As the COVID-19 cases surge due to the downgrading of management of the epidemic, most churches in China conducted online Christmas worship services, while some celebrated in advance in person.
Scheduled to be held face-to-face with appointments, two Christmas Christian rallies with the theme of “Hope” took place virtually in Chongyi Church, Hangzhou, Zhejiang on December 18 and December 24
The evangelistic meetings opened with hymns, followed by testimonies, sermons, callings, and praise. On December 18, Rev. Mingliang delivered a sermon titled "Eternal Hope" based on Isaiah 7:14, calling on seekers to welcome Jesus who is their living hope.
In the sermon on December 24, the pastor shared sincere seeking, inner restlessness, and sincere worship with the story of the Eastern Magi. Four different attitudes towards the birth of Jesus were specifically mentioned.
In the live stream worship in Hangzhou Sicheng Church on Christmas Eve, Rev. Zhan Jingbo stated that the three offices of Jesus as the anointed one were a prophet, a priest, and a king, citing Luke 4:18-19.
Suzhou Shishan Church in Jiangsu urgently changed music and worship services on Christmas Eve and Christmas to online ones, attended by more than 3,800 people. The pastoral staff synthesized the pre-recorded audio and video clips into a complete and coherent video for playback, reported Suzhou CC&TSPM.
Guangzhou Dongshan Church in Guangdong also held an online Christmas Eve worship service with the theme, "For us, a baby is born".
Rev. Huang Tianhua was invited to share a sermon titled "The Gift of Love", saying "Christmas Eve is to celebrate the birth of a baby 2,000 years ago, who is God's gift of love to each of us."
Guangzhou Fangcun Church held an online live broadcast of Christmas Little Theater named “City and Island” on the evening of December 25th. Two Christmas Sunday services with the themes, "Emmanuel" and "A Christmas Carol" were held respectively in the morning and afternoon.
In the first one of three online Christmas services in Zion Church in Guangzhou, Rev. Yang Yongchun preached a sermon with the title “Hope”, citing John 1:4-5. He said that Christmas was not only a time for gift-giving and celebrating, and more importantly, people should understand that "there is hope in Jesus Christ".
The Church of Heavenly Peace in Fuzhou, Fujian, hosted a Christmas Eve candlelight worship service. With the choir singing, Senior Pastor Chen Anti lit five candles under the cross in the church, delivering a sermon titled "Light of Salvation". In the end, the candlelight was scattered from the five candles on the altar to the congregation one by one, indicating that Jesus is the true light that enlightens each person. The light of salvation and the light of the world was spread to believers, and then to more people around them.
The next day, a Christmas Sunday service and online music worship were hosted in Xiaoling Church, Fuzhou, with Pastor Chen giving a sermon with the title "Emmanuel – God’s Salvation Has Come". He urged Christians to remember that the Son of God was born for them no matter where they were.
In its WeChat group, Changtu County Church in Tieling City, Liaoning Province, displayed the 2022 Christmas Eve and Christmas celebrations, including praises inside the church and programs performed in rural courtyards, such as a program played in an allegro tempo and yangge, a Chinese folk dance. It also forwarded other churches' celebration activities.
Beihai Church in Guangxi conducted four services each Sunday this month and Fangcun Church in Guangdong held a Christmas party on December 18. Two churches in Liaoning and Shenzhen also celebrated Christmas on the Sunday before Christmas.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
因感染人数大幅增加，全国各地大部分教堂举行线上圣诞聚会，有一个在平安夜举行线下活动，
崇一堂原定于12月18日 和12月24日举办两场以“盼望”为主题的圣诞音乐福音布道会并需要预约参加。后因疫情防控形势严峻，平安夜的布道会暂停线下聚会，改为线上直播。
布道会以赞美诗开场，后有见证、证道、呼召环节，最后以赞美结束。12月18日，明亮牧师根据以赛亚书7章14节的经文做了题为“永恒的盼望”的讲道，呼召慕道友迎接耶稣做他们永远的盼望。
在12月24日平安夜的证道中，该牧师以东方博士的故事分享了真心的寻求、人心的困扰和诚心的敬拜。特别提到四种面对耶稣降生的四种不同态度。
12月24日晚杭州思澄堂也举办了“受膏者”线上平安夜圣乐崇拜。詹静波牧师以耶稣受膏者的身份为主题，围绕路加福音4章18-19节展开证道。受膏者在旧约有三种职分：先知、祭司和君王。
据苏州市基督教两会， 12月24-25日，苏州狮山堂紧急将平安夜及圣诞节圣乐崇拜调整为线上直播，共有3800多人在线参与。狮山堂教牧同工将崇拜各部分提前录制好的音视频剪辑合成为完整连贯的崇拜视频 进行播放。
广州基督教东山堂也在12月24日晚上举行线上崇拜开始，今年平安夜的主题是“有一婴孩为我们而生”，
黄添华牧师受邀以《爱的礼物》展开分享，“平安夜是为了庆祝2000年前一个婴孩的降生，而这是上帝给我们每一个人爱的礼物。”
12月25日，广州基督教芳村堂于晚间举办了圣诞小剧场线上直播——城市·孤岛。于12月25日这一天，举办了两场圣诞主日崇拜。早、午堂分别以《以马内利》《圣诞颂歌》为主题进行分享。
12月25日，广州基督教锡安堂举办了三场线上圣诞崇拜。在早堂崇拜中 杨永纯牧师围绕约翰福音1章4-5节经文，以“希望”为主题展开了圣诞崇拜的分享。劝勉会众要明白，圣诞节不仅是一个互送礼物，欢聚庆祝的节日，更重要的是人们要明白“在耶稣基督里面就有希望”。
12月24日晚，福州天安堂举办平安夜烛光崇拜,在诗班的歌声中，陈安俤牧师依次点燃堂内十字架下的五盏烛光,然后以《救恩之光》展开证道。最后烛光从讲台上五盏烛灯向会众一个个分散点燃，象征信徒从上帝领受真光，这救恩之光、世界之光传递到每个人身上，再传递到我们身边的更多人中间去。
12月25日正值主日，福州天安堂在小岭教堂举办圣诞主日礼拜暨线上音乐崇拜。主任牧师陈安俤牧师以《以马内利救恩已来临》为题展开证道，希望众人明白，“无论你在何处，你都应该记住，神的儿子降生就是为了你而来。”
辽宁省铁岭市昌图县基督教会2022年的平安夜和圣诞节欢庆赞美聚会于2022年12月24日至25日在教会微信群举行。既有在教堂圣殿的赞美，又有在乡村大院的歌舞，比如东北大秧歌、快板的形式等，同时也转发了国内其他有的教会的欢庆活动内容
全国各地举行圣诞聚会
As the COVID-19 cases surge due to the downgrading of management of the epidemic, most churches in China conducted online Christmas worship services, while some celebrated in advance in person.
Scheduled to be held face-to-face with appointments, two Christmas Christian rallies with the theme of “Hope” took place virtually in Chongyi Church, Hangzhou, Zhejiang on December 18 and December 24
The evangelistic meetings opened with hymns, followed by testimonies, sermons, callings, and praise. On December 18, Rev. Mingliang delivered a sermon titled "Eternal Hope" based on Isaiah 7:14, calling on seekers to welcome Jesus who is their living hope.
In the sermon on December 24, the pastor shared sincere seeking, inner restlessness, and sincere worship with the story of the Eastern Magi. Four different attitudes towards the birth of Jesus were specifically mentioned.
In the live stream worship in Hangzhou Sicheng Church on Christmas Eve, Rev. Zhan Jingbo stated that the three offices of Jesus as the anointed one were a prophet, a priest, and a king, citing Luke 4:18-19.
Suzhou Shishan Church in Jiangsu urgently changed music and worship services on Christmas Eve and Christmas to online ones, attended by more than 3,800 people. The pastoral staff synthesized the pre-recorded audio and video clips into a complete and coherent video for playback, reported Suzhou CC&TSPM.
Guangzhou Dongshan Church in Guangdong also held an online Christmas Eve worship service with the theme, "For us, a baby is born".
Rev. Huang Tianhua was invited to share a sermon titled "The Gift of Love", saying "Christmas Eve is to celebrate the birth of a baby 2,000 years ago, who is God's gift of love to each of us."
Guangzhou Fangcun Church held an online live broadcast of Christmas Little Theater named “City and Island” on the evening of December 25th. Two Christmas Sunday services with the themes, "Emmanuel" and "A Christmas Carol" were held respectively in the morning and afternoon.
In the first one of three online Christmas services in Zion Church in Guangzhou, Rev. Yang Yongchun preached a sermon with the title “Hope”, citing John 1:4-5. He said that Christmas was not only a time for gift-giving and celebrating, and more importantly, people should understand that "there is hope in Jesus Christ".
The Church of Heavenly Peace in Fuzhou, Fujian, hosted a Christmas Eve candlelight worship service. With the choir singing, Senior Pastor Chen Anti lit five candles under the cross in the church, delivering a sermon titled "Light of Salvation". In the end, the candlelight was scattered from the five candles on the altar to the congregation one by one, indicating that Jesus is the true light that enlightens each person. The light of salvation and the light of the world was spread to believers, and then to more people around them.
The next day, a Christmas Sunday service and online music worship were hosted in Xiaoling Church, Fuzhou, with Pastor Chen giving a sermon with the title "Emmanuel – God’s Salvation Has Come". He urged Christians to remember that the Son of God was born for them no matter where they were.
In its WeChat group, Changtu County Church in Tieling City, Liaoning Province, displayed the 2022 Christmas Eve and Christmas celebrations, including praises inside the church and programs performed in rural courtyards, such as a program played in an allegro tempo and yangge, a Chinese folk dance. It also forwarded other churches' celebration activities.
Beihai Church in Guangxi conducted four services each Sunday this month and Fangcun Church in Guangdong held a Christmas party on December 18. Two churches in Liaoning and Shenzhen also celebrated Christmas on the Sunday before Christmas.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Christmas Celebrations Held Across China
