabriel’s in Greystones had to return for 2 sessions this year, both of which saw their ‘local’ bursting at the seams. The congregation of St. Mary’s Bramall Lane were touched when out carol-singing: a local teenager directed them to sing outside the house of a lady who had been recently widowed, who listened from her doorway with a smile.
A number of churches have reported this trend continuing into the New Year and St. Francis, West Bessacar are just one of the churches who have seen their average weekly attendance continue to stay higher than last year into January.
Behind all these numbers are individuals who chose to attend church over the Christmas period and had the opportunity to be touched by the good news of the birth of Jesus Christ. One such individual attending the crib service at St. Luke’s Hospice was touched enough to feel she had found God again and this was significant in her final weeks of life. Let’s hope and pray that many more who attended were touched in similar ways.
Do send your stories from Christmas to Bishop Steven’s Research Assistant Hannah Smith: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
